Beauty Awards Report - #1 Skincare Winners that work for you!

Allure, Self, Glamour, TeenVogue, even the weekly, Star mag...every glossy is catching onto the new beauty pages trend: annual beauty awards!!

Rankings are amusing to look at and products seem a little more approachable because readers out in the real world like you voted on them. One problem: granted body products are usually on par across the board when it comes to various racial backgrounds (they vary more by broad types like dry, rough, needs firming or toning, etc.) facial skincare products get a little more judgemental. The products tested by the general US public might be completely fine on more resistant or tougher skin compositions but can be a little too harsh or ineffective for the Asian skin type.

So, why not take a look at the Beauty Awards from Asia to decipher which items really made the cut for your skin type!?

Below are the top ranked skin care products chosen by hundreds of typical beauty-loving girls in Japan that are available for purchase here! Now go out and give your cabinet an asian make over:


DRY SKIN remedy:
#1 Kose Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome - took Kose Laboratory Researchers 8 years to formulate this healing elixir, 3 days and no matter how dry the skin, heals and nourishes for a smooth, supple result.
#2 Creme de la Mer Moisturizing Cream
#3 Guerlain Issima Super Aquaserum


DULL SKIN banishers:
#1 Clinique Turnaround Concentrate - a classic in the US as well, it is a "double-action" formula softens stubborn dead skin cells, dirt and residue and reveals fresh skin every day. With continued use, the skin itself turns around, becoming resistant to pimples and dull skin.
#2SK II Whitening Source Intensive Mask
#3 Awake Lotion Exfolizer


To FIRM & TONE:
#1 Clarins Lift Affine Visage or Clarins Contouring Facial Lift - Not only firms but has the dual benefit of absorbing extra oil, leaving skin tighter and feeling fresh for the entire day.
#2 RoC Correction Deep Wrinkle Serum
#3 Cle de Peau Beaute La Creme
















Ridding Small WRINKLES:
#1 Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+ - instantly fills in wrinkles and tightens the delicate eye area while treating it for future wrinkle prevention. The formula also acts as a concealing illuminator to cover up and lighten dark undereye circles.
#2 RoC Retinol Correction Eye Cream
#3 SK II Eye Treatment Film


TIGHTEN & SHRINK PORES:
#1 Sofina Pore Zone Care - scientists at the Kao laboratories got deep into your pores to find that oil and skin residue and dirt around each pore made the skin around each pore looser, making each pore bigger. This high-tech formula not only tightens pores for the day but rather, targets the skin from deep within each pore for a long-lasting skin tightening & pore shrinking result.
#2 L'Oreal Pore Pure Zone series


blast that BLEMISH:
#1 Albion AC Clear Skin Care
#2 DHC Olive Virgin Oil - seems contrary to use oil on your bump but apply a tiny dab of this essential oil directly on the pimple before bed and by morning the pimple is much smaller and the redness subdued.


Take it all off with these OIL CLEANSERS:
#1 FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil
#2 DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
#3 Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - already a classic with asian women and achieving feverish, cult status in the US, this oil removes even the toughest mascara right off without drying out the skin. No need to follow up with another cleanser so perfect for late nights when you can't deal with the three-step eye make up remover, make up remover, cleanser routine.

xox

Memoirs of a Smokin' Haute Geisha

Saw the Christian Dior take on the various Japanese traditional garments for the Spring 2007 Paris Haute Couture shows and was blown away. Each look is such a precise mix of the classic aesthetic mixed with a sexy, glamorous, modern edge...it was so sickeningly beautiful, I wanted to vomit.

Seriously, for this post, let's just say pictures are worth a billion, trillion, beauty words!! Take a look.


Mimicking the creative mix of style that was in vogue right after the Western influences seeped into the long-closed country.
















The full Kimono look, complete with the long sleeves that is meant to show off the most delicate part of the women's body - the wrist











Using the classic matsu (Japanese pine tree) design often found in the Hangas (wood block art prints) and on the Fusuma (sliding doors often found in traditional japanese style homes), the dress shape resembles the top and wide balloon bottom look that fishermen in Japan still wear.










Capturing the structured fragility of the Origami swans and flowers. A transcendental take on the beauty of the folded thin fabric - washi paper. Stunning!

xox

if you dare...random experiment

So I read a study a year or two ago on the subtle definition of "allure" in a japanese beauty magazine similar to Allure in the US.

After flipping through another million pages and reading a thousand plus+ studies on "beauty," I don't quite recall the details and the statistics but a little experiment that I would love to try someday (hmm, maybe tomorrow morning?) stuck in the back of my head.

