Travel Notes

January 6, 2021 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Image above: The Aman Fine Fragrance collection

After the grand debut of the Aman Skincare line in 2018, followed by the wellness supplement brand SVA in September 2020, luxury resort empire Aman introduces Fine Fragrance – a range of sophisticated scents, each of which echo the distinct character of one of the brand’s global destinations.

For the fragrances, Aman enlisted French perfume master Jacques Chabert, born among the jasmine fields of the “world’s perfume capital”, Grasse, where he set up his own company in 1992. Chabert is responsible for a portfolio of premium potions, including Chanel’s Cristalle, Loewe’s Esencia Pour Homme, Guerlain’s Samsara and Molton Brown’s Black Pepper.

Chabert brings more than 50 years of experience in fragrance wizardry to his inaugural collection for Aman. It’s a sensory journey comprising five gender-neutral eau de parfums that reflect five of the resort operator’s destinations around the world – Thailand, Indonesia, Morocco, Venice and the soon-to-open Aman New York (scheduled for spring 2021). Each place is encapsulated by the essence of its own transportive notes and characteristics.

Vladislav Doronin, the chairman and CEO of Aman, says of the perfume quintet that it has “answered the call of our most devoted guests who have expressed their desire for such a range. And I hope in turn that we can evoke contented memories of time well spent in our destinations.”

As one might expect from Aman, with a global presence that now spans 20 countries, the physical appearance is equally important. Each Fine Fragrance bottle is inspired by the resort’s local environment and complements the Aman Skincare containers. Their sleek design is by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who shares Aman’s view of nature and design – respecting your surroundings instead of dominating them.

New Horizons

November 18, 2020 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Image above: Byredo Eyeshadow Compact mood shot

Byredo has blazed an under-the-radar trail since its inception in 2006 as a fragrance house. The Stockholm-based brand’s portfolio now comprises home, leather goods, accessories and beauty products, and it sells in more than 40 countries. 

Having launched the ambitious Lil Fleur earlier this year, a scent that encapsulates the “music of teen feeling”, Byredo’s founder Ben Gorham, alongside innovative make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench, debuts Eyeshadow 5 Colours. It’s a trio of compacts with five hues, each embodying a distinct narrative (Sciomancer, Syren and Corporate Colours) and a separate finish (matte, metallic and ultra-glitter). The colours are housed in a distinctive metal raindrop compact, which mimics the ripples and contours of a drop falling on water. With it, Gorham has taken the glamour of past cosmetics cases and recast them for the future. 

“The colour story and high-quality materials are essential elements, but so are the objects containing cosmetics,” explains Gorham. “You touch them, play with them and carry them around. These objects are tangible, personal and sensual. So it’s a delicate design process that requires ability and sensitivity. The clasp, the noise, the magnet – I wanted the idea of quality and performance through the structure and weight of all.”

Sciomancer typifies Byredo’s bold taste and was created in homage to the electronic musician Yves Tumor’s extravagant style. A harmony of deep and dramatically colourful shades with metallic and glitter finishes, it vibes particularly well on darker skin tones. 

Meanwhile, Syren is fresh and vibrant, evoking the songs of the Sirens in Greek mythology, who lured sailors with their legendary vocal prowess. No lesser a god than Odysseus was enchanted by the Sirens’ spell. The light, bright shimmering shades create a fresh look and convey a sense of faux-innocence. Be astonished but also beware the woman who wears Syren; she could be both Scylla and Charybdis in one and the same persona.

High-Brow Brows

November 4, 2020 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

If you’re going to let your visage take a bow, then let the magic happen with Benefit Cosmetics’ limited-edition Magnificent Brow Show, a complete brow set that contains five full-size brow superstars, all at a tantalising, economical price. It was estimated in 2016 that Benefit sells one brow product every two seconds, so it’s no wonder that luxury giant LVMH bought the company in 1999.

Shape, fill, sculpt, highlight, volumise and enhance your eyes to your brows’ extent, as the Magnificent Brow Show lets you create any brow look, from full and natural to bold and dramatic. The Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel contains tiny microfibres that adhere to skin and hair, creating natural-looking fullness and definition. A tiny tapered brush makes the perfect foil, providing easy, mess-proof application. 

For precision, the My Brow Eyebrow Pencil draws hair-fine, budge-proof strokes that line your newly robust and defined eyebrows for those 12 immaculate hours. The Goof Proof Eyebrow Pencil works wonders for make-up beginners and experts alike, and features a custom glide-on formula and non-sharpen tip for fast and effective brow-filling. Then, there’s the Ka-Brow! Eyebrow Cream-Gel Colour, an all-in-one adjustable brush that converts your effortless glamour. Its 24-hour waterproof formula offers rich and buildable colour, from the natural to the highly dramatic. 

The Ultimate Bounty

October 21, 2020 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

One of Japan’s most successful franchises of all time, One Piece, was written by Eiichiro Oda. Publishers rejected the pirate fantasy adventure three times before it was printed in 1997. Today, it has earned an estimated US$21 billion from manga, films, games, merchandise and anime.

