Category: Beauty

Sa Sa director Melody Kwok-Chan talks beauty and brand strategy

Melody Kwok-Chan is the director of corporate strategy and development at cosmetics retailer Sa Sa International Holdings Limited.

You spent a decade abroad. What brought you back to Hong Kong?

I attended high school in Canada for two years and then moved to Australia. I went to university in Melbourne, first studying marketing at RMIT and then earning my master’s in international business from Monash.

I’m a pretty independent person, but after eight years in Australia I started to feel homesick so I decided to move back to Hong Kong. I love everything about Australia – the food, the weather, the vacation spots – but career-wise Hong Kong is a better fit for me. Plus, my family is here.

Based on my experience, I would advise students to go abroad to learn about another culture firsthand. Experiencing it for yourself is much more meaningful than reading about it in a book or seeing it on TV. Looking back, I wish I could have studied in more countries and learned different languages.

Your parents founded Sa Sa nearly 40 years ago. Did you think you’d end up working for the family company?

 I’ve had an interest in cosmetics ever since I was young and always dreamed of working in the beauty or fashion industry. I think that can be attributed to my parents’ influence and all the hours I spent in Sa Sa stores growing up. My parents occasionally let me sample the products while helping out at the shop. Cosmetics were practically my toys.

On top of that, after graduation I wanted to help reduce my parents’ workload, so I decided to complete the company’s management trainee programme. After that, I joined Sa Sa’s marketing department.

What does your role at Sa Sa entail?

I oversee marketing, product development and business plans. On the product side, I’m tasked with selecting the highest quality products for our stores.

I also monitor beauty trends. European and Japanese brands used to be the most popular, but customers now want Korean products.

On the marketing side, we organise a few major annual events, like the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Day, held in conjunction with The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

How has Sa Sa grown over the years?

The first Sa Sa store was in a basement and measured only 40 sq.m. There were two employees: my mom and dad. As the first male consultant at Sa Sa, my dad quickly learned the value of his opinion. When my dad told a customer that a certain shade of lipstick looked beautiful on her, she almost always bought the product. Now you can see many male beauty consultants in our stores.

My parents then opened their second shop in Causeway Bay, right beside Sogo. From there, Sa Sa continued to grow. We now have about 60 shops in mainland China, 100 in Hong Kong and more than 280 altogether in Asia.

To what do you attribute Sa Sa’s success?

I think it all boils down to our products and service. We stress the importance of quality and train our staff to provide excellent customer service. Our beauty consultants undergo nearly 260 hours of training, enabling them to provide personalised beauty advice to our customers.

How did you get involved with the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association?

My mom is also a member, so I learned about it through her involvement. I love having the opportunity to work with teenage girls. I created a cosmetics course for the girls to learn how to look professional and put-together when they enter the workforce.

I also helped establish Sa Sa’s first charity platform – the Sa Sa Making Life Beautiful Charity Fund – in 2013. It has been helping young people build self-confidence and spread positive energy throughout the community.

Do you have a role model?

It would have to be my parents. They started Sa Sa in 1978 when it was just a tiny shop in Causeway Bay and transformed it into the first cosmetic one-stop shop in Hong Kong. My mom is extremely detailed, while my dad is adept at managing a business. They’ve taught me so many important lessons, and I’m still learning from them.

Thank you.

Interview: Emily Petsko

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Super Serums: Give your face a new glow with these rejuvenating ranges

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Today’s fast-paced modern life is the biggest enemy of youthful skin. To combat stress and fatigue at their very source – the skin cells – Gafencu’s beauty team has hand-selected the best boosting super serums for a refreshed, just-got-back-from-Bali look.

Dior Science recently studied the mechanisms of cellular fatigue in order to combat “inflamm-ageing” (low-level inflammation associated with ageing). The Rose de Granville’s 20 precious micro-nutrients are extracted, with their life force being preserved through a cutting-edge micro-encapsulation process.

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The Serum from Clé de Peau Beauté combines four ingredients: Chai Hu extract, cornflower extract, Inositol (a natural nutrient), and white lily and tormentilla extract (an herb), to bring out the skin’s natural beauty.

Natura Bisse’s Inhibit High Definition Serum contains a 71 percent concentration of active ingredients, including anti-ageing components. They work as a bio-emulsion, meaning they are immediately absorbed into your skin, getting right to work where it’s needed most.

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Lancôme’s Advanced Génefique Sensitive and Natura Bisse’s Inhibit High Definition Serum

Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique Sensitive is a dual concentrate which contains the iconic Advanced Génifique Youth Activator, a new soothing probiotic fraction, and a blue ampoule infused with extremely pure antioxidant ingredients.