"A woman who has a sexy, come-hither, yet a little "off-beat" allure is a woman who has a subtle exotic twist to them."

The article started...

"Try this trick, it's easy to do and anyone can do it with just two wands of mascara. Use a black or dark purple mascara and layer it on the lashes of one side only. Take a subtly different tone of mascara, a dark blue or dark green or a blackish red and coat the other eye lashes with it. Keep eye shadow, liner, and everything else the same on both sides. The slight difference in the eyelash shades is so subtle that no one would be able to tell exactly what is different but it creates that subtle, "off beat" attractiveness of exotic beauty."

Is that completely strange or a little intriguing? If you try it, let me know.

For me, just the idea of wearing two different shades of mascara is kind of alluring in itself. LOVE eye makeup, as you can tell from the side bar...

xox

va-va-voom kitten lashes - the importance of proper lingerie

I have really, ridiculously short eye lashes. As a kid, I struggled to hold in my jealousy each time my baby brother half-cried, complaining that another of his super-long lashes had bent and was poking his eye - I never had that problem! From short lashes to cup-size, genetic-unfairness is obstinate. Thankfully in the glamorous, lovely, forgiving world of beauty & cosmetics, there is the make-up equivalent of the push-up bra that gives short lashes exactly the oomph it needs, leaving them fluttery and full.

Use one coat of the fibrous pre-mascara lengthening formula before any mascara and va-va-voom, the lashes double, if not triple, in length and each lash becomes thicker without looking clumpy. The best part? A lot of these formulas come with a lash-strenghtening ingredient that keeps precious lashes coated and protected from fast-drying, brittle mascara formulas.

There are a few mascaras that already come with fibres mixed in (usually the "lengthening" mascaras) and an increasing number of sticks that come with two wands - one lash primer and one mascara. The mascaras with fibres mixed in are better than nothing but the fibre content is much lower than a primer formula so in the end, it's worth making the extra space in the makeup pouch for that extra mascara-prepper.



With the 2-in-1 primer + mascara products, the mascara part is usually a more liquidy formula that's made to glide the fibres outwards on each strand leaving lashes definitely much longer but not necessarily with more volume. However, some DO lashes justice in volume as well as length - I can't get enough of Bourjois Maxi Frange Maximum Length & Volume Mascara.



To get the maximum Bridget Bardot kitten effect, use a lash primer as Paula Dorf Perfect Lash, and before it dries, coat the lashes with a lengthening & volumnizing mascara that's creamy yet smooth as Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara starting at the base, wiggling the wand in a zigzag movement all the way out to the tip. That way, you'll catch every fibre particle, bringing it to the lash tips while coating each lash fully from several angles.

Try it once and you'll never go back to going commando ever again!

xox

Just around the corner - Fall 2007 Fashion Shows!

S/S 2007 shows were charmingly well-cast with a handful of stand-out Asian models that set the tone for each designer's style and edge. With the F/W 2007 shows not even a month away (gasp!) here are a few to keep your eyes glued on:



Ah, the classic & yet still absolutely stunning Ai Tominaga who set the bar and paved the way for the rest to come. Here at Alberta Ferretti looking goddess-like. How beautiful and composed can she be!?



Anne Watanabe, who's snapshots were on every glossy for her charming walk swathed in the splashy, hot colored flirty, breezy designs of the next-hot-man in town, Stephen Burrows. She also got beckened and made a splash at Anna Sui and Marc by Marc.



This girl seriously has it all going on. The traditional asian beauty with sharp, sleek eyes, pouty lips and glistening jet black hair - as seen at Gucci backstage - Han covered all the "it" shows including Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Celine, YSL, Karl Lagerfield, Valentino, Cavalli...phew.



Speaking of Louis Vuitton, Hye Park shared the backstage fun and runway with Han and pulled off the futuristic/80's pop color DSquared2 aero-wear AND Blumarine's romantic, floral sheer summer dresses with the same edge and finesse. Absolutely gorgeous and with lots of attitude, Viktor & Rolf totally hit the nail when they squabbled over her busy bookings schedule this year - will they get her in Feb 07? (psss, she walked Prada and Burberry, too!)



A tanned, slim version of tinker bell, this ethereal long-legged, tiny faced model, Eugenia M. was cherished by designers as Marc Jacobs, Andrew Gn, Lanvin and Tuleh - see the trend there? Every downtown Soho girl wants to be her. Me, included...