Fast-forward to 2020 and Japanese cosmetic powerhouse Shu Uemura has now collaborated with the franchise, with the two icons taking consumers on a new voyage of discovery through protagonist Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew of pirates.

In stores now after its digital launch, and keeping right on brand, Shu Uemura has created a treasure chest of beauty, comprising jewel-like eyeshadows and arresting lipsticks. After all, the bolder your look, the higher your bounty – and for sure all eyes will be cast on you and your fearless crew. Who wouldn’t want to be the most wanted make-up pirate of the party season?

Colourways for the eyes are inspired by the Grand Line, the world’s most dangerous ocean current and where most of the search for the One Piece treasure takes place. Including Deep Matte, Antique Metal, Warm Pearl and Newly Crushed Stone, this festive, fashionable palette will set all eyes aflutter. Silky, lightweight highlighting powder allows dimensional looks and comes in natty limited-edition packaging; choose between Romance Dawn (sun-kissed peach with a pearly finish) or Gold Feast (in backed gold with an iridescent glow).

The extras and accessories keep coming, too. The Fearless Crew premium make-up box makes the perfect place to stockpile your treasures, while a premium brush transforms into the most powerful weapon in any self-respecting marine girl’s beauty arsenal.

For these dramatically dashing pirates sashaying across the ocean, Shu Uemura’s best-selling Rouge Unlimited mattes and cleansing oils arrive in adventure-friendly travel sizes, with special-edition packaging such as the Sakura Refreshing cleansing oil and the Ultime8 Sublime Beauty cleansing oil.

Beards: Bits and Bobs

June 17, 2020 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Skin Superstars

May 20, 2020 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

With stay-at-home orders on the way out and the darling buds of May now springing into their step, there’s no better time to think about face time. Not the app, but the visage that’s been suppressed behind a mask for the last three or four months. Cue Hong Kong’s Joyce Beauty and its tribe of six beauty superstars that can help us make the most effective, trusted and beautiful choices for post-isolation skin health. This sextet of sublime skincare offerings will not only revive our radiance, but also save our skin with game-changing ingredients, science-led technologies, advanced formulas and the highest sustainability standards.

Dr. Barbara Sturm

The German aesthetics doctor has gained a cult following through her non-surgical anti-ageing treatments, which combine the best of science and nature. Two of her latest products, the firming Face Cream and the brand new dream-worthy Night Serum, use purslane, a superfood compound rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant-heavy beta carotene, proven to extend the life of skin cells and activate telomerase, the “fountain of youth enzyme” in our cells.

 ReVive

Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning science, Dr Gregory Bays Brown has developed bio-renewal technology that mimics our skin’s own bio-renewal processes to help the skin behave at a more youthful rate. Intensité Complete Anti-Aging Serum promotes skin-cell renewal, while its iteration just for the eyes softens lines and wrinkles and re-contours the delicate eye zone. Together, they’re a dynamic duo.

Omorovicza

Hungarian thermal waters combine with cutting-edge science to create this powerful anti-ageing skincare range – and its mud is simply glorious. Relaxing and luxurious, the Thermal Cleansing Balm and Ultramoor Mud Mask, which are rich in calcium, magnesium, and humic and fulvic acid, detoxify and purify in equal measure, while marine exopolysaccharides plump fine lines and tighten collagen fibres to lift and firm.

111Skin

Bring the best of London’s Harley Street to your home with this luxurious skincare brand by renowned cosmetic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides, who has collaborated with space scientists to conjure a medically inspired range with heightened levels of efficacy. The brand-new Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask with pomegranate seed-cell culture uplifts, illuminates and awakens the fragile periorbital region; Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel does exactly what the name says; and Y Theorem Repair Serum – the product that inspired the entire 111Skin portfolio – supports cell regeneration and improves elasticity of the skin.

Perricone MD

Acclaimed US doctor Nicholas Perricone’s secret is acyl-glutathione, which has three amino acids that protect and replenish fragile skin as the body’s master antioxidant. Try the Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione Eyelid Lift Serum, an ultra-lightweight potion with a fast-absorbing texture that minimises eyelid creases, crêpiness, sagging lids, under-eye circles and darkness. At the same time, it replenishes moisture, while flaxseed, chia seed and macadamia seed oils restore suppleness and create a healthier glow.

Make Your Point

February 5, 2020 / by Charlotte Ligiée

Beauty, power… and moles? It’s a trifecta that many femmes fatales share. Like an exclamation mark, a mole instantly spices up one’s look. Be it close to the eyes, under the lip or on the décolletage, it’s a kind of warning sign, saying, “Hey, look here, you won’t regret it!” How could we forget the glamorous beauty marks of Clara Bow, Jean Harlow, Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe? Their moles truly made their faces iconic. 

But did you know these tiny dots might also have foretold their destiny? According to the Chinese ancestral art of face reading (mian xiang), moles are the signature of the planets at birth and contain one’s future. For instance, black and red ones are seen as good omens, whereas brown and dull ones are ominous signs. Placed on the eyebrow, a mole might be a highly auspicious sign of wealth and longevity, while a hidden one vouches for the existence of a secret treasure. Experts in moleomancy even claim that Monroe’s glamorous spot foreshadowed her accident – which, of course, is easy to say in hindsight. 

