Summer beauty: How to lighten and brighten your look this season

With summer in full swing, its time to adjust your make up routine to perfect that summer beauty. Out with the full coverage foundations and in with the lighter products! Here are some tips on how to lighten (and brighten) up your look but still look put-together in the sweltering Hong Kong heat.

A summer beauty look needs to be light on the skin, while providing radiance and ample hydration. A good place to start is Giorgio Armani’s Power Fabric Longwear High Cover Foundation’s strong, light base.

This can be complemented by a judicious dab of Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer.

A liquid eye shadow, such as Giorgio Armani’s Liquid Eye Tint #8, is ideal for optical hydration, while a more cosmetic look comes from two YSL products – the Dessin Des Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil and the Luxurious False Lash Effect Mascara.

On to the lips, Clarins’ Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil yields a hydrated, cushiony finish. Wanting a slightly bolder colour? Dior’s 877 Turn Me Dior will certainly deliver.

When it comes to summer beauty products, sunscreen is the only thing you should be laying on thick. To give your skin that extra protection this season, check out our roundup of the best products to dodge those damaging rays.

Solar Flair: A roundup of the best products for the ultimate sun protection

While the sun can be seen as nature’s greatest gift, it’s not always the most convivial of companions for your skin. With that in mind, it’s time to think about protecting your epidermis with our roundup of the top products for the ultimate sun protection.

First up, Ferrer’s Protextrem Natural Invisible Fluid offers a SPF 50+ level of sun protection.

For a lighter feel, however, there’s the Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer, said to protect while leaving the skin feeling natural.

Similarly sensation-free is Clarins’ UV Plus | HP Ecran Multi-Protection.

For those with sensitive skins, both Dermina Mineral Sun Fluid and Dior Prestige Light-in-White Protection Base come highly recommended.

Two more worth checking out are MBR’s High Protection Face Cream and Ultrasun’s Face Fluid and Lip Protection duo, which not only have great benefits for sun protection but also have enviable anti-ageing applications.

In the summer months, hydration is crucial to maintaining healthy skin. Along with your sun protection skincare, a healthy hydration diet can also help to keep your skin looking radiant from the inside out. Check out our guide to the top 5 miracle foods that you will help retain a long-lasting glow all season.

Class-act cover-ups for blemish-free beauty

Giorgio Armani’s Night Light Crema Nuda simultaneously moisturises the skin and hides imperfections. For extra sheen, it also boasts a “glow” incarnation.

Inspired by the soft luminosity of pavé diamonds, Clé de Peau’s Radiant Stick Foundation has a translucent finish and delicate glow.

Clarins Instant Concealer – available in three shades – is brimming with caffeine and aloe vera extracts, ideal for reviving those tired eyes and reducing giveaway dark circles.

Lancôme Absolue Sublime Radiance Smoothing Loose Powder promises the texture and finish of a liquid foundation in a handy sponge cushion. Containing rose, camellia and citrus oils, as well as gold mother-of-pearl, a radiant look is all but guaranteed.

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”

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.