Strip and Two Lips stage art show dedicated to the vulva
From Gustave Courbet to Georgia O’Keeffe and feminist playrwright Eve Ensler, the vulva and vagina have long served as a source of inspiration and discourse in the art world. Throwing its doors open to a first-of-its kind vulva-themed art show in Singapore, Strip and Two Lips, the undisputed leaders in waxing and vulva care present Voyage to the Vulva-verse.
The multi-medium art exhibition features the works of eight artists Amanda Tan, Ashley Yeo, Hee Suhui, Tan Sze Yan, Kimberly Tan, Kristal Melson, Polina Korobova, and Yana & Jun. The original works range from from 3D and digital illustrations to a visual soundscape—with each artist exploring themes around the oft-objectified but rarely honoured body part.
“The Voyage to the Vulva-verse campaign aims to create open and honest conversations surrounding the vulva and intimate care, which is important if we want to continue breaking taboos and changing perspectives,” shares Cynthia Chua, founder of both Strip and Two Lips. “We want to highlight the vulva as a natural and beautiful part of the body, one to be seen as a positive celebration and not one of shame and embarrassment.”
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Voyage to the Vulva-verse art show will exhibit from 10 to 22 September 2021 at Hatch Art Project, 7 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168644. Monday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm. Admission is free.
For more information and to book a time slot, visit www.strip.com.sg/art-
Guerlain appoints Violette as creative director of make-up
Known for her Parisian chic sensibility, leading make-up artist and beauty influencer, Violette joins Guerlain as its new creative director of make-up. Lending her daring eye to the 190 year old luxury beauty brand, Violette’s vision is truly aligned with the French house as she strives to push the boundaries of innovation and modernity while keeping true to Guerlain‘s exacting standards.
“My story with Guerlain is really the story of my femininity,” shares the make-up artist. “As a little girl, Météorites with its little pastel-coloured pearls for the complexion had a real aesthetic impact on me. I’d stare at the box fascinated, I couldn’t wait to become a woman… I pictured myself at my dressing table putting on lipstick, perfume and dipping a brush into these incredible Météorites. Today, I’ve been invited to write the next chapter in Guerlain’s history as director of make-up. That’s the magic of beauty.”
In addition to her eponymous make-up line, Violette FR, the artist is best known for her past collaborations with Dior and Estée Lauder, where she previously held the post of global beauty director at the age of 33. Now, an exciting new season awaits.
“Guerlain is a woman! A modern Empress… and a Parisienne, right down to her fingertips. I’m so happy to be joining an iconic House with such a rich heritage, where I can pass Guerlain’s values in make-up onto a new generation and share it with those who, no matter their gender, celebrate beauty today and will celebrate it tomorrow.”
Chanel Factory 5 limited editions infuse luxury into the everyday
As Chanel puts it, they’re not celebrating N°5’s 100th anniversary—it’s her 20th, for the fifth time. History’s most famous fragrance with an inimitable sense of eternal youth and perennial allure, this iconic perfume is getting a fresh new look with Chanel Factory 5, a collection of 17 limited editions inspired by everyday objects—encapsulating how N°5 continues to transform the ordinary, each and every day.
Fusing the world of consumer goods factory and the codes of a luxury house are products like The Bath Tablets, $103, in a tea canister; The Shower Gel, from $80, in a paint pot; The Body Lotion, $104, in a detergent Doypack, and the one and only N°5 fragrance in a simple laboratory bottle—all functional but coveted collectibles with ultra-chic minimalist design. “By taking popular consumer items out of their context and dressing them up in the aesthetics of N°5, we return to Chanel’s first creative gesture: that of transforming a functional object into a desirable luxury item. That’s what Chanel Factory 5 is all about: offering the experience of luxury in everyday life”, says Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s Head of Global Creative Resources Fragrance and Beauty.
Available exclusively at Chanel Fragrance and Beauty boutiques and Chanel E-concierge from 15 July 2021
The Guerlain For Bees Conservation Programme
Bees have inhabited the luxurious world of Guerlain since 1853, starting with the iconic Eau de Cologne Imperiale bee bottle. Today, the symbol of the house is celebrated as nature’s great alchemists, with their honey infusing the Abeille Royal skincare line which seeks to repair, regenerated and repair glowing complexions. To coincide with World Bee Day on 20 May, the house will be holding a three-day international fund drive (from 20 to 22 May) where 20 percent of all worldwide sales from stores and guerlain.com will be donated to the Guerlain For Bees Programme. 20 euros will also be donated for every repost of Guerlain’s World Bee Day Instagram image, featuring the hashtags #Guerlain #GuerlainForBees #WorldBeeDay.
