Repeat after me: Oils are good for your skin. Well, some oils are, at any rate. The current crop of featherweight formulas are fantastic for just about anything – some are even good for on-the-go top-ups without messing up your makeup.
Not sure where to start? If you’re an unabashed lover of luxury like yours truly, you’ll adore Cle de Peau Beaute’s incredibly invigorating Radiant Multi Repair Oil, a seriously soothing amber ambrosia composed of a quartet of botanical oils – rice germ, evening primrose, rosehip and camellia – plus antioxidants, silk and pearl extracts that promise to leave your skin looking and feeling supremely soft, pleasingly plump and perfectly pore-free. Bonus points for the sensorial pleasure afforded by this oil’s opulent orchid scent, which is exquisite in the extreme.
One more thing. This lightweight lotion doesn’t feel greasy and gross in the least, which should help to take the fear factor out of the equation – and hey, using an oil on rougher regions like say, the sides of your nose, may actually reduce the amount your skin produces by tricking the sebaceous glands into cutting back on overproduction.
Application-wise, be sure to use sparingly – just one or two drops are plenty – and pat into cleansed skin over your serums and under your moisturiser. Feel free to spread the wealth by rubbing any excess into the tips of your tresses and the crevices of your cuticles. Only wee drawback? This baby does cause a pretty penny, but what price beauty, right? Earmark the investment-worthy piece as your indulgence for this month!
Want more? Check out how to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Ah, Shu Uemura: The Japanese samurai sensei of all things oil. This new baby boasts a carefully calibrated botanical blend of 10 “good” lipids like lavender, lemon peel and peppermint essential oils to stabilise sebum secretion.
The lightweight liniment also takes the “kwali face” fear factor out of the equation – it doesn’t feel greasy and gross in the least, and smells so so very sublime, too. There’s also a nice little element of instant gratification going on here, with the silky salve lending a gorgeous glimmer to fatigued skin. I like massaging a generous palmful of this potion into my mien at night as a leave-on sleeping mask; with some luck, you’ll awaken to a face that’s perfectly plump and free of fine lines.
The good folks at Shu say the Skin Perfector can also do double duty as a moisturising makeup base or an on-the-go highlighting pen; simply mix two drops from the pipette into your fluid foundie, or dab a drop just above your cupid’s bow for a pouty pick-me-up. Another inventive hack I adore: Try swirling a smidgen into a shimmery shadow for a really intense “wet” eye.
What else? Honorary mention must surely go to the perfectly posh packaging – the black-and-gold ombre flacon this elixir comes in is almost obscenely opulent! – and is just another instance of the thoughtful little touches this J-Beauty brand is justifiably renowned for. #DieDieMustBuy!
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
An oil that’s perfect for pores? Wonders never cease. Here’s what Loretta Miraglia, senior vice president of product development and innovation has to say about La Mer’s latest miracle: “[This treatment] actually helps balance sebum and purify pores while hydrating, renewing and bringing serious ageless benefits to skin.” That’s a #TakeAllMyMoney sales pitch right there.
Because this is La Mer we’re talking about, expect an aquarium’s worth of algae thrown into the mix: There’s the posh beauty brand’s patented Miracle Broth (but of course), which for the uninitiated consists of a skin-plumping slurry of soothing sea kelp, plus the power of premium sesame and eucalyptus oils.
The satiny serum-like consistency makes for supremely comfortable wear in sweltering Singapore, and the dewy finish is divine on bare skin as a as a brightening base; on good skin days, this oil under sunscreen should suffice.
In the mood to jack up the juice? Easy: Tap tiny dots over your conventional foundie to lend light to specific focal points on your face; think brow bone, cheeks and chin. I’ve found that this V-shaped contour lends my visage a sun-kissed smoulder – very fetching, very flirty, very natural.
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Pitched as an “energising” day oil, I love how this oil functions almost like a “top coat” to prevent my parched skin from drying out like a prune, especially when I’m ambling in and out of an air-conditioned room.
Here’s a hot hack: Try layering this under sunscreen for a double dose of free radical-fighting goodness; besides, by applying this oil after your star serums, fat-soluble ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol and vitamin E will dissolve in the oil, tricking your skin into driving the good stuff deeper into the dermis. Pretty neat, yes?
Beauty bonus: This sensationally silky oil has been designed to sink straight in, so you needn’t fret about leaving an embarrassing slick in your wake. Oh, and feel free to use it as and when you like a little extra luster, even on your hair. Before air-kissing your girlfriends at the latest java joint, for instance, smooth in just the tiniest bit through your tresses for an Insta-worthy incandescence.
