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”

Sultry eyes demystified

Get The Look:

While British-American actress Lily Collins, daughter of Phil “In the Air Tonight” Collins, may have been born a star, anyone with the right techniques can rock the LA look she sported so memorably at the recent Hollywood Film Awards. Line the base of your lash line with a black liner, then colour the base of your eyelids with a rich purple-brown hue. Highlight the cheeks with orange blush and top off the look by applying a rich plum lipstick, then add red lipstick to the centre of the lips for added depth and sheen.

Winter is here: Skincare products for women and men

The cold, dry months are a real nightmare after Christmas. Winter is here and with it comes cracked and dry skin. And unfortunately it is not just winter that wreaks havoc on your skin — late nights, jet lag, smoking and pollution are just a number of things that can also affect your skin.

Luckily, Clarins, Dior, Selvedge and a few others are here to save the day with their skincare products.

Dior Prestige La Creme Texture Riche is as fancy as the name suggests. The rich texture comes from its 100 percent natural ingredients of mango butter, waxes and oils. Its ultra-rich balm texture instantly blends into the skin. An active anti-freeze ingredient has been infused into the formula to protect cells from the cold.

Clarins has reportedly spent 10 years researching how to help your skin fight the excesses of daily life. The result: three super-concentrated formulas for women to use daily, weekly or monthly.

Booster Energy has a ginseng extract to tone and re-energise your face and make you look as radiant as possible. Booster Repair is enriched with mimosa tenuiflora, a Mayan medicinal plant. This face booster helps to reduce discomfort, improve skin strength and minimise redness. The final member of the skincare trio, Booster Detox, comes with a green coffee extract to boost dull complexions and detoxify the skin.

La Prairie, the world renowned luxurious Swiss skincare expert, has the Platinum Collection, which, as the brand claims, is their best collection yet.

Cellular Cream Platinum helps to recharge your skin, increasing its absorption of nourishing ingredients. Climate-activated hydration releases moisture and the cream preserves skin texture and tone.

Serum Platinum Rare serum helps to maintain the skin’s balance by restoring moisture. A skin-brightening complex and potent antioxidants make the skin firmer, brighter and rejuvenated.

Jurlique is celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year with its Iconic Rose Collection. Featuring Rosewater Balancing Mist and Rose Hand Cream, the gift set is only available for a limited time. The scented facial mist is infused with rose extracts to leave your skin refreshed, hydrated and renewed. The hand cream also features rose extracts.

And for the men, Selvedge Grooming Italy has a couple of products to help different skin types. Cleanse and Shave is a 2-in-1 antioxidant face wash and shaving cream. It comes with the masculine scent of bamboo extract, barbary fig extract, bisabolol and a number of others.

Sticking with the 2-in-1 approach, Hydrate & Protect is a lightweight moisturiser and aftershave. The gel restores essential nutrients and locks in moisture, while also minimising irritation and redness caused by shaving.

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.

Fight wrinkles with snake venom

In the war against wrinkles, it seems that people are willing to try anything to maintain a healthy, younger complexion. The latest fad involves rubbing a moisturiser that contains venom from a temple viper on your face.

The moisturiser contains a compound called Syn-Ake, which mimics the snake’s paralysing venom.

It promises to block the nerve signals which cause facial muscles to contract, which is how people get wrinkles.

For anyone who has no problem with snake venom and blocking nerves in their face, there are a number of products to choose from.

Snake Booster Oil helps to freeze the expression lines and wrinkles on your face with Syn-Ake.

Snake Serum O2 aims to boost the glow and bounce of your complexion and also contains Syn-Ake to freeze wrinkles.

Lastly, Chin and Neck Lift is a lightweight sculpting gel that contains, you guessed it, Syn-Ake, which along with amino acids helps to firm and lift the contours of your neck.

The Rodial Snake range is available now at Joyce Beauty.

Shoot for the stars with zodiac-inspired soap

People use zodiac signs to work out everything from who they should marry to what makeup they should wear.

And to capitalise on people’s beliefs in astrology and just in time for Christmas, a limited-edition Zodiac Oval Soap Collection has been released.

The collection draws inspiration from astrology and the four elements: earth, air, fire and water.

The 12 zodiac-themed soaps also feature a unique illustration of the sign’s corresponding symbol.

In a bid to make the soap even more interesting, Fresh has teamed up with the founder of the award-winning website Astrology Zone and a best-selling author, columnist, and lecturer, Susan Miller.

Miller will be sharing her astrological wisdom via social media.

Ami Iyök’s anti-ageing oil takes users on an aromatic world tour

Ami Iyök’s latest product sets out to take users on a truly aromatic world tour. With a bottle reminiscent of a laboratory flask, the brand’s Slow Liquid Facial Oil contains anti-ageing and enriching ingredients, all sourced from the Peruvian jungle, the South American coast and the Indonesian rainforest. Full of essential oils, this liquid balm is designed to reduce wrinkles and repair skin damage caused by overexposure to the sun. Other ingredients include chia oil, Japanese Camellia oil and dragon’s blood – sourced from the sap of the Croton Lechleri tree.