This community engaging programme is linked to six partnerships dedicated to the bees, including the Bee School project operated with the French Observatory of Apidology (OFA), and the Women for Bees programme in partnership with UNESCO—this initiative is fronted by “godmother” Angelina Jolie, and will have trained 50 women beekeepers, installed 2,500 hives and led to 125 million bees by 2025.
Dior Beauty’s new beauty flagship opens its doors at Ion Singapore
Dior addicts, rejoice! Dior’s beauty universe has found a new home in Singapore’s Ion mall. The expansive flagship showcases the house’s three pillars of beauty: from luxe skincare, to make-up and iconic fragrances including J’adore and Sauvage for men.
Geared towards adorning your face and senses, the elegant light-filled space even boasts a vanity table offering Dior earrings and other bejewelled bon-bons as a finishing touch to any beauty look.
In addition to virtual try-on services, visitors of the Ion boutique will have early access to limited edition finds, including the best-selling Diormania Gold Edition Couture Cushion, $98, from December 26, ahead of its island-wide launch on January 1st.
Other early-access highlights include the new Rouge Dior, $56, and the house’s first ever couture balm for all genders, Rouge Dior Satin Balm, $56.
Dior Beauty Flagship, #B2-52 ION Orchard, Singapore
Contact: 6636 7232
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm, daily
Chanel unveils its first hybrid beauty flagship in Southeast Asia
Lovers of Chanel, you have a new home at ION Orchard—think skincare, make-up, fragrances, eyewear and small leather goods all in one gleaming, first-ever hybrid universe on basement two.
Dressed in signature colours of black, white and gold, the flagship beauty boutique features a Skincare Wall featuring everything from the Sublimage to Hydra Beauty collections; a section tailored for men with Boy de Chanel beauty; and a Fragrance Bar complete with a full selection of Les Exclusifs de Chanel, a collection of iconic elixirs inspired by different chapters of mademoiselle Chanel’s life.
The other side of this beauty retail experience takes visitors to the Beauty Studio, a playground of make-up discovery, from flashing lipstick installations to a Beauty Creative Table complete with digital makeovers and Chanel’s try-on feature, as well as personalised consultations from the in-house beauty artists.
Chanel Beauty Boutique, #B2-42/43, ION Orchard, Singapore
Contact: 6634 5500
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
The doctor is in: Dr Sturm’s new Singapore pop-up opens
Translating years of experience from her orthopaedics practice into aesthetics, Dr Barbara Sturm is the brainchild behind the radical ‘vampire facial’ as seen on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram feed and her eponymous skincare range: Dr Barbara Sturm Molecular Cosmetics that has taken the world by storm since its launch in 2014.
Thankfully one no longer needs to jet off to Düsseldorf (her clinic in Germany) or order online to get a hold of her skincare miracle-workers. From 11 December 2020 to May 2021, you can head over to Dr. Barbara Strum’s first pop-up store in Singapore—whether you’re hoping to discover the science behind these potent concoctions or do some serious skincare shopping.
Dr Barbara Sturm Pop-Up, #02-12E Takashimaya S.C., Ngee Ann City, Singapore
Opening hours: 10:30am to 9:30pm, daily
Make a difference with M.A.C. Cosmetics
M.A.C Cosmetics isn’t interested in simply sitting still and looking pretty on your vanity table. A beauty brand with a strong cause, this year marks the 26th anniversary of M.A.C’s Viva Glam lipsticks and the namesake fund. Originally founded to fight against HIV/AIDS, M.A.C has since expended its reach to several vulnerable communities like those affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, changing some 19 million lives around the world.
Available in three shades: Viva Glam I, Viva Glam III, and now a limited edition passionate red, Viva Glam 26, you can help make the world a better place, one lipstick at a time. With every donation of $33, you can choose your preferred VIVA GLAM Lipstick. Available exclusively at M∙A∙C Boutiques (ION Orchard, Takashimaya S.C., Bugis Junction and NEX). Alternatively, you can donate online here.
Score a 12.12. steal with Sephora and Estee Lauder brands
Estee Lauder Companies‘ Holiday Haul of Fame hits Sephora for some exclusive high savings beauty steals. Score amazing Sephora Singapore and Malaysia-exclusive beauty deals from your favourite ELC brands including Clinique, Estee Lauder, La Mer, Lab Series, and, Origins from 9 to 12 December.
