Christmas, with its social activities and abrupt change in weather, is a critical time for the skin. We explore the latest party make-up and transformative skincare to keep you fresh faced and looking great this season.
Beauty experts all know that make-up applies better to skin that’s hydrated, nourished and well taken care of. But the late nights, partying and drinking of the festive season mean that usual skincare routines come under strain. Fortunately, this autumn has seen the release of two advanced skincare lines by La Prairie and Dior that are designed to prevent the ageing skin due to fine lines from dehydration, dark circles from long nights and dullness from lack of sleep.
Inspired by the pioneering work of Dr Paul Niehans, also known as the “father of cellular therapy”, the essence of La Prairie’s Platinum Rare Collection is based on ground-breaking rejuvenation therapies developed at the Clinique La Prairie in Montreux, Switzerland, more than 80 years ago. The skin’s natural rejuvenating power draws on a coordinated effort of cells within all its layers that creates a network of interconnected processes for rejuvenation. Due to this interconnectedness, activation of one will trigger the other, though with age or lack of sleep, this natural rejuvenating capacity decreases.
To counteract this, La Prairie has identified five key rejuvenating processes in the skin and acts on them, triggering many further important rejuvenating processes with two active ingredients: the patented Exclusive Cellular Complex and the exclusive Platinum Multi-Peptide. Specifically developed for the Platinum Rare Collection, the new Platinum Multi-Peptide is a tight complex of three different peptides attached to spherical platinum particles designed to trigger rejuvenating cellular activities. While La Prairie’s previous platinum peptide mainly activated collagen production, the new Platinum Multi-Peptide goes beyond that, strengthening the skin barrier, improving its moisture balance and enhancing cellular longevity to keep you fresh-faced for Christmas.
Wine may be a staple at this time of year, but little did we know it can also be a holy grail for skin in the form of Dior’s L’Or de Vie cream and La Cure serum. Conceived at the famed Château d’Yquem, L’Or de Vie is formulated around a unique and exclusive ingredient: the Yquem sap. Year after year, the vineyard delivers a wine considered to be one of the greatest in the world. Dior science has been studying wine and its secrets for more than 30 years, and after discovering the unique life force of the Yquem vineyards in 2007, it formulated L’Or de Vie, which infuses skin with long-lasting youthfulness. A powerful antioxidant, Yquem’s multiple enzymes and mechanisms linked to ageing and cellular oxidation lend it extraordinary anti-ageing powers. In addition, La Cure comes with two golden massage drops that enhance its power during a deep sweeping massage developed by Dior Institut experts, whose thermal-memory material drains and decongests when used with cold water and charges up with relaxing heat under the effects of hot water. As intense as a spa experience, the massage leaves muscles deeply relaxed and the skin glowing with renewed youth, perfect after a long night out.
Tiredness always shows in the eyes first. Another lesser-known but noteworthy newcomer to the skincare game in Hong Kong is Christian Breton, whose eye-priority range has captured our attention. Inspired by cryotherapy, Christian Breton uses cold temperatures to reduce under-eye circles and wrinkles to rejuvenate fatigued eye areas. In particular, the Liftox serum, an eye-lifting serum that instantly detoxifies and revives the eye area, contains a new innovative formula that neutralises pollutants and strengthens the skin barrier throughout the day. The skin around the eyes is three to five times thinner than on the rest of your face and contains less collagen and fewer fibres; as a result, its microcirculation is slower, which inevitably affects the eye area. However, Liftox contains vitamin C, which reduces eye bags and the appearance of the signs of ageing from the very first use.
As for make-up, Laura Mercier’s luxurious new double palette – aptly called Pièce de Résistance – features the perfect selection of face colours you need to create a flawless party look. The palette includes 15 eyeshadows, ranging from sheer and shimmering to high-drama deep pigments, as well as a curated trio of bronzer, blush and highlighter to illuminate cheeks in universally flattering shades and a sleek removable mirror that separates each palette. Another stunning palette is Byredo’s latest line of eyeshadows with five colours. Each compact features five pressed-powder colours with three different finishes: matte, metallic and ultra-glitter. Lightweight and long-lasting, with easy-to-blend textures, the palette encourages the wearer to apply with the fingertips, with each of the five colours reflecting the five fingers. Intense, pure and radiant, the colours are housed in a distinctive metal “raindrop” compact that’s both glamorous and ergonomic.
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