Friday, March 22, 2019

The perfect little souvenir from South East Asia - Innisfree Green Tea, Bamboo & Ginseng Face Masks


It's been a while as I've been incredibly busy with work, travelling and a combination of the two. As we speak, I am packing my bags to head to The Netherlands tonight, for both business and pleasure. The pleasure is seeing my friends and family again. After three years abroad, I still love to bring back something small for them from Asia (and they love it in return), but find myself increasingly out of inspiration what to bring. Luckily Innisfree has some awesome face masks with Asian ingredients that serve as the perfect little gift to bring back home!

Browsing Innisfree's store in Plaza Singapura in between meetings yesterday, I found the perfect gift to bring back home: face masks with the Asian ingredients Bamboo, Green Tea and Ginseng. I love the clean and serene zen-like product design, and with only 2 SGD per piece they make the perfect little gift (I'll actually be giving them out in bundles of three).


In the same range the Korean brand offers other masks as well, with ingredients such as Brocolli, Shea Butter and Manuka Honey. However, serving as a souvenir from South East Asia, Bamboo, Green Tea and Ginseng are the obvious choices.


Innisfree "My Real Squeeze Mask" 20ml
Price: 2 SGD
Available at Innisfree boutiques (15 in Singapore)

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Skinia "Some Lip Tattoo" Lip Stain Colour: "Did you do fillers..?!"


I love coloured lips but hate it when I 'feel' and/or 'taste' a lipstick or gloss on my lips. As a self-declared fashion and cosmetics victim I'm prepared to endure a lot, but this is something I cannot get used to. Even lip products that are supposedly light weight or 'invisible' (or at least marketed as such) are already too much for me. Fortunately there is a category of lip products flourishing in Asia with products that colour the lips without leaving any product behind: Lip Inks, Stains and Tints. My favourite: a Lip Tattoo...

Apart from Benefit's cult-product "Benetint", several years ago Giorgio Armani Cosmetics was one of the first, at least in the West, to launch a Lip Ink that gave lips a coloured stain without leaving a physical layer of product on the lips. Never saw this kind of product again until I moved to Asia, where lip stains and inks are widely available. Korean Cosmetic brands in particular, trendsetting and groundbreaking as we would expect of them, offer a wide variety of choice.
From marker-like pens to ink-like liquids and from the sweetest pink to the most daring red. Online Korean Cosmetics Heaven 'Althea' even has a specific "Tints" section in the menu of their webshop, which supports the size and significance of this category today:

Lip Tints as one of the main makeup categories on Althea, a webshop that is pure Korean Beauty Heaven (and ships free to Singapore!)

For me, the main advantage of this type of product is that you do not physically feel or taste that you are wearing lipstick (or gloss or anything in between); another advantage is that these lip stainers tend to be long lasting, don't smudge and smear (great for the sweaty tropics!!) and -depending on the colour- give a fresh, natural and playful effect.

Product Review: Skinia "Some Lip Tattoo" in Sugar Pink


One product that I like in particular is Skinia's "Some Lip Tattoo" in Sugar Pink. The effect is very subtle, yet make my lips look like I've had some lip injections or fillers very well done (note: not my own words but an honest remark that I got!), especially when used in combination with a lip liner in a natural colour (my favourite: MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, colour "Cultured"). 

This product is pretty unique within the category of lip stains; not an ink or a liquid that stains the lips with some colour (hence 'tattoo'), but a lipgloss-like gel substance that forms a thin layer on the lips that needs to be peeled-off after 5-10 minutes

So how does it work? 


1.) I first use some MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in colour "cultured" to contour my lips, but this is optional. The reason I use the lip pencil is to accentuate the shape of my lips and create a neat and well-kept effect; if you don't use a lip pencil the effect will be more natural and casual. 


2.) Apply the product on your lips, that comes in a tube, like you would do with any lipgloss. The texture of the product is quite thick and has a somewhat chemical scent to it. Make sure to cover your entire lips and apply the gloss fast, as the product dries up quickly. Leave on for 5-10 minutes...