Albion’s newly launched product – Infiness Upsurge Solution – promotes the growth of dermal tissue. This has a lifting effect, leading to firmer and fresher skin.

For something extra luxurious, Rodial’s new Rose Gold range is enriched with 24-carat gold and fresh white rose cells. The products work to reshape the face by smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles while visibly lifting and plumping the skin.

Incorporate any one of these super serums into your daily skin regime, and you’ll be feeling – and looking – younger in no time!

UK beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury, to start Makeup Revolution in Asia in 2018

 

Good news for all the bombshells and beauty queens out there!  UK-based premium makeup brand, Charlotte Tilbury, has just announced its planned launch in Hong Kong in April 2018, in collaboration with Lane Crawford.

It is a momentous step for the brand, considering Hong Kong is going to host their second international store outside the UK, the first being a two-storey Beauty Wonderland in Kuwait which just opened last month. With its cosmopolitan vibe, Hong Kong is a natural choice for the brand’s vision of a Makeup Revolution in Asia in 2018.

Talking about the launch, founder Charlotte Tilbury says, “I am so excited to officially launch my magic Makeup Revolution in Asia. There is already a huge demand from my loyal base of customers who have followed my brand from the start. I am so thrilled to finally be able to share all of my best-selling, award-winning makeup and skincare range with all the gorgeous, glamourous ladies in Hong Kong.”

Lane Crawford’s chief brand officer, Joanna Gunn, sounded equally excited, “The Lane Crawford beauty customer is constantly looking for newness, so we are thrilled to collaborate with Charlotte Tilbury to exclusively launch the brand in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kongers have reasons to be thrilled. Charlotte Tilbury is widely recognised as the world’s no. 1 makeup artist, with a clientele list featuring A-listers like Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Julianne Moore, Eva Green, Amal Clooney, Nicole Kidman and others. She has also been part of game-changing fashion campaigns for top brands, including Burberry, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, among others.

Cire Trudon launches niche perfumes with a whiff of history

 

For the perfume industry, the paradigm shift started in the early 2000s, when French perfume Editions de Parfums hit the market in an innocuous, minimalist bottle. It went on to become so popular that it caught Estée Lauder’s attention which bought the brand a few years back.

With more and more perfume brands entering the market and becoming niche favourites every year, it seems that celebrity endorsements, marketing gimmicks and fancy packaging are no longer being able to pull crowds.

The latest to join the niche perfume market is iconic French iconic candle-maker, Trudon. As royal manufacturers of scented candles since 1643, expanding to the perfume business was a natural move, according to the brand’s director Elodie Herreria. Breaking away from the stereotype of masculine and feminine binaries, Trudon aims to create an olfactory expression that references character rather than gender.

Acclaimed perfumers, Lyn Harris, Antoine Lie and Yann Vasnier, have infused the collection with rich mix of historical notes with modern twists.

Cryptically named Bruma, II, Mortel, Olim and Revolution, the five scents pay tribute to the brand’s rich French heritage. While Bruma (our personal recommendation) and Olim reference the radiance and vanity of the royal era, II is a nod to new beginnings. Revolution and Mortel are more complex expressions, with hints of upheaval and mysticism.

Presented in simple bottles with stark labels, the five scents are devoid of any frills and are left to speak for themselves. And speak they do, appealing to our innermost senses of beauty and harmony.

Retail price: HK$1,900/100 ml

Available at SHHH Boutique, G/F, 94 Hollywood Road, Central 

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Enjoy a brush with the past with Helena Rubinstein’s rich heritage of mascara innovation

When Helena Rubenstein invented the first waterproof mascara in 1939, it marked a new chapter in women’s makeup routines. Strategically launched at the Acquade Show, a famous aquatic dance performance in New York, the mascara opened women’s eyes to the power of their own beauty.

There has been no looking back since then. Several decades later, Helena Rubenstein Research continues to follow the path of its eponymous founder through its series of innovations.

To commemorate the brand’s rich heritage, Helena Rubenstein has just launched its first hybrid mascara, the Lash CC Carbon Care. Bringing together the complementary properties of skincare and make-up, it nurtures our lashes while making giving them a voluminous, refined expression.

Unlike regular mascara that stiffens our eyelashes and gives them a slightly ‘fake’ look, Helena Rubenstein’s 750-bristle mascara (versus the standard 350-bristle ones) claims to give the lashes a feather-soft appeal.

Priced at HK$ 330 for a 7.3ml tube, you can lay your hands on Lash CC Carbon Care at most of Helena Rubenstein’s counters across select malls in Hong Kong, including Harvey Nichols, SOGO and Lane Crawford.

