From The Straits Times    |

Richard Chai New York Spring 14

#1 Satin skin: YSL Beaute, Touche Eclat Blur Perfector
$75, available at all YSL Beaute stores and counters

Loose powders are great at toning down shine, yes, but it can sometimes be difficult to control if you’re not careful, making your skin look more matte than you’d like. If this is a problem for you, then the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector is, well, perfect. This silky balm turns into a lightweight powder upon application and “softens” the appearance of fine lines and pores. The result is one that looks almost like your own skin, but way better. Use it as a primer, a setting powder, or to touch up your makeup. You’ll probably have to if you’re going to be out and about for the whole day, or have oily skin, as we found the need to touch up after four to five hours of wear on normal skin.

#2 Dewy skin: Shu Uemura, The Lightbulb Glowing Face Powder
$60, available at all Shu Uemura stores and counters

For true K-Beauty dewy skin, it’s best not to use any powder to set your makeup, but for some of us, just stepping out in Singapore’s heat makes our makeup crumble like rain on wet paint. Thankfully, Shu Uemura’s new The Lightbulb Glowing Face Powder strikes the right balance between keeping the skin dewy, yet grease-free. It does so with oil-coated powder particles that help to diffuse and reflect light, giving the appearance of a smooth, glowy skin surface.

There are two things to take note of when applying this powder, though. First, says the brand’s international chief makeup artist Yuji Asano: “If this powder is not applied evenly, light on the skin scatters in different directions and this leads to an artificial glittery finish.” His advice? Use the puff that it comes with because it’s specially developed to pick up and spread the powder evenly on the skin. Dust off the excess and you’re good to go.

The second is a word of caution we’d like to give to those with oily skin, this powder isn’t meant to control oil well enough for you to last a day without touching up, so remember to use an oil controlling primer underneath your base makeup.

#3 Matte skin: Sisley, Phyto-Poudre Libre
$110, available in four shades at all Sisley counters

Super mattifying powders may have worked on oily skin at 16, but once you reach your mid-20s such powders may make your skin feel uncomfortably tight. Combine this with the first signs of ageing and it can lead to a dull and tired skin tone, which is why we love Sisley’s new Phyto-Poudre Libre. The airy powder mattifies and perfects the skin without drying it out. It is also infused with skincare ingredients such as hibiscus flower and mallow extract as well as antioxidant vitamin E to keep your skin moisturised and protected. So whether you’re out in the sun or in the air-conditioned office, your skin stays comfortable and velvety smooth. Plus, with all loose powders, a little goes a long way, so expect this to last you for quite awhile.

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