Celebrity Life

Karina empowers people to give them a vision of themselves beyond their circumstances; she is a voice of the future — a powerful positive speaker and the voice of a new generation. 

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Dior Beauty launches its first ever standalone facial suite in Asia. Inviting you to go on a welcome respite from city-living.

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From Sisley to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, we got it all covered for you.

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FANCL’s revolutionary collagen-essence and intake-supplement duo not only boosts absorption of the protein but also delivers radiance and deep hydration that get you glowing from within.

The beauty brand FANCL has pioneered preservative-free skincare and health supplements, with pharmaceutical-grade products free of parabens, fragrances, artificial colours, and petroleum surfactants. Its latest collagen essence-supplement duo is the result of investigating an inner and outer beauty concept that sounds too good to be true.

So why collagen? Because it’s the main protein in your body, found in bones, muscles, tendons and skin, keeping the latter bouncy, youthful, plump and resilient.

The digestive system breaks down collagen into amino acids, which are then utilised by the entire body, not just the skin. But FANCL's scientists guarantee that the collagen in the Tense up intake supplement will boost the level in your skin. This is done with its Japan-patented Tri-Peptide Collagen, which is made up of ultra-small molecules that are more easily absorbed than general collagen, and comprise amino-acid chains similar to the collagen structure of the dermal layer. What this means is that it reaches the skin directly.

One bottle of Tense up daily replenishes and revs up collagen synthesis – a single bottle contains 2600mg of Tri-Peptide Collagen, the optimum amount of collagen that the skin needs and can absorb each day. It also has Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic acid and rice extract with ceramide, essential nutrient boosters that also help reduce fine lines and even out pigmentation and blemishes. And, backed up by more than 40 years of scientific research, FANCL has developed a revolutionary essence – Core Effector.

The result of breakthrough discovery, the main active ingredient in Core Effector is an elasticity restoring T protein that boosts collagen and elastin (the key protein that helps skin return to its original shape), increases collagen density and strengthens the linkage between collagen and elastin.

FANCL's scientists have conducted clinical experiments to prove that the quality and quantity of skin collagen and elastin improves significantly after using Core Effector, all the way from the bottom skin layer to the upper. After just five days’ consecutive use, the skin is firmer and smoother.

Simply put two pumps of Core Effector into the palm and apply it thoroughly to your face right after cleansing – the ideal time for your skin to absorb richer, effective ingredients. Follow this with a lotion, emulsion or cream moisturiser.

Use Core Effector in combination with Tense up for a complete inner and outer collagen remedy – a bottle of Tense up supplement a day, plus an application of the Core Effector essence to ensure your skin is soft, supple and radiant.

Pamper yourself with this elixir of youth or give it to the skincare aficionado in your life. FANCL products are ideal for the most sensitive skin.

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Beauty guru and stylist to Hollywood stars Emma Watson, Kendall Jenner and Henry Cavill, Alvin Goh reveals his tips and anti-ageing secrets – with no holds barred.

Growing up was a nightmare. I suffered major inferiority- complex issues coupled with never-ending family problems. I remember going for weekly counselling sessions in secondary-school, thinking I looked like ET – big forehead and ugly. My eyebrows were non-existent – they were like a patch of wild grass.

At the age 12 I picked up my first pair of tweezers and an eyebrow pencil, and started out on my journey of making myself look good. I was lucky to have the opportunity to start my business at the age of 19, even with no formal education in this area. It was the trend back then in Singapore – we called it a makeover studio, where we turned real people into vavavoom characters, letting them experience their hidden beauty.

I strongly believe this background of working with real people helped me greatly in my perspectives on beauty. I first explored the local Singapore celebrity scene before coming to Hong Kong, where I began working with Asian and international superstars.

When I work with celebrities, my job is to create a “fantasy” and market it to the masses, making my clients look “perfect”. But with real people, my job is to help them find their hidden beauty, which they may not even be aware of. I often get asked what makes a person look good.

I answer that it's not related to superficiality, and that to look good you must first have confidence. And to have confidence you need fully to accept that you must own all of yourself. Most of us are judgmental of others but our own harshest critic is ourselves. I always tell my private clients that if you like what you see in the mirror that’s great, but if you detest your own reflection, then get up and do something about it. I can never understand people who complain about how they look, while not putting in the effort to do anything about it.

We live in a youth-obsessed culture in which growing old means looking ugly and “not in the game” anymore. I believe there are no ugly people in the world, it's just the way you see things. If you own it and you like to age gracefully, why not? To each their own. I, on the other hand, try my very best to slow down ageing, for the simple reason that I’m 100 percent superficial – and I own it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong about being superficial, but the difference is that I’m able to distinguish what’s real and what’s fake, what is important and what isn't. Given the advances in science and technology, I refuse to let myself deteriorate with age. I’ll try my best to keep myself in the best possible state.

To get an idea of how you’ll look when you get older, just look at your parents; we can’t defy our own DNA. You’ll either resemble your mum or dad – or both – when you get older. So, based on that, you should fire up your engine and start doing preventative work.

