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Belif Super Drops PHA 5%, $108
While we’ve embraced chemical exfoliants such as AHA, BHA, tranexamic, glycolic and lactic acids in a big way, it’s also fair to say that some of us may have also spent time nursing our skin barrier back to health after overzealous use of such skin-sloughers. Thankfully PHAs, the unproblematic cousin of AHAs and BHAs, increase cell turnover of dead skin and minimise the look of blemishes while improving texture—all without the sensitivity and irritation other acids are famous for. But wait. There’s a catch. There always is. Being gentle, they may take longer than say AHAs and BHAs to work their magic, but their slow-and-steady approach is still the best for sensitive skin types.
This gentle chemical exfoliant ampoule also contains hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and pomegranate-derived vinegar to plump and soothe the skin. The formula also features Napiers Aqua and Original Formulas to boost overall skin health.
Belif Super Drops PHA 5%, $108, available at The Face Shop
2 / 14
Bring Green Teatree Cica Soothing Toner, $18.50
At just $18.50—$14 if you can score this at Guardian on sale—this pH-friendly toner by K-Beauty brand, Bring Green for sensitive skin types is a godsend. Tea tree, known for its antibacterial and sebum-regulating properties helps to remove excess oil while exfoliating dirt and dead skin cells from the face. This in turn, boosts skin clarity and improves the appearance of whiteheads and blackheads common in acne-prone skin. But never at the expense of stripping the skin. The toner is formulated with 3 per cent centella asiatica extract to calm irritation, inflammation and boost wound healing. We’re on our second bottle, if that tells you anything…
Bring Green Teatree Cica Soothing Toner, $18.50, available at Guardian
3 / 14
Moncler Pour Femme, $288 for 150ml eau de parfum
Imagine if your job description were to translate something as tangible as snowscapes and crisp air into something as abstract and intangible as scent. Incredibly, perfumers Nisrine Grillié and Quentin Bisch have done just that in their new floral woody fragrance offering, Moncler Pour Femme.
“Quentin Bisch and myself wanted to keep the freshness and minerality of snow with the warm, comforting sensuality of wood notes. Moncler Pour Femme needed to smell powdery like fresh snow but with a feeling that you really want to wrap yourself up in it. Think of fresh powder on a mountain top with the sunlight shining through the snowflakes—that is the exclusive Powdery Snow accord we created for this scent,” says Nisrine Grillié. Here, the perfumers contrasted white florals such as jasmine sambac and heliotrope with warm Mountain Woods accord, another component exclusive to Moncler. This base note effectively wraps the wearer in warm notes of sensual amber, cedarwood and sandalwood.
Moncler Pour Femme, like its new Pour Homme counterpart, comes in a novel ‘borracia’ flask-shaped flacon and pouch constructed out of Moncler’s iconic quilted jacket. Taking a singular design approach to fragrance design, an LED screen adorns the bottle of the rechargeable 150ml edition where users will be able to customise a message via Bluetooth-powered smartphone app on the panel, which makes it an innovative gift idea for the techie in your life. Pass the chocolat chaud.
Moncler Pour Femme, $288 for 150ml eau de parfum; refill for 150ml, $208, available at Moncler Marina Bay Sands
4 / 14
Kenzoki Hydration Flow Moisturizing Skin Guardian—Combination to Oily Skin, $75 for 50ml
Water is the essence of life and proper hydration is the key to plump, radiant and healthy skin. Seeking to improve the circulation of water within the layers of skin is Kenzoki’s Hydration Flow range, which zooms in on delivering intense hydration from the outside in to replenish skin’s barrier function which in turn optimises hydration within the epidermis. Powering this range is sacred lotus flower water extract that has a proven booster action of stimulating water retention while three hyaluronic acids are designed to draw and lock in reservoirs of moisture up to 1000 times their weight in water. The Moisturizing Skin Guardian for Combination to Oily Skin delivers long-lasting and deep hydration without any sticky feeling, wrapping complexions in nourishing, balancing and sebum-regulating comfort that also soothes and protects from oxidative stress while adding bounce and luminosity to skin.