Last but not least - completely Brit and purely Aussie but if you love fashion, how can you NOT love these two super stars? Had to add so hope you love them too! Gotta love - Kate Moss & Gemma Ward







PS. All images thanks to style.com and ELLE for the images~ xox

Pony tails with Straight, Straight Hair - Up you go with spring's hottest hair trend!

This Spring, hair got slicked back into a high classic pony with a modern, elegant edge. Unlike super-curly, victorian tendrils or volumnous waves, this new take on the sporty up-do is feminine, whimsical yet sophisticated, but the best part? The styles are so easy to mimic for just about all hair types. Wear it high, wear it at the nape of your neck, wear it dead center in the back - it's all up to you but here's how to get the basic look down and a little memo of a few things to keep in mind!

1. Start with working in a dime sized gel to the roots of damp hair and work through entire head with fingers. Try one that doesn't harden or get too sticky. You want the gel's texture to almost dissappear into hair strands. Try the Shape Memory Gel from Stephen Knoll New York Collection. The light gel not only has styling power but the ability to memorize shape and nourish hair at the same time. Leaving no residue and hair, silky smooth, soft and in control.

2. Blast hair with a gush of cool air with the dryer nozzle pointed downwards to set hair and keep shorter strands from flipping up. This also flattens and straightens hair. Of course, if you have curly hair, spritz hair with a heat activated protectant formula and if needed, a straightening glossing serum and use a straightening iron - although if you have super wavy hair, I say try the other major trend for hair this spring season which is natural, romantic, a little bit undone locks with a little bit tied or bunned up, rather than damaging your hair with the heat. Working with your natural beauty usually creates the most alluring results!

3. Two options here:

A: Completely brush all the hair tightly back with no part as was seen at Balenciaga and Calvin Klein

B: Part the hair deeply onto one side and then sweep hair tightly back and tie with elastic as seen at Behnaz Sarapfour and Rag & Bone, letting the stray shorter strands on one side frame your face a little. If you have a sharp, pronounced fase with a strong jaw line, higher cheek bones and a good brow, the all-back look will look amazing but if you tend to have softer features, the slight side sweep over will be more flattering and every-outfit-appropriate.

4. Spray glosser or dab a little bit of light polish over the head and through the ponytail hair to keep hair in place and straight. If the pony tail gets dry and tousled, spritz on a hydrating or a intensive leave-in conditioning mist like Bio-Ionic Micro Hydration IonFixx Hydrating Strengthener throughout the day and it will keep it smooth, sleek and straight.

5. Last touch? if you get bored of the pony tail, try the other sleek up-do must: the new sleek, twisted and twirled bun. Divide the pony tail into 4-6 sections, take on section over and under the base rubber band one at a time, secure each with bobby pins and loop the second strand through the first one so they entertwine. Do the same with the other strands so that instead of one big twist, you get a bun that has interlaced strand segments. Add dabs of polish or gel as you go if little hairs start popping out.

note: some ends of the strands could be poking out and down, letting the bun take on a little more casual feel.

Lastly, check your foundation in a bright light making sure that the color is smooth, fluid and the same shade from the face to the jaw line to neck since tightly pulled back hair is unforgiving on makeup mishaps!

xox

We heart asian beauty products - part 1

Beauty collections from Asia initially seeped into the US market but like other products and practices, it quickly charmed and won over the luxury set of the western world (ex: yoga, Sushi, PS 3) Starting with a thin stream of best selling formulations from topnotch mass merchandisers as Shiseido and Biore, the number of highly technical products that used the most ancient remedies is expanding horizontally (lots more newcomers!) and vertically (cheap to expensive) at an irresistably bad-for-my-wallet rate.

Not only do these products present themselves as sophisticated, technically enhanced and all-in-all high performers, I can't help but feel like they work on my asian skin better.

Here is a couple of products that have hit the market this year that I am dying to test or "heart" already ( <--phrase credited to my adorable ex-coworker at Self, yay Meena!)

SK II has landed itself on equal footing with the Creme de la Mer's and the La Prairie's when it comes to luxury cremes with not NASA technology, not caviar but rather, yeast fermentation!? to bring you crystal clear youthful skin. Now, with the precision and control of all things that look as beautiful and futuristic as this sleek red bauble case, all it takes is a touch of a button and wuala, with a little high-tech performance of an ionizer that administers positively-charged micro foundation to the negatively charged skin micro particles of the skin, the complexion looks even, pore-less, baby soft without making a mess, caking or streaking. No wonder this little red gizmo was at every show backstage for the S/S shows. With this much technology, did SK II have a booth at CES? Douglas, did you do a little research for me there??