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
We interrupt this broadcast with a vote of confidence from a reassuringly sciencey source. To wit: “There’s a reason why oils have become skincare’s new obsession,” remarks Dr Terry Loong, a London-based skin doctor who also reps as The Body Shop’s designated global skincare expert. “Using a moisturiser is like feeding your skin a daily green juice, and an oil acts like a booster for your juice.” Noted!
This superbly silky skin saver is stacked with seed oils that are said to sop up free radicals for a “fresher” face; a month’s use gave me a visibly lifted visage with a gorgeous glow. I’d say this emollient is excellent for drier skin, although it does seem to take a second or so longer to sink in compared to its peers. To maximise the mileage out of this marvel, use sparingly – just one or two drops are plenty – and pat into cleansed skin on top of your serums and under your sunscreen.
Oh, and like finger painting with the finest lacquers, give your work of art – that’ll be your face! – time to fully absorb each layer before adding the next. A good rule of thumb (and we mean this quite literally): If your fingertips feel damp when you press them into your face, give the product another two minutes, then test again.
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Infused with antioxidant actives, sebum-regulating salicylic acid plus clarifying clary herbal extracts, I love how this fresh oil (which can be used as a makeup primer) lends me that elusive lit-from-within luminescence – very K-Beauty indeed!
And because it contains acne-alleviating additives, the Turnaround Revitalizing Treatment Oil is also excellent for soothing my skin when I’m breaking out in lumps and bumps. Pro tip: To purge pores and zap zits faster, try layering this oil on top of your salicylic acid treatments; this helps fend off the frightful flakiness that can be a side effect of some of your harsher medications.
Another hot hack to consider: Try layering this under sunscreen for a double dose of free radical-fighting goodness; besides, by applying this oil after your star serums, fat-soluble ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol and vitamin E will dissolve in the oil, tricking your skin into driving the good stuff deeper into the dermis. Pretty neat, yes?
Sensorially speaking, this silky oil has been designed to sink straight in, so you needn’t fret about leaving an embarrassing slick in your wake. Oh, Clinique’s clinicians say this multitasker can be applied anywhere you like a little extra luster, even on your hair: Rake in just the tiniest bit through the ends of your tresses for a photoshoot-ready patina.
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Fascinating conundrum: What happens when an oily complexioned person applies oil to her face? No, you won’t spontaneously combust into flames. Instead, think of targeted oil treatments as adhering to the Chinese proverb of fighting poison with poison; using an oil product may actually reduce the amount your skin produces by tricking the sebaceous glands into cutting back on overproduction.
Take Aesop’s awesome oil offering, which is composed of carefully calibrated “good” oils like sweet almond and evening primrose to stabilise sebum secretion. Sensorial pleasures aside, I love how this oil lends me a lit-from-within luminescence, even when I’m breaking out in lumps and bumps. To purge pores and even zap zits fast, try layering this oil on top of your salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide blackhead treatments; this helps fend off the frightful flakiness that can be a side effect of some of your harsher medications.
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Shiseido’s sterling salve is just about the best buy for your beauty dollar. For one, it’s a thirst-quenching tincture that’s superb for soothing shrivelled skin, thanks to a swanky suite of six carefully curated botanical oils. Skip your usual unguents if you like, because this oil alone is hugely hydrating: Perfect for nights when you can’t be arsed with a seven-step regime.
Even better, the J-Beauty giant also bills this as a multitasking marvel that can be slapped onto just about anywhere – from your mien to your mane. Indeed, one of my bestie’s favourite ways to use this treatment is to rake it through her roots for a shampoo ad-ready sheen. It’s also perfect for taming pesky flyaways and lending a really reflective mirror-like mirage as well; I recommend rubbing just one drop between your palms and lightly skimming it across the surface for weightless high-wattage shine.
You may also want to consider spreading the wealth by rubbing it into nooks and crannies of your elbows and knees: Smooth skin from top to toe. To be clear, if I’m sorting oils into baskets of gotta-haves and want-to-haves, I’ll plonk this product firmly in the first category. So yes, will repurchase in a heartbeat!
Want more? Check out all the hot hacks you need to nail the snow-white skin of starlets like the awesome Angelababy, plus all the tricks you need at your fingertips to maintain the gloss and gleam of your nails. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.