...do not press your lips together while the product is drying (see below), the layers of product will stick together -and thus your lips- which makes you look like you walked straight out of a horror movie :)


3.) Peel of the thin layer (above) and voila: a slight hint of colour for a very natural effect that last a few hours through eating, drinking, dancing and sweating in the tropics!

Left: Before (nude lips with MAC lipliner) Right: The Result of Skinia's Some Lip Tattoo

To summarize, from left to right:


Besides the Sugar Pink colour, Skinia offers several other cool shades like Ruby Red, Candy Orange and Rose Garnet. Also a great plus: the Lip Tattoos are Cruelty Free, not tested on animals and vegan.
Skinia "Some Lip Tattoo - Sugar Pink"
Price: 23,80 SGD
Available at BHG Bugis - aLT / Beauty Department, 
Bugis Junction, Unit #01-02/100, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore

Online the Lip Tattoos can be purchased through a.o. Korea Department store (find website here)


Thursday, March 7, 2019

Not just any After-Sun Gel, Balm, Cream, Spray or Lotion will do!

For a region with such an abundance in suncare products, remarkably little variety in after-sun products seems to be available. This could be explained by the fact that most products available are sun protection products, implying that the locals’ approach of hefty sun block coating works against the horror of anything that remotely resembles a tan. Add the near-religious sun-avoidance with UV-blocking umbrella’s and visors to that and a society lacking any need for after-sun products is born. But then there’s the expats, like me, that after almost 2 years of living in Singapore still tend to forget that the sun burns hard around the equator. And that one must always use a sun block, even when it’s just for a 5 minute walk to the supermarket somewhere mid-day. Find out how to cool down sunburns quickly, how a product that is labelled ‘after-sun’ is sometimes misleading and what products to use instead for effective sunburn relieve.

Whereas I would rarely get any sunburn back home in Europe, in Singapore especially my shoulders and décolleté are prone to burn fast.  Like I said, a quick walk to the supermarket is enough to redden the skin from sunburn. What to do, apart from trying to remember “when in Rome…”, a.k.a. to do as the locals do and put on a SPF 50, 60 or 120? Although there is no way to cure a sunburn - once the damage is done, it's done – there are several ways and products to relieve painful, reddened and inflamed skin.

SPF 75, 100 and 120 aren't rare in Asia...


1. Cool Down


Take a cool bath or shower to soothe the burn, but not for too long as water also dries out the skin. Avoid heavily perfumed soaps as these might irritate the skin even more and use a very mild body wash instead, like a baby soap.  You can also choose to use a cold compress instead of or in addition to a cool shower. Apart from the obvious ice (never apply ice direct to your skin; always wrap it in a cloth!) and ice packs, it’s very easy to make one yourself:

Chilled Milk Compress - Soak a washcloth in a bowl of chilled milk (add some ice cubes for extra chilled milk), then apply to your skin and let it sit on your sunburn for about five minutes. Don’t rub it on, just leave it on the skin! Milk soothes inflammation, and the cool temperature makes blood vessels contract, so your skin will be less red and puffy. The milk should come from a cow and not from a soybean or almond. Cold Yoghurt also does the trick.


Calming Chamomile Compress – Because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, chamomile tea has long been used as a remedy for skin issues such as rosacea. It also works for sunburns; prepare the tea as you usually would, chill it thoroughly and soak a washcloth in it. Apply to your skin and leave it sit until the compress is no longer cool.



2. Sooth & Moisturize, but not with just any after-sun!


Use a cream, balm, lotion, gel or mist to moisturize and further soothe your sore skin. When you store your product in the fridge, the cooling relief is even more divine – seriously, try it. A question that often arises is the difference between a regular moisturizer or body lotion and an ‘after-sun’ product that is specifically labelled as such.  Special after-sun products usually contain more ‘actively’ soothing ingredients, like Menthol, Camphor and Aloe Vera than a regular moisturizer. However, this is not always the case.

Don't trust a product just because it says "after sun"!