Lucky mag's "secret ingredient" for their February issue is Charcoal. Yes, true that the Egyptions discovered that this black powdery ingredient makes great eye-iners in 4000BC but did you know that it has also long been used for skin care in asia way before it started blackening the faces of beauty lovers in the US? Either way, now you can go back to your roots..actually, all the way back into the burnt ashes, to combat oily skin and purify pores without overdrying the face. Try Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish for a natural, botanical treatment to calm irritated skin and reveal radiant skin.


Maybe because tossing away the applicator along with all the excess dirt and skin that just got wiped onto it is a refreshing thought, beauty addicts got hooked on the idea of single-use portable makeup tools. Starting with Biore portable makeup cleansing wipes (Neutrogena and Avon followed) and oil-aborbing sheets (every company followed), little packets that are barely worth each single use ($64 for eight!?!? as is the product to the left but...it's so good!) is loved by jet-setters and late-nite party lovers everywhere. The Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Exfoliating Discs loosens dead skin cells with it's textured side and polishes the skin's surface with it's silky side. In sync with the asian obsession of minimizing pores, the "pillows" minimize the appearance of fine lines and pores and the water-activated exfoliating complex contains yeast extract from sake brewers to soften the skin, break down the proteins that bind dead cells to the skin's surface and wipe it all off your face and into the garbage bin.

xox

S/S '07 Runway Makeup Picks that's A-OK for You! - Part 2

Remember long ago when lining the lower lid with a chalk-white eye pencil was so cool and how you struggled to get it close to the lash line to accentuate the eyes? Like flannel Nirvana-eque shirts, we deserted the too-white pencils for a while but alas, they are back en force with a fresh, mod, twist.

At shows like Tuleh (above image), Marchesa and Moschino (shown below), catwalk princesses boldly looked up from thin, clean, ultra-white, almost silvery liner on their bottom lids. A couple of benefits to this look:

- This new take on the white liner goes with any eye shadow, lip or blush colour put on that day.
- Looks amazingly flattering on the asian eye shape since it elongating the inner corners and opens up the eyes to make them look bigger.
- Accentuates the short asian bottom lashes


How to tips to get the new! white liner look:

1. If you went out too late last night and your eyes are blood shot, use Visine or an anti-redness product that will get your eyes back to its healthy, white colour.
2. Before applying mascara, closely line the inner edge of the lower lid and between the lashes with a ultra-silvery white liner, making sure to start a millimeter before the inner corners of your eye. Try Givenchy Magic Khol Eye Liner Pencil in #2 White ($20).
3. Skip using eye shadow on the lower lid all together and only use a very sheer, light shadow on the upper lid to match.
4. For a day time Twiggy-look, use a mascara primer on the lower lids to make the lashes thicker and longer before swiping on lengthening mascara. For night, try using a few strands of lash extensions on the outer edges of the bottom and top lashes. Try Urban Decay Lingerie & Galoshes for Lashes ($15.50) to get a 2-in-1 mascara wand.

insider tip: cluster together two or three lashes to make them look thicker and get that "mod" effect like the above image. Easy to do with tweezers - just lightly pinch together a few lashes (below or above, forget combing for this look!) while the mascara is not quite dry.

5. Line the upper lid with black liner, between the lashes and swipe on lots of mascara. Instead of using a dry eye shadow above, try using a cremey shadow that comes in tubes like Bourjois Luminous Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow ($13.50) in Lilas Eclair 3 to get a dewy, more natural looking lid. The contrast with the white and black liner and the thick lashes is the look you're going after!

xox

Asian Editors who are rocking the fashion mags - Eva Chen of Teen Vogue

We both got to the Marc Jacobs show 30 minutes too late to snag our assigned seats so, ended up sitting crammed on the tiny footstep of the bleachers as the band marched past us, trombone horns blasting inches above our heads. That was the first time I ever met Eva Chen, Beauty Director at my absolute fave mag Teen Vogue, and an asian icon that's leading the next generation of beauty addicts.

Her articles and picks are always practical, trendy, up-to-date, thoroughly researched and I love the amazing array of colours and shapes she manages to pull together for the beauty pages every month. I'd see her running in and out of the Conde Nast revolving glass doors, perfectly dressed & put together and couldn't help but wonder how she does it all and still manages to be oh-so-sweet.

Check out her picks and articles in each month of TeenVogue & be sure to log into the publication's website Beauty Buzz forum to pitch in & get some helpful tips from beauty addicts like you!

My picks from this months issue?? Try Dior Limited Edition, Pretty Charms Pink Enchantment ($55) which captures the flirty, feminine and ethereally romantic feeling that was all over the runways for spring! Comes in two shades of wearable, glossy pale pink and peachy rose.

xox

First base is the always the sweetest xxx

Nope.