Sparkling Reds: Louboutin’s iconic rouge hue shines this holiday season

Fancy some sparkling reds this holiday season? No, not the wines – we’re talking about Christian Louboutin’s new Metalissime Rouge line.

The renowned French designer has given his iconic Rouge Louboutin a sparkly twist just in time for the holiday season. With the new Metalissime line, the designer’s signature red hue has a shimmering pearl sheen that’s sure to attract eyeballs wherever you go.  

Dab a little Rouge Louboutin Metalissime Silky Satin Lip Colour and Loubilaque Lip Laquer for that perfect pout. Or brighten your fingernails with a coat of opulent Metalissime Nail Colour. 

There’s no need to fret about finding matching accessories either, because the French brand’s upcoming Spring/Summer 2018 Collection will feature a limited edition metallic-finished Shoepeaks clutch.

You’ll find the new Metalissime Rouge Louboutin line at ChristianLouboutin.com or any Christian Louboutin beauty counter worldwide.

Rouge Louboutin Metalissime Silky Satin Lip Colour: HK$800
Rouge Louboutin Metalissime Loubilaque Lip Laquer: HK$755
Rouge Louboutin Metalissime Nail Colour: HK$450 for 13ml

Intensely yours: Prada’s new scents are a study on gender

Building on its fascination with gender, Prada’s upcoming line of ‘Intense’ men’s and women’s perfumes is a study on the unique aromatic characteristics of each sex.

The sincerity and intensity of this focus is well captured by Miuccia Prada, who says, “With perfume, you can’t play. It is what it is, you have to go to the core.”

The L’Homme Prada Intense offers a masculine aromatic blend of amber, patchouli and iris. This is further enhanced by the oriental signature of tonka beans.

The La Femme Prada Intense, on the other hand, is inspired by the most fundamental of feminine scents: the flower. Tuberose, ylang-ylang and patchouli are just some of the notes that make up this lush floral scent.

As divergent as the two perfumes are, Prada’s latest olfactory offerings are meant to compliment rather than contrast – a showcase of what constitutes a Prada man and Prada woman.

So if you’re looking for that perfect his-and-hers gift, give these new scents a sniff.

L’Homme Prada Intense EDP 50ml: HK$675
L’Homme Prada Intense EDP 100ml: HK$925
La Femme Prada Intense EDP 35ml: HK$725
La Femme Prada Intense EDP 50ml: HK$1,000
La Femme Prada Intense EDP 100ml: HK$1,420

The new perfumes are available at Prada beauty counters in all major shopping malls across Hong Kong, including SOGO, Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, etc.

Bee beautiful: Valmont’s new skincare range uses precious substances from beehives

Swiss skincare brand, Valmont, has just launched a new collection under its L’Elixir des Glaciers range. Eponymously named Essence of Bees, the collection harnesses the natural goodness of beehives in a sustainable way.

Through a perfect blend of nature’s bounty and next-gen technology, the Essence of Bees complex combines a mixture of honey, propolis and royal jelly in oily form.

Each of the ingredients is renowned in its own right as a potent element for skincare and has even found mention in ancient Greek philosophy. While Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, waxed eloquent about the moisturising properties of honey, the famous philosopher Aristotle attributed skin-purifying qualities to propolis. And the most precious product from the hive, regenerating royal jelly, was considered to be an essential constituent of the mythical ‘ambrosia’, the liquor of immortality drunk by the gods of Olympus.

While Classical ‘ambrosia’ may have been a legend, Valmont’s researchers may just have discovered the ambrosia for skin through their three new offerings – Cure Majestueuse, Masque Majestueux and Sérum Majestueux Vos Yeux.
Beauty enthusiasts can lay their hands on the premium items at Valmont counters across Hong Kong, including Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols and SOGO.

High tea meets high glamour in beauty-inspired afternoon tea set

 

 

Dalloyau cafe has partnered with cosmetics brand Fancl to launch an afternoon tea set inspired by its range of makeup products.

Dalloyau’s limited-time menu includes such sweet treats as a lipstick-shaped coquelicot cream and white chocolate wrap, an “eye shadow platter” raspberry-almond cake with 66% dark chocolate ganache, and a choux rose couronne topped with a gold tiara as a celebration of Fancl winning the Hall of Fame award at the Best Cosmetics Awards 2017.

Putting the icing on the petit gateau, guests who order the dedicated tea set will receive a complimentary 5-day travel kit, which includes Fancl’s hero(ine) product, its Mild Cleansing Oil (MCO) makeup remover.

The tea set is priced at HK$536 plus 10% for two persons, available from 1 September – 31 October 2017. Dalloyau is based in Harbour City mall, west of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.