Vogue Singapore’s picks include two sets which offers 50 per cent in savings, the Skincare Holy Grail Kit ($47 or MYR 143), containing an exclusive 5-piece set comprising of top-selling skincare products to complete your holy-grail skincare regime featuring the Estée Lauder ANR 7ml, Origins Clear Improvement Mask 15ml, Clinique Moisture Surge 15ml, Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base 15ml, and Estée Lauder Micro Essence.
Another steal includes the Style Me Pretty Kit, $41 or MYR 116, boasting a 4-piece set comprising of best-selling skincare and make-up goodies including M.AC. Cosmetics Fix+ Aura Beauty On The Fly, M.A.C. Cosmetics Mini MAC lipstick, and Clinique Take The Day Off 15ml.
La Prairie’s Art of Beauty Lounge launches in Singapore
Suspend time and replenish your skin with luxury skincare brand, La Prairie‘s first ‘Art of Beauty Lounge’ in Singapore. Located at Tangs Orchard, the space marries contemporary Swiss architecture with high performance skincare and pampering treatment cabins.
Every indulgent facial is 90 minutes long, and La Prairie’s facial treatment menu includes services catered to a host of skincare concerns including firming, anti-aging and rejuvenation.
For a sensorial, platinum-standard treat aimed to rejuvenate skin and pause the affects of time on the face, it doesn’t get more luxe than La Prairie’s Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation Facial, $890. Could this be Singapore’s most indulgent facial? The treatment features the brand’s reformulated, high performance Platinum Collection—which immerses the skin in antioxidants, and skin-refining, tone-evening ingredients such as its Exclusive Cellular Complex and pure, rare platinum. This skindulgent treatment begins with a relaxing back massage, and features an exclusive facial complete with a sculpting face massage for instant lift and revitalisation. And yes, you will walk out seeing and feeling the difference to your complexion.
La Prairie Art of Beauty Lounge at Tangs, 310 Orchard Road, Orchard Plaza Singapore 238864
Contact: 6836 6380
Opening hours: 11.30am to 8.30pm, daily
BHG Singapore’s newly refreshed Beauty Hall at Bugis Junction
When BHG Singapore said it was refreshing its Beauty Hall at Bugis Junction, they didn’t just mean spanking new counters or brand additions—the department store has unveiled a highly digital, immersive retail universe.
The freshly renovated 13,000sqf beauty floor boasts double the number of brands—from 48 to 94—with new luxury entries from Burberry Beauty and Gucci Beauty, as well as the Beauty Library, a curated collection of nature-inspired skincare, make-up, haircare and bodycare labels, with some sections equipped with Lift & Learn interactive digital touchpoints for ingredient- and formula-discovery while shopping.
The Beauty Hall is now also home to an extended list of spa cabins for facial treatments by Clé de Peau Beauté, Clarins, Sisley, Decorte and SkinCeuticals, which launched its exclusive Gold Standard Treatment within its holistic phygital world of virtual try-ons and gamified platforms complete with a robo-customer advisor. Once you’re done browsing, customers can skip the queue by approaching any BHG shop assistant to ring you up with their mobile point-of-sale terminals—or you could simply shop over 200 brands online and have everything delivered right to your doorstep.
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The Ice Cream & Cookie Co x Aquajellie peelable nail polish collab
It’s the collab we never knew we needed. No, not between Blackpink and Selena Gomez, though Ice Cream is a certified bop. We’re talking about the new line of limited edition peelable and non-toxic nail polishes by Aquajellie and The Ice Cream and Cookie Co.
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Creating the ultimate girls night in pack, you’ll get three delicious gelato flavours and their inspired namesakes. We love that the Aquajellie polishes are odourless, contain just four ingredients, and are safe for pregnant and nursing women, and children. The formulas also contain 0.5 per cent hyaluronic acid to reportedly keep nails nourished and cuticles moisturised.
Expect a pint of limited edition holiday ICC Irish Coffee gelato, a pint of Mint Cookies & Cream gelato, and three Strawberries & Cream ice cream sandwiches with your three Aquajellie nail polishes.
Get your hands on the Girls’ Night In pack while stocks last.
Clé de Peau Beauté facials now available at its new store in BHG Bugis
Clé de Peau Beauté has open its doors at BHG Bugis, its first outside of the Orchard Road precinct. Aside from being able to shop the cult essences, lotions, and creams from the cult Japanese skincare brand, guests can also experience tailored facial treatments in their cosy but luxe cabins. Each service begins with a personal skin consultation, with your therapist recommending the best treatment according to your skin type and needs. We had the Lifting and Firming Treatment (60 minutes), which was an indulgent facial experience starring the Supreme Series to lift, firm, and restore radiance to the face. We loved the therapist’s light touch and deeply relaxing lymph and lifting massage techniques.