The blog ‘Honesty for Your Skin’ took a thorough look at the ingredient lists of several popular after-sun products, and although it is true that many of them contain ingredients such as Aloe Vera, products like Nivea’s Aftersun Moisture Soothing Lotion also mention alcohol and mineral oil high up in their ingredient list. Ingredients must always be listed in descending order, meaning the product contains most of the first ingredient listed and least of the last ingredients listed and you absolutely do not want to find large amounts of alcohol and mineral oil in your after sun, as these respectively dry out the skin and trap the heat which can make the burn worse.

I’ve listed my favorite after-sun mist, balm and gel below – these passed my own high standards, contain soothing ingredients and a minimum amount of alcohol, mineral oil and/or perfume. For the best result, gently apply the product while skin is still damp and repeat the next few days to keep burned or peeling skin moist; keep your skin as moisturized as possible to aid in its recovery!


MIST: Herbivore Botanicals - After Sun Soothing Aloe Mist 



I love this for product for many reasons. First of all, Herbivore puts a large emphasis on plant-based and organic. Each ingredient has a therapeutic purpose and all oils are cold-pressed or steam-distilled. Aloe vera helps sunburnt skin heal faster, while peppermint essential oil immediately cools hot skin due to its high-concentration of menthol. Lavender essential oil is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps reduce redness and induces calm with its herbal and floral aroma. I really like that the product comes in a spray; when your skin is really burned, it mostly really hurts to touch it - no need with that spray that gently envelops your skin in a soft and immediately refreshing mist.

The product has a herbal-floral aroma of which Peppermint and Lavender are the strongest scents. The design of this product is really cool (love the tropical leaves on the product label!) and the glass bottle makes it look and feel quite artisinal.


Just when you think you can't love this product more than you already do, listen to this:
Paraben-free, sulfate-free and phthalate-free; Not tested on animals; and Vegan. Someone give this product a medal!!!

Herbivore Botanicals After Sun Soothing Aloe Mist, 60ml & 240ml 
Price: 19 SGD (60ml) / 32 SGD (240ml)
Available through Sephora's Online Shop (find link here)


BALM: Clinique - After Sun Rescue Balm with Aloe



Good old Clinique. This after-sun balm contains Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Wheat & Barley Extract as main soothing ingredients; Aloe Vera helps sunburnt skin heal faster, Chamomile is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities and Wheat & Barley, high in vitamin E, is thought to improve blood circulation to the skin, which can relieve dry or itchy skin.


This white balmy cream is a solid allround after-sun product that helps minimize peeling and is suitable for both face and body. I'm not a big fan of the scent, which is the typical Clinique "non-scent"; i.e. it's not perfumed but smells a bit stale in my opinion. After application, let the skin absorb the product few minutes, otherwise it feels sticky to your clothes. Once it's dry, there's absolutely no tackiness but a very silky-satin finish.

Clinique After Sun Rescue Balm with Aloe, 150ml
Price: 38 SGD
Available at a.o. Sephora, Takashimaya, Isetan & Tang's.


GEL: Sukin - Aloe Vera Gel



Sukin is Australia’s bestselling natural skincare brand ("Skincare that doesn’t cost the earth”) with a portfolio of lines extending over more than 60 products across face, body and hair. This is a pure Aloe Vera gel with not much else in it; pure and effective simplicity, ideal to hydrate, cool and soothe dry skin. It's not especially developed (or marketed) as an after-sun product but is perfect for after sun care. This multi-purpose gel is suitable for all skin types, even for children, and also provides effective treatment for dry and irritated skin after shaving or waxing - a friend of mine even uses it to soothe insect bites. 

The gel is transparant and I really like that it doesn't leave a sticky feeling but is absorbed really well and really fast by the skin. Upon application there's a fresh Aloe Vera scent that however quickly fades away in less than 2 minutes. The only thing I don't like is that the bottle is so small and I always run out of pretty fast without remembering to buy a new one...but that's my fault, obviously.

Sukin Aloe Vera Gel, 125ml
Price: 14,90 SGD
Available at a.o. Guardian