Typically, most people begin to experience ageing around their mid-thirties – though, unfortunately, women age faster especially after they give birth. It usually starts with the eyes: the moment you feel you’re looking tired is when your eyes are showing signs of ageing. Among the most common issue are double eyelids becoming smaller, eye bags, dark eye circles, puffy eyes and tear troughs.

Both my parents have tear-trough issues, an extremely common area of concern which gives you a tired and hollow appearance as it forms a deep crease between the lower eyelid and upper cheek and casts a shadow below the eyes. This issue gets worse with age.

I’ve tried to counteract this problem with lots of fillers from various celebrity doctors around the region, who all recommended the same technique, which is to use injectables to fill up the missing volume. I ended up looking very unnatural in photographs and the contours of my face weren’t smooth.

“We live in a youth-obsessed culture in which growing old means looking ugly and ‘not in the game’ anymore”

Alvin Goh

The thing about fillers is that they provide instant results but have a vicious effect. And because of my high metabolism, I had to top up every three months. Basically, at every session I’m at the mercy of the doctor, because the results are never consistent. I’ve tried all kinds of fillers – you name it, I’ve done it. But the results are never satisfying. It’s basically a road of no return, as you have to constantly top up. For some people it’s caused serious complications.

Losing collagen in the face is another major concern. Remember that volume and elasticity equate youth. But as we age we lose collagen, which exposes the bones beneath the skin, it pulls the skin inwards and makes the face look haggard. The golden rule when we age is not to have a chiselled face – we need to preserve the volume in our face and keep the skin tight.

And then there’s the weakening of the facial muscles. There are 43 muscles in the face, which we engage when making “bad” expressions, such as frowning excessively. It’s cute

to frown when you’re young but I guarantee you’ll regret it when you get older as it ages your features. Botox may solve this issue if your muscles haven’t hardened excessively.

My prayers were answered when I discovered this amazing anti-ageing professor in Seoul. I was given a 40-minute presentation on his techniques and I was so blown away that I immediately paid for the package, which cost me around $300,000. That’s a crazy amount for most people, but I see it as my way of loving and investing in myself. The package includes three to four sessions, which are spread out over a year.

In essence, he did several things: fat grafting from my body to my face, threading, laser and botox. He first removed all the fillers from my face – he’s the only anti-ageing doctor I know who doesn’t use them. Then he grafted fat from my back on to the hollow areas of my face. Every session was underdone, not overdone – unlike fillers, which can be melted by hyaluronic acid, fat can’t be dissolved.

Other than not using fillers, he neither cuts the face (aka facelift) nor does he do full-body anaesthesia. I was wide awake while he did the fat grafting – and for someone who’s afraid of pain, I felt nothing. And the fat grafting insertion was so small. All the doctors I know put their patients to sleep for fat-grafting procedures, not to mention even Thermage or Ultherapy procedures. Never be put to sleep for any beauty procedure – it’s not worth risking your life!

He inserted more than 100 threads in my face (long and short, and at different layers of my skin), creating a net which then lifted my eyes and face without cutting, while also creating a youthful voluminous look that’s also defined. Sadly, I haven’t encountered any good local doctors who are good at threading. (I was recently sponsored at an upmarket anti-aging centre where the doctor actually told me she didn’t know how to do threading the way my Korean doctor does.)

Although I have nothing against Hong Kong doctors, I do feel their techniques are outdated compared to their counterparts in Seoul (not to mention that the price here is ridiculously expensive). I’ve also encountered egotistical doctors here who aren’t open to comments and become offended when I share with them the techniques I tried in Seoul.

All the doctors recommend derma fillers, but these only make your face look unnatural and make your skin sag. Think of it as constantly filling up the skin from beneath and, over time, stretching it. But doctors will never say that, as it’s a quick buck for them. To each their own, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend this technique if you’re trying to achieve a natural look.

And don’t get a Caucasian doctor to fix your face, unless your aesthetics are Westernised. Eastern ideas of beauty differ from those in the West. Choose your preference, but what I know for sure is doctors in Japan and Korea are the best.

Having a so-called eye for beauty is highly subjective, because everyone has their own perspective. Money and fame don’t equate with good taste or doctors, because most people don’t know what beauty is. Their standard of beauty comes from social media, a photo that’s either heavily retouched or of a 19-year-old model. Or it could be peer pressure – recommendations from people who have no idea of what beauty is.

Between 2017 and 2019 I was going regularly to my doctor in Korea, but then Covid hit and I haven’t seen him for almost two years. I think I still look fine, even though I see some collagen loss on the sides on my face. Fortunately I’d been religiously doing tightening laser treatments on my face – and since no doctor here can do threading like mine, I shall stay in view till the moment I can visit him again.

The concept of anti-ageing should be a lifestyle that begins with being open to science and technology when you’re young. Invest in a good doctor, because finding one is harder than finding a partner. Also, it’s important to have a youthful heart and a positive mindset. I’m 43, but I let my inner child out all the time.

I never deny my age and I don’t judge myself for “acting cute”, as other people might do. As I said before, we’re our own harshest critics. Ageing shouldn’t be feared – you should embrace it wholeheartedly and own it fiercely. My life’s purpose is to spread a life of beauty, inside out. Once the travel ban is lifted, I’ll be on the first flight to Seoul for some major and much-overdue rejuvenation.