Kenzoki Hydration Flow Moisturizing Skin Guardian—Combination to Oily Skin, $75 for 50ml, available at Sephora
5 / 14
Kiehl’s Ferulic Brew Rejuvenating Facial Essence, $131 for 200ml
Kiehl’s Ferulic Brew Rejuvenating Facial Essence is the brand’s latest skincare feat that fuses its old-world apothecary know-how with modern science. Kiehl’s chemists discovered a specialised 120-hour phyto-brewing process using enzymes from germinated brassica seeds that resulted in an antioxidant-rich elixir that boosts radiance while defending skin against free radicals from both internal and environmental aggressors, like pollution and stress, which can lead to damage and skin ageing. On top of ferulic acid, this unique formula also packs lactic acid and squalane, which work in tandem to refine complexions, replenish the skin barrier, soften the look of fine lines and moisturise, making it an ideal first step of skincare right after a fresh cleanse.
Kiehl’s Ferulic Brew Rejuvenating Facial Essence, $131 for 200ml, available at Kiehl’s
6 / 14
MTM Labo Custom-Blended Scrub, $95
Out with the old, in with the new—that’s how healthy skin renewal works when it comes to effective exfoliation. MTM Labo’s new Custom-Blended Scrub is formulated with a powerful but gentle exfoliating trio of ingredients, starting with natural scrub particles made of fine rice powder and beech wood cellulose that sweep away dead skin cells while promoting skin oxygenation, providing you with the sensoriality of a scrub without any risk of abrasion. Diving deeper to loosen and dissolve all the pore-clogging dirt, impurities, excess sebum or leftover make-up are natural enzymes of bromelain and papain, and fruit acids from yuzu, passion fruit, lemon and grape, which also help to soften keratin build-up, brighten skin tone and lighten blemishes. Apricot kernel oil then infuses the skin with vitamin E and omega-6 and -9 polyunsaturated fatty acids to further nourish and improve skin elasticity. Used once or twice a week, this leaves skin feeling and looking fresh and clean without tightness or dryness, clearing the way for your subsequent skincare products to penetrate even deeper.
MTM Labo Custom-Blended Scrub, $95, available at MTM Labo
7 / 14
Foreo Issa 3 Sonic Toothbrush, $246
A global leader in beauty tech, Foreo occupies prime real estate sinkside with best-selling tools including the Luna 3 cleansing device and Bear, the safest microcurrent tool in the world. Taking care of yet another step of your daily rituals is the brand’s Issa 3, the first silicone sonic toothbrush equipped to provide a complete, four-in-one oral care experience. The third generation of the ‘toothbrush of the future’, this boasts extra-durable bounce-back bristles with 11,000 T-sonic pulsations per minute that move like soft, gentle waves over teeth and gums to effectively sweep away dirt and bacteria. This silicone toothbrush is 10,000 times more hygienic than nylon bristled brushes, and is a whole lot more sleek, sustainable and ergonomic than its electric counterparts too. Plus, its patented technology allows the device to last up to a whole year on a single USB charge.
Foreo Issa 3 Sonic Toothbrush, $246, available at Lazada
8 / 14
Shiseido Pop PowderGel Eye Shadow, $34
Calling all eyeshadow enthusiasts—Shiseido’s Pop PowderGel Eye Shadow is set on changing the game with its Hybrid Powder-Gel Technology. Fusing the weightless texture of a powder with the colour intensity and staying power of a gel, this innovative formula boasts spherical silica for a silky feel and friction-free application, film-forming gel polymers for enhanced flexibility and long-lasting wear, and wakame extract, an antioxidant-rich Japanese sea algae that protects and smooths, all mixed in with loads of pigments and pearls for utmost vibrancy and radiance. Available in 18 shades and three finishes—matte, shimmer and sparkle—these eyeshadows are crease-resistant and fallout-proof, and oh-so-easy to blend or build, even with your fingers.
Shiseido Pop PowderGel Eye Shadow, $34, available at Sephora
9 / 14
Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Face Mask, $114
We love a good biohack, and here’s a product to add to your arsenal of at-home facial tools. Banish puffiness, fatigue and up your glow with Charlotte Tilbury’s freezer-friendly face mask. The reusable mask made from flexible silicone contains cool metal beads at strategic placements to align with your facial acupressure points and with ice-tech to help cool the skin, helping the face appear more sculpted, lifted and truly lit-from-within. Pop it in the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes before use, and strap on after applying your favourite eye cream and serum. A treat for sluggish skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Face Mask, $114, available at Sephora
10 / 14
Dr Lara Devgan Vitamin C+B+E Ferulic Serum, US$148.11
With a charming presence that totally translates on social media, New York-based board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr Lara Devgan marries art with science at every turn—eponymous skincare brand included. If you’ve sensitive, oily, acne-prone or even combination skin and are on the market for a potent vitamin C serum, this may just be the one. The antioxidant-rich serum is loaded with vitamins C, B derivatives, E and ferulic acid and helps play offence and defence against free radicals, upping collagen production while improving skin tone, texture, and signs of hyperpigmentation. The result? Skin that’s brighter, clearer, and ultimately, healthier looking.
