8 new Sephora Spring 2017 launches we’re dying to try

If pore size is an obsession for you, Caolion is going to be your favourite new brand at Sephora Singapore. The Korean skincare brand specialises in “perfecting” pores, with its best-selling blackhead-steaming pore pack and pore-tightening sleeping masks making headlines in major women’s magazines around the world. Fun fact: The brand was also included in the crazy expensive Oscars gift bag from 2016.

The steaming pore pack, otherwise known as the Hot & Cool Pore Pack Duo ($45), is a nifty two-in-one product. The first is the steaming mask that gently exfoliates the skin and removes blackheads and impurities, and the second step consists of a pore-tightening cooling mask that you’re meant to use after.

Another highlight is the Pore Tightening Memory Sleeping Mask ($57), which is a jelly-like leave-on mask that tightens pores overnight while promising to brighten the skin and boost elasticity. The “shape memory” technology included in the mask allows it to essentially mould itself to your face (and bounce back to its original shape after you’ve stirred it up in the jar).

Mark your calendar: The brand launches in February 16, 2017 in Sephora Singapore stores.

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Blithe is another new Korean skincare brand that boasts rather unique products. They have four product categories further segmented to suit a whole range of skincare needs: The Intensive Sheet Masks, Patting Water Packs, Pressed Serums and Vital Treatments, all of which centre around anti-pollution and anti-aging, resulting in the brand’s cleverly coined portmanteau, “anti-polluaging”.

The Patting Water Packs are modelled after a traditional Korean cleansing method involving rice water. They’re essentially concentrated liquid masks that need to be diluted with water before application to gently exfoliate and cleanse the skin. The Vital Treatments and Pressed Serums are like a toner and moisturiser respectively, so all three can conceivably be used in tandem to create a harmonious skincare regime. You can choose between four different skincare categories like Brightening & Radiance, Soothing & Calming, Moisturising & Hydrating, and Elasticity & Firmness.

The Intensive Sheet Masks are the ones that caught my eye. One is a sea cucumber mask (for brightening and radiance), while the other is an abalone mask (for soothing and calming). They are packed with a host of skin-boosting ingredients like amino acids, hyaluronic acid, peptides, marine collagen, niacinamide and vitamin C.

Blithe also launches at Sephora Singapore on February 16, 2017.

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This affordable Korean beauty brand is all about masking. It’s got everything from regular sheet masks for your face to hair masks and even hand and nail ones. My favourite range at the moment is the Slice Mask Sheets ($6 each), which are essentially mini masks that look like fruit slices, which you can peel off and use anywhere on your face and body. They come in packs of two sheets, each of which has six slices. They’re super cute and fun to use, and adhere to your skin pretty well so you can still move about and do whatever it is you were doing before.

Another mask I think is going to be a hit is its Nail Art Starter Pack ($9 each). It sits on your hands like a fingerless glove, so you can still do your nails with it on (it’ll keep your hands moisturised even during a gel manicure); you can even get to work in front of your computer while the mask does its thing. There’s also a 5 Finger Nail Pack ($7 each) that comes with fingertip masks to nourish your nails and cuticles.

The brand will be available at Sephora Singapore from February 11, 2017.

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Nudestix has given us some amazing products in the last year that the brand has been available in Singapore. Some of my existing favourites include the concealer pencil, the erasing clean-up pencil and the magnetic eye color pencils. This Spring, the brand is expanding its Magnetic budge-proof range with a selection of matte eye colours and lip colours.

The eye colour formulas (available in six neutral brown shades) are creamy and blendable, but are said to set completely. And if you want a comfy matte lipstick that’s also kiss-proof, then you should definitely check out the brand’s new magnetic range when it launches next month! The prices, as always, are standard across the board, with every one of their pencils priced at $37.

The Magnetic Matte Eye and Lip Colors launch February 2, 2017.

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I’ll start off by acknowledging that these lipsticks are rather pricey at $48 a pop, but they’re gorgeous in every way, and worth the price in my opinion. The formula is also incredibly hydrating with its blend of shea butter, jojoba, mimosa and sunflower seed. Application-wise, this glides on smoothly, doesn’t feather, and provides lots of pigment in one swipe. The best part about it is that it doesn’t accentuate dry patches on your lips either.

There are 20 different shades, all gorgeously wrapped up in a sleek Hourglass stylo, each with empowering titles like Inventor, Achiever, Warrior and Explorer. Not only do they make you look good, they’re also going to get you feeling pretty confident as well!

You can also choose to tone down the colour by blotting your lips if you want a less pigmented finish, or swipe it on to build up the colour. Even at full opacity, this lipstick feels like nothing on the lips, and I predict it will make for an amazing daily lip colour for many women.

On a side note, the brand is also launching its first liquid eyeliner, which is a fine 1.5mm liner like the existing gel ones. The liquid liners are incredibly long-wearing, smooth, but will only be available in black. When I asked why there was just one shade, I was told that the company wanted to spend time perfecting the product one shade at a time, so they made sure they got it right with this one.

The Hourglass Spring launches will be available at Sephora Singapore from March 8, 2017.

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I watched Youtube beauty guru Tati review these drops months ago, so I’m pretty psyched that they’re finally within my reach!

But what is it? We’re all familiar with blotting papers, blotting sponges, and blotting sprays, so it’s no surprise we now have a liquid blotter. The Cover FX Blot Drops ($62) are a mattifying oil-control liquid that can be used several ways to control shine and supposedly reduce the appearance of pores. Like many of the brand’s other products, you can mix it into your products or use it directly on the skin as is.

With these blotting drops, you can make your foundation a little more mattifying, mix some in with your moisturiser for a matte finish if you’re going makeup-free, or even apply it throughout the day on top of your makeup to absorb excess oil. In Tati’s video, she used it with a Beautyblender sponge in dabbing motions wherever she needed to get rid of shine.

The Blot Drops and other Cover FX Spring launches will be available from March 11, 2017.

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Tarte makes some of my favourite eyeshadow palettes on account of the fantastic formulas and extensive colour selections. The Tartelette 2 palette from last year was one of the best-selling neutral palettes of the entire year and appeared on many Best of 2016 lists. This year, the brand has released an expanded range of their Pro palettes, including an eyeshadow palette with 20 shades and a Highlight & Contour Palette. True story: The latter has actually been available in Sephora Singapore stores since the end of last year, and I almost picked one up for myself last Christmas, because despite the fact that I try plenty of products throughout the year and own more than enough makeup, I simply can’t resist a gorgeous palette. The only reason I didn’t cave in because I’d just spent a lot of money on Christmas beauty gifts.

Also good to know: The brand is launching false lashes ($18 each) for the first time this spring, and like the rest of the brand, they’re cruelty-free.

If you want to get your hands on some new palettes to kick off the year, you can head to Sephora right away as these have already launched!

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Korean brand Moonshot (which is also owned by YG Entertainment) has launched a new line of lipsticks for spring, but what might be even more exciting to some is the collab with Big Bang in celebration of the band’s 10th anniversary. The limited edition Lip Balm and Hand Cream ($20 each) were designed and created at the request of members of the band as products they could use on- and off-stage.

The lip balm has highly moisturising ingredients like vitamin E and ceramide, and the hand cream includes dragon fruit extract, shea butter, and the same scent as the iconic G-Dragon fragrance the brand released last year.

Both the Big Bang 10 collaborations and Moonshot’s new line of lipsticks will launch on February 2, 2017.

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