Other treatments at the store include the signature Hydrating Facial Treatment (60 mins) to deliver intense hydration for smother, healthier skin; and the Brightening Facial Treatment (60 mins) to boost your skin’s luminosity from within, while addressing discoloration and unevenness. Tired eyes can also experience the pampering Total Eye Care (60 mins) treatment, geared to smooth, brighten, and rejuvenate eyes.
Clé de Peau Beauté at BHG, 200 Victoria Street, #01-100 Beauty Hall Singapore 188021
Contact: 6223 2222
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Chanel’s first hybrid flagship beauty boutique in Southeast Asia opens at Singapore’s ION Orchard
Chanel’s alluring new flagship beauty boutique has arrived at ION Orchard, combining two distinct spaces: the Chanel Beauty Studio and an interactive area to discover the brand’s beauty universe.
In the beauty studio, guests can discover the full Chanel make-up collection through interactive screens that offer both digital make-overs via the Chanel Try-on feature, as well as virtual make-up tutorials. Book your personalised consultation to score make-up and beauty tips from the house’s make-up artists and beauty consultants.
Chanel Beauty Boutique, 2 Orchard Turn, #B2-42/43, ION Orchard Singapore 238801
Contact: 6634 5500
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
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Skinceuticals goes phygital, opens #BeautyTech counter at BHG
The temporary closure of brick-and-mortar stores during the early days of COVID-19 lockdowns has underscored the importance of digital retail and phygital beauty. Now, medical aesthetics brand, Skinceuticals marries digital and beauty tech with the opening of its largest department store counter in the world, within Singapore’s BHG. The immersive retail experience features an AI Robot which uses a mix of virtual and augmented reality to help customers with price checks, offering information, loyalty programme sign-ups, while giving mini tours of the space.
“At L’Oreal Singapore, we believe that technology will open a new era for inventing the future of beauty. Digital and technology are at the heart of our approach to beauty, from scientific research to production, from distribution to communicating with our consumers,” shares Iris Lam, country managing director of L’Oréal Singapore. “Therefore, #BeautyTech is the future of consumer experiences, and the current pandemic has further emphasised how important it is to innovate our interactions and experiences with consumers, to provide them with retail-tainment, consultation and personalised recommendations. All in all, consumers’ needs are at the forefront of our business, and we aim to best meet their needs in the digital revolution.”
“Skinceuticals is heralding L’Oreal Singapore’s leadership in #BeautyTech by combining interactive digital experiences with the expertise of our derma advisors to provide targeted personalised skin consultation for our customers. Along with the various technologies such as our SkinScope machine that is LED-powered, customers will be able to receive a true accurate analysis of their skin, while getting customised recommendations on the best products tailored for them,” Lam shares.
The elevated experience also a holographic display showcase, and a Lift and Learn Wall, where customers can better interact and be educated on Skinceutical’s cult products such as C E Ferulic and Discoloration Defense. For those wanting to take their Skinceuticals experience to the next step, the brand offers a private facial cabin for skin treatments.
Skinceuticals at BHG, 200 Victoria Street, #01-100 Beauty Hall Singapore 188021
Contact: 6223 2222
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Stock up on Byredo make-up, candles, and fragrances at their new Takashimaya store
Fans of Ben Gorham’s European luxury brand, Byredo, a label known for its creative candles and range of fragrances and leather goods will be pleased to know its made its make-up debut in Singapore with a flagship at Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
“Ultimately, beauty is subjective—Byredo Makeup had to reflect that,” shares founder and creative director, Ben Gorham. The make-up line comprises of five core products that blur gender and identity lines, and use colour as a form of expression. He called on collaborator, make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench in the creation of this line where each product name tells a story, much like the brand’s perfumes.
“I wanted to create a sense of freedom in the way we approach using makeup but also in the way we communicate the products. Byredo can be anything—that is what we are trying to establish,” says Ffrench.
Byredo offers 15 high-saturation, ultra-glide lipsticks at $70 each; 16 easy-to-apply Coloursticks in a range of dewy, matte and shimmer formulas at $52 each; and a singular mascara in black at $70.
Byredo at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Rd, #B1–34, Singapore 238872
Contact: 6235 5021
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, daily
Clé de Peau Beauté offers the gift of education to young girls globally
With global lockdowns and school closures, getting an education has been nothing short of challenging for students including the world’s most marginalised, underprivileged girls who already struggled with limited access to technology before the pandemic hit. In order to drive positive change for good and build a more equitable future for all girls and their communities, Clé de Peau Beauté recognises that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education needs to be seen as a priority.