Not talking lips here but rather, the amazing life-altering power of the makeup artists' favorite tool- the initial "first base" to applying color to the face.

Without the obviousness of blush or shimmer, a single droplet of pearl, peach or rosy skin-enhancing primer spread into the thinnest layer alone or under foundation can give you the natural-looking glow that's too slight to look fake, yet so pretty that you must be an angel.

For a sun-kissed glow that seems effortlessly sexy, tap the cheek with a flat sponge with a small bit of bronzy base layer underneath it all and exude a healthy glow from within, rather than shining like a seventh grader with drugstore makeup overload.

Try byTerry Color Skin Enhancer in N°5 Apricot ($79) which can be used all year round to give a radiant flushed glow to paler skins, and byTerry Extra Glow Golden Cooling Bronzer ($44) or Dior Bronze Tinted Moisturizer SPF 10 in Peach ($35) for the just-stepped-off-yacht look.
byTerry available at www.eluxury.com
Dior available at www.sephora.com

Seems a waste of time on a rushed morning? Trust me, try it, it will give you an addictively natural-looking glow and color that lasts all day long even under foundation, no brush re-applications necessary.

extra! note:
This is a good way to add a natural shimmer to the face even if you have an oily complexion. Brush on a few strokes of translucent or loose powder directly after to absorb the extra oil over the enhancer (or enhancer + light layer or liquid foundation) and your skin will maintain a luring radiance minus the oily shine!

xox

S/S '07 Runway Makeup Picks that's A-OK for You! - Part 1

Two things I am excited about now that it's 2007:

1. I can finally cut down on my white-out usage from having to rewrite 2006 on the date margin since I've been living in 2007 since the S/S '07 shows last fall, yes editors & fashion/beauty pr people are forever seasonally challenged...

2. New makeup trends! New beauty collections & products & hair styles, fragrances, ah, Spring Beauty Galore!

For Spring '07, the backstage makeup scene polarized to two extremes, quite fit to the asian makeup scene actually - Super earthy-bare natural without a hint of glossy lips vs. full on eye-makeup with MAC Lip Glass generation-like pout. Whether you are feeling a little more daring this year and swapping make up styles (full-on to bare, bare to accentuated eyes & lips) or you change your style by outfit, follow the below trends and look like you're fresh and hot-off-the runway.

Let's start with the bold, the brave and the beautiful:

Red Glossy Lips with a Coral Flip - from Anna Sui to Tuleh to Vivienne Westwood, bright red lips with a golden, warm coral touch, made luminous with a light layer of clear gloss was all over the S/S runways. Asian girls can totally pull this look off as long as they keep a few crucial must-do's in mind. Strong natural looking brows, light, minimal-looking eye make up with golden bronzy brown tones + black mascara to keep your eyes from fading too much. Lastly, keep to minimal blush to prevent looking like porcelin doll. Try Anna Sui Rouge M in #450 for a coral-tipped, bright red lip colour that looks flattering on asian skin. www.annasui-cosmetics.com www.annasui-cosmetics.com


Egyptian Heavy Metal - Holiday season is over but metallic shadows are back this spring with a sun-lit, mod goddess, twist. Backstage at Chanel (image) the models sported a mod-metallic high-voltage gold and silver highlighted lids, gold on the bottom, silver on top, with a less accentuated brow, barely touched lips and a matte, natural looking complexion with no flush that acted as a perfect backdrop for the intense eye make up. Key tips for the look:

a) If you have oily skin, apply a mattifying toner or t-zone oil-block base to keep the rest of the face from shining, then dust on translucent powder to even out the skin. The only place you want shining for this look are your eyes!
b) Use a non-colour treatment lip balm (good ole' tub of Vaseline works just fine) for a natural, baby-soft pout instead of high sheen gloss or attention grabbing coloured lipstick. Keep the focus on one part of your face only.
c) Keep brows minimal. If you have thick prominent brows, try dusting the translucent powder from step a) on the brows as well, bringing optimum focus to the eyes and away from the forehead.
d) Try a bronzier, gold-brick tone and a platinum coloured silver for asian eyes. The rich gold tone accentuates the darker eye colour and the platinum will highlight the whites around the pupil making eyes pop. Coat lashes with a single layer of black mascara, and if you want to take it one step further, apply a very thin liquid line on the top lid only.



Try Chanel Lumiere D'Artifices ($75) to get the look in one irresistable palette. www.chanel.com

xox