Dr Lara Devgan Vitamin C+B+E Ferulic Serum, US$148.11, available on Net-a-Porter
11 / 14
Sigi Skin Bright Skies Gentle Gel Exfoliator, $52
Cleansing is a crucial element of any skincare routine, but some tend to do too much, or too little—especially when it comes to proper exfoliation. Formulated without any physical abrasives, Sigi Skin’s Gentle Gel Exfoliator does the job gently but efficiently in the form of a peeling gel that helps lift away dead skin cells and pore-clogging impurities, ensuring skin is deeply purified without tugging or scrubbing skin, making way for maximum absorption of the rest of your skincare routine. Its nourishing blend of goji berries, pumpkin extracts and spinach extract also help to speed up skin’s cell renewal process and reduce hyperpigmentation while brightening and evening out skin tone.
Bright Skies Gentle Gel Exfoliator, $52, available at Sigi Skin
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Viviscal PRO Thin to Thick Elixir, $60 for 50ml
Losing up to 100 strands of hair daily is considered normal, however our harried, high stress lifestyles, poor diets, pollution and scalp or hair damage can not only push this number up, but also slow down hair growth, which can then lead to hair thinning and hair loss. Good news is, the makers of the cult favourite Pro Hair Nutritional Supplement, Viviscal Professional has launched a collection of topical products for fuller, healthier tresses. Their new Pro Thin to Thick Elixir is a lightweight leave-in treatment (on damp hair) that helps shield strands against environmental pollution and heat damage, formulated with a proprietary complex powered by biotin, collagen, keratin and a pea sprout-derived ingredient that work together to nourishing and strengthen locks from root to tip. It can be used as a smoothing styling serum on dry hair too.
Viviscal PRO Thin to Thick Elixir, $60 for 50ml, available at Viviscal Professional
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Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Heroes Skincare Set, $72
We can’t get enough of skin-soothing cicapair, which means we’re always looking for a top up of Dr.Jart+’s precious green and white jars and tubes. Those with sensitive skin types or sensitised, inflamed complexions can seek refuge in the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Heroes Set, a three-piece kit starring Centella Asiatica, the main ingredient best known for its fast-acting soothing and hydrating properties to instantly relieve redness, heal damaged skin and protect it from future aggressors. Whether you’re looking to try or restocking, this trio covers all bases: the lightweight, ultra-calming Cicapair Serum; the Cicapair Calming Gel Cream that’s great for humid days and flareups; and the Cicapair Re-Cover SPF40/PA++++ CC Cream, the Tik Tok famous colour-correcting cream that reduces redness and irritation while shielding and restoring a smooth, even complexion.
Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Heroes Skincare Set, $72, available at Sephora
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Dr Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™ BodyWare Pro, $720
If only there were a way to treat backne, wrinkles, dark spots, mild aches and pains with one device… oh wait. As longtime fans of Dr Dennis Gross’ SpectraLite Faceware Pro mask will attest, this multi-functional device which can be used across your décolletage, tight shoulders, and so much more is a great way to harness the power of LED at home. This state-of-the-art body device is essentially a lightweight, flexible silicone shield of 148 red lights and 68 blue lights. Just like the face mask, you can enjoy better results with three minutes of consistent use. Yes, three minutes. In about the time it takes to watch a TikTok, red light penetrate the skin’s dermis to stimulate collagen production for anti-ageing benefits, while blue light combats P. acne (Propionibacterium acne) bacteria to treat and prevent breakouts. For extra support from muscular tension and fatigue, an additional 14-minute mode provides intermittent pain relief through anti-inflammatory red lights. And if you’re in love with idea of owning a device but not wowed at the prospect of the maintenance and charging, you’ll be relieved to know just one charge offers 46 treatments.
Dr Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™ BodyWare Pro, $720, available at Sephora