STEM education empowers girls to access skills that help secure jobs of the future, which in turn improves financial agency and self-sufficiency. With this, Clé de Peau Beauté continues to reaffirm its advocacy for girls’ education through its 2020 Power of Radiance Awards, which honours inspirational women who have made extraordinary contributions to bettering the lives of girls through education.
“I believe that STEM education is a required skillset of the 21st century,” says Binita Shrestha, one of Clé de Peau Beauté’s Power of Radiance Awards winners. “Through STEM subjects, girls can access endless possibilities for employment, establish greater independence, and forge better connections with their communities and the world around them. Thanks to Clé de Peau Beauté’s Power of Radiance Awards, we are now one step closer to bringing about change in the education system in Nepal and shattering STEM gender stereotypes.”
This year, the brand recognises the achievements of Binita Shrestha and Pratiksha Pandey from Nepal who have made extraordinary contributions to promoting STEM education for girls through their organisation, Women in STEM Nepal (WiSTEM Nepal).
“By shining the light on the radiance of Binita Shrestha and Pratiksha Pandey, we hope to inspire others to join us in empowering future generations of girls through STEM education, so that they too can pave the way for a more radiant society that is equal and fair,” says Yukari Suzuki, chief brand officer of Clé de Peau Beauté.
Global sales of Clé de Peau Beauté’s The Serum funds the Power of Radiance Awards program grant.
Augustinus Bader opens in Singapore
Pioneer in stem cell biology and head of stem cell research at University of Leipzig, professor Augustinus Bader has spent the past 30 years focusing on helping to reawaken cells that go dormant over time, due to ageing or trauma.
You can now shop the groundbreaking line at the Singapore, regenerative medicine-inspired line at their local website. Our pick? The Cream ($405 for 50ml), which helps to minimise the appearance of frown lines, wrinkles, and boosting the skin’s overall texture, tone, and appearance with a complex of natural amino acids, medical-grade vitamins, with vitamins A for stimulating collagen production while diminishing the appearance of fine lines; antioxidant vitamin C, B5 to hydrate and condition the skin, and skin soothing hydrolysed rice protein.
Gift-with-Purpose with Clarins
Clarins and FEED have provided over 33 million meals* to school children through the United Nations World Food Programme since the partnership began in 2011. From gift-with-purchase to gift-with-purpose, each make-up pouch or tote sports the number ‘10’ to signify the number of meals provided to children in need.
A minimum spend of $250 will score you a ‘Feed 10’ tote bag, while a minimum spend of $170 entitles you to a ‘Feed 10’ pouch at all Clarins boutiques, counters, and Clarins.com.sg, while stocks last.
*according to FEED estimates since 2011
Sunnies Face finally lands in Singapore
After two years of online envy and engaging make-up mules in the Philippines, we can finally shop Sunnies Face directly—via their official online store on Lazada. Credited as the brand that put F-beauty (Filipino beauty) on the global map, Sunnies Face is best known for their Airbrush creamy cheek tints, cushiony Lip Dip liquid lipsticks, and perpetually-sold out Fluffmatte lipsticks—all of which are formulated to flatter Asian skin tones. They’ve also starred in the bags of global make-up artists since 2018, and garnered a cult following after being spotted on the lips, cheeks, eyelids and brows of celebrities including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Christina Aguilera, Amandla Stenberg, Saoirse Ronan and more.
Speaking to Vogue, Martine Ho, creative director of Sunnies Studios said: “For years, people asked us what lip colours we wore and what we used in our campaigns. The truth is we each had several concoctions to get the perfect lip, sometimes mixing multiple colours to get the right tone. The natural progression for us was to create a beauty brand and that’s how Sunnies Face was conceived. For our first signature product, the Fluffmatte lipsticks, we meticulously tested 350 colour samples in a range of 22 formulas before we landed on our edit of nine shades. They are universally flattering for a wide range of skin tones but more specifically, they were created for the Southeast Asian skin spectrum in mind.”
Our suggestions for your shopping list? Fluffmatte lipsticks in Baked (a peachy caramel) and Major (the perfect cool red), Lip Dip liquid lipstick in Terracotta (a ginger nude), Airblush cheek tint in Peached (a versatile coral), Glowboss shimmer stick in Hey Girl (pearly champagne), and the Lifebrow Duo (skinny pencil and brow gel) in Ash Brown.