The 18th-century French courtesans also paid a lot of attention to the location of their moles. Known as mouches (the French word for “flies”), these fake beauty marks were wildly popular back then. Made of silk, velvet, taffeta or leather, they came in many shapes – round, heart, spade, star or crescent moon. Like fans and flowers, they also had their own seductive language. Depending on the location, these patches had a specific name and significance – above the lip it was “the coquette”, on the side of the chin “the discreet”, on the forehead “the majestic” and close to the eyes “the assassin”. In England, moles even revealed a woman’s political allegiance: the Tories set it on the left, the Whigs on the right. Apart from this, moles were primarily used for beauty. They often had a dual ambition of showing off a nice feature, and of concealing pimples and smallpox scars. 

Dynamic Duo

October 16, 2019 / by Philippe Dova

To Dye For

November 7, 2018 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Last year in hair, “granny grey” (a mixed grey-white) was one of the hottest colour choices, but this year’s “milk tea” has risen to the top. Somewhere between grey and gold, this hue conveys a smooth feeling. Add a splash of personality with candy colours such as pink or green, with techniques including highlighting and bleaching for additional style points. 

If you want your fashionable, healthy hair to last, you’d better follow these tips. First of all, testing before you start dyeing is vital – some hair dye may contain allergens that could set you off. Make sure there aren’t any cuts on your scalp and that your skin is back to normal 48 hours after you do the test. While you’re doing the actual dyeing, too, avoid getting any dye on the scalp, skin, eyes or mouth. 

All that Glitters

December 1, 2017 / by Charlotte Ligiée

Here comes the festive season; surely your agenda is already filled with cool cocktail receptions, elegant dinners and wild parties. But if you’re afraid that your winter looks are too dark and dull to stand out, you can rely on glitter to add a touch of the fabulous. Here’s some advice on how to apply it the right way.

When it comes to getting luminous, red-carpet-ready skin, highlighters are everything. To get that natural radiance, mix a cream illuminator with your moisturiser or foundation, and apply it all over your face to make your skin glow from the inside out. For a more sophisticated look, use your highlighter alone to enhance the tops of your cheekbones, shoulders and décolletage. (Don’t dust any matte powder on or it’ll lose its radiance.) You can also add a hint of illuminator on the bridge of your nose to make it look thinner. And before heading out to a party, be sure to slip a powder highlighter in your bag so you can get that extra shine whenever you want.

Kiss Me Little, Kiss Me Long

October 27, 2017 / by Ruiqi Jiang

Full Empowderment

October 27, 2017 / by Marine Orlova

When it comes to beauty, an even, luminous complexion is the holy grail. To get that flawless and radiant face you desire, a healthy diet, daily exercise and restful sleep all undoubtedly help, but you can also rely on the magic of powders.

Face powder is an old and trusted beauty ally. In ancient Japan, women and men alike used rice flour to even and lighten their skin tone. With the beginning of rice exportation in the 16th century, this habit rapidly spread to Europe. Louis XV’s most famous mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, made it her must-have make-up – and she was soon followed by all the court ladies. Faces, hands, décolletage and wigs were generously dusted with white powder to get an aristocratic pale-carnation. 

Today, face powders come in many shades, and women can choose among them as a function of their complexion and skin type. From luxurious loose powders to precious tiny compacts, French cosmetics and perfume house Caron has raised powder to an art form since 1904; the brand has been owned by the Alès Groupe since 1998. Sifted 100 times, composed of pure mineral ingredients, enriched with hydrating vegetal oils and delicately perfumed with Bulgarian rose, the brand’s powders are known for their lightweight formula. 

“Caron is a story of transmission, expertise and passion,” says the brand’s press officer, Chantal Evrard. “Ladies sometimes fear that powder cracks and dries out the skin, but once they try this comfy formula on, they just love it and get addicted to its floral scent. I remember the day actress Raquel Welch asked us for help while she was working in Paris. She sent us a really sweet letter saying that she got her glow back thanks to Caron’s powder.” 

Infused with a vintage French spirit, each powder’s shade name is a blast from the past: Radieuse, Madame and Rose Bonne Mine. From translucent sheer powder to one that’s more pigmented, each powder comes nested in a golden-studded case. “Created in 1939, the ‘dog collar’ box is Caron’s signature design,” explains Evrard. “Félicie Wanpouille, the founder of Caron, got this idea while she was petting her two pugs. Funnily enough, this style was later adopted by punks and rockers.” 

To top it all off, Caron offers stained powder puffs made of soft goose fluff and daintily adorned with a satin bow. “They are real treats, whether they are used for make-up or as a decoration,” says Evrard. “Glamour icon Dita Von Teese even asked us for a special red one.”

Wisdom from Israel

June 30, 2017 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Kiss, Kiss

May 26, 2017 / by Charlotte Ligiée

Matte lips are one of the secrets of a good kiss – and luckily, matte lipsticks are everywhere. They come in a variety of vibrant colours, give a perfect velvety finish and last for hours without smudging. Take your pick from this alluring selection.

Falsies but Goodies

April 28, 2017 / by Charlotte Ligiée