From The Straits Times    |

When it comes to favourite beauty products, we all have our glamorous favourites – the pretty lippies, makeup and luxe skincare – and then there are the essentials that we fall back on when we’re in any kind of beauty trouble. These may not necessarily be the prettiest beauty products that we want to flaunt, but they are the ones we lean on hard for the tough beauty requirements like covering dark circles or dealing with breakouts. Here, some of our team’s beauty products that deserve long-service awards for being the quiet heros in our beauty arsenal.

Who: Kayce Teo, beauty writer for Her World Magazine

AVENE CLEANANCE CLEANSING GEL
This is one facial cleansing gel I was devoted to. It was the only thing that cleared up my problem skin as
I used to suffer from acne. I only recently stopped using it at the beginning of this year, because I don’t have breakouts as often as I used to. But it’s definitely my go-to if my skin acts up.
Number of years used: 5

DIOR ADDICT PERFUME
As its name suggests, this scent is really addictive to me. I have used two bottles of Dior Addict and two bottles of Dior Addict 2, a slightly different version from the original.
Number of years used: 4

 

ALSO READ: THE REASON WHY YOUR MAKEUP IS CAUSING ACNE – AND HOW TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING

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Who: Lynnett Yip, senior beauty writer for Her World Magazine

ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR SYNCHRONIZED RECOVERY COMPLEX II
I was introduced to this in 2011 (it was the older version simply called Advanced Night Repair then) and have been a fan since. Although it is touted mostly as an anti-ageing product, it helped heal my bumps and blemishes. I’m so stoked when they released the capsule version of this serum because I can finally travel with it without having to worry about spillage or breakage!
Number of years used: 6

KIEHL’S CALENDULA HERBAL EXTRACT ALCOHOL-FREE TONER
Some toners have a really strong astringent effect and alcohol scent, so I really appreciate that this one doesn’t and it still tones my skin and gets rid of any excess grime/impurities when I apply it with a cotton pad after washing my face. And I really love that this has real calendula flowers and petals in the solution, it brings across the fact that this is really natural, skin-loving goodness.
Number of years used: 5

CRABTREE & EVELYN’S GARDENERS ANTI-AGEING HAND THERAPY
The texture’s so lightweight and I love the herbaceous scent. Also discovered it back in my internship days circa 2011, and I have tried a number of hand creams since then but I’ve found that I still gravitate towards this hand cream variant from Crabtree. They have a new packaging now, a new look from the previous packaging and design.
Number of years used: 6

 

ALSO READ: FROM OILY TO FLAWLESS: WE EXPLORE SKINCARE AND MAKEUP RANGES THAT PROMISE A SHINE-FREE FUTURE

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Who: Nicola Watson, associate editor for Her World Online

M.A.C MINERALIZE CONCEALER
I have dark under-eye circles and spent years trying to find a concealer that really worked before I was introduced to this concealer when I was at London Fashion Week in 2015. It’s the best undereye concealer I have ever used. It’s been about a couple of years now and I can’t leave my flat without it.
Number of years used: 2

BENEFIT COSMETICS BROWZINGS
I HAVE to fill my brows all the time as I’ve dyed my hair darker and my natural brows are much lighter, which makes the contrast very obvious. I have been using Browzings for more than 6 years since I worked for the brand as a beauty advisor way back in 2010. The brow powders made my eyebrows look full but natural without any obvious pencil-drawn-on malarky.
Number of years used: 6+

 

ALSO READ: 5 BEST BUDGET CONCEALERS IN SINGAPORE UNDER $25

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Who: Dione Chen, beauty writer for Her World Magazine

NEUTROGENA LIQUID NEUTROGENA PURE MILD FACIAL CLEANSER, $11.25.
My mom bought me this when I first started using a proper facial wash in my teens. It is a very basic, mild cleanser that lathers well. It leaves my skin squeaky clean, which probably means it strips the skin, but hey, it prevents my breakouts.
Number of years used: 11

BENZAC AC 2.5%, $16.50.
This has kept me relatively acne-free throughout my teenage years. I use it on zits and spots from the time I start to feel them erupting, until they completely subside. I stopped using it in December last year (2016), and I started getting acne again. I tried all sorts of other ways to stop my breakouts, but it was only when I started using this again that my skin began to behave.
Number of years used: 11

ALSO READ: YIKES, NOOOO! WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR FACE CREAM CAUSES YOU TO BREAK OUT

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Who: Mary-Ann Soh, editor of Her World Online

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE OIL, $19.90.
I’ve been using this since I was a teen, so this product has been serving me for more than a decade! I’d turn to this oil to treat my blemished skin during my troubled teen years whenever I had breakouts. Thankfully those horrid years are over, but I still face the occasional breakout or zits so I always have this on ‘standby’. Usually after immediate application, redness will go away and after a few days, my skin begins to heal, especially if I’ve popped a pimple.
Number of years used: 15

FRESH SUGAR LIP TREATMENT SPF15, $36.
I’ve used many lip balms, but none of them goes on as smoothly as this one. I like that it is not dispensed from a tube or tub so I don’t have to get a finger messy (for the longest time, my previous favourite was a tube balm). And although it has SPF properties, I use it at night just before bed. I can really feel my dry, cracked lips being nourished even until the morning when I wake up. Plus point, it smells lovely!
Number of years used: 2

Aesop Ressurection Aromatique Hand Balm
I first fell in love with it because of its scent – I use the Mandarin Rind flavour. It’s absolutely heavenly and so uplifting. The cream is alway by my bedside and I use it to moisturise my hands just before bed. It has a little oily texture, very nourishing for skin, but not the icky feel, so its great for neglected elbows too! I take it on my all my travels too & I like to use it on the airplane when I feel my skin is especially dehydrated or in cold climates when the air is particularly drying & harsh on the skin.
Number of years used: 3

 

ALSO READ: 9 BEST HAND CREAM GIFT SETS FOR THE SOFTEST HANDS

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Who: Melissa Chew, associate beauty editor for Her World Online

FOR BELOVED ONE BIO-CELLULOSE MASK, $63 for 3 masks.
I was sent a box of this cult fave sheet mask from the brand’s HQ in Taiwan before it launched in Singapore. Its rubbery, bio-cellulose texture was a novelty then and I had never tried a sheet mask that made my skin feel so cooling and quenched. What’s more, the formula gave my skin instant smoothness and suppleness that I could see and feel.
Number of years used: 9

LANCÔME L’ABSOLU ROUGE, $46.
The first full-on red lipstick I ever used when I got my first job flying the friendly skies. This French beauty brand provided the makeup and grooming training in cabin crew school and so every girl used its products. This lippie was, and still is, a creamy, comfortable formula with the most vibrant red pigments.

Number of years used: 15

THE BODY SHOP SATSUMA SHOWER GEL
It smells like I’m bathing with freshly squeezed orange juice and lathers so luxuriously. A perfect showertime perk-me-up, it used to be a limited edition line but now it is stocked regularly, thank goodness!
Number of years used: 16

 

ALSO READ: WE TRY YOU BUY: LANCOME BLANC EXPERT CUSHION’S NEW FORMULA

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