The post Beauty Guru and Stylist to Hollywood Stars Alvin Goh Reveals His Anti-ageing Secrets appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

There is so much to get done when planning a wedding. From huge commitments like your wedding venue and wedding dress, to smaller items like your bride box and party favours. While this whirlwind of activities might be sufficient to get some brides fit for a wedding. You might need a more structured regimen if […]

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French businessman Nicolas Pollet’s affair with Hong Kong is a long and enduring one. He landed here first as a 19-year-old globe-trotting student before returning home and completing his business education in France (followed by a stint in Montreal, Canada) - but the fond memories of the city lured him back to the East.

The founder and director of Cocoon Concept (specialising in designing and manufacturing outdoor furniture and accessories), he launched his company over a decade ago and his team has successfully refurbished large scale projects within Asia – from hotels, restaurants and bars to the mansions of the famed and fortuned. He also has a lighting company, is an avid yogi and is well-known among the ever-burgeoning French community in Hong Kong.

Earlier this year, while continuing his other enterprises, he surprised everyone by launching Anandha Wellness: a lifestyle product with the healing properties of cannabidiol, better known as CBD.

Name: Nicolas Pollet
Profession: Entrepreneur
Industry: Cosmetics and Lifestyle
Company Size: 7+
Startup Since: 2020

When did you decide to launch your own company and what was the impetus for you to start your own establishment?

I’ve been in Hong Kong for over a decade, and I was already working on my own business with Cocoon Concept Ltd. An extension of that, in the same field, we had Eden Cordless Lighting (which specialises in portable lighting solutions).

During the pandemic, I stepped into the wellness industry. At a time when everyone was looking inwards, at self-care and soul searching, we created Anandha Wellness Ltd, a CBD cosmetics company in 2020 and a lifestyle company in 2021. The drive to work on this new project was to find products that could really make a difference. Vision, curiosity, coupled with advocacy for wellness, soon saw the launch of Anandha.

For Hong Kong, that’s a novel way to hit the elusive CBD market.

We believe that cannabinoids (CBD - CBG) can really help people. For health, for sleep, for stamina, for comfort, and much more. Everyone can find a safe and efficient answer to specific needs. We believe that everyone should be fairly treated and can make the world more harmonious with concerted effort. Our mission would be to enhance people’s mental health, boost everyday energy, help with relaxation and protect animals.

Do you have partners?

I do not have any partners, but the team is composed of highly motivated and talented individuals that share the same vision and passion.

Apart from a digital presence, are the products available in stores?

Apart from the e-commerce platform www.anandha-wellness.com, we are also doing partnerships with a few spas (Sense of Touch), practitioners (Balance Health) and retailers (Stormie at K11).

What’s so unique about each item?

We realised that so many people decide to create their own brand of CBD products by mainly sourcing existing formulas and adding their logos on the box! CBD is amazing but it has complex ingredients. It's like we created a cocktail with different flavours - but you need to be very thorough and precise in your formulas.  

Companies, especially in the UK and the US, have spent decades developing their special recipes with the best raw materials and received universal praise from their peers. We just decided to bring it to Hong Kong. We opted for the best in the world in their own specific categories; cosmetics, therapeutic, relaxation, booster and even for pets!

What have been the challenges? Have to ask the pandemic questions, how did it disrupt your industry?

The million-dollar question. The pandemic was indeed a massive challenge to overcome, but it also gave us the kick we needed to adapt ourselves to a new reality. To be honest, there were challenges we faced every day during the pandemic... it's a long list. I could write a book, but I’d rather talk about the rewards and accomplishments. To put it simply, it was tough... but we made it through the dark, into the light.

What’s a normal work day for you?

I wake up early, take my dog for a walk. Chill for a few minutes to practise some breathing exercises, jump on my motorbike to go to the office. Lunch break is usually yoga and a salad. I’m back home by 7:30pm to spend time with my family and then, early to bed. The late nights of partying in Central or Sai Kung are long gone since I've had my daughter.

As a teen – was this the passion – what did you aspire to be? 

As a child I did not know what I wanted to become, I spent a lot of time outside with friends and playing sports. I was always heading out to nature – the call was strong to go into the wild. My father taught us early to respect the planet and made it a point to show us its beauty. It is deeply embedded within me now. In terms of professional direction, I do not recall any strong attraction to work in an office or a specific calling. I just went with the flow.

What advice would you give others trying to establish their own company in Hong Kong? 

Have a business plan! It sounds simple, but many people have great ideas and they decide to give it a try and follow their dream – but with no planning, no strategy, no research, no development. Even fewer people give themselves the means to succeed. My advice is to take the time and energy to diligently understand what you are stepping into. It is not the most fun part of starting a dream, but it is necessary. Back to the books!

Where would you like to see your company in five years? 

Between the moon and the sun! Actually, I am planning to slowly expand the concepts to other Asian countries. Stay tuned Singapore, Korea, Philippines, Thailand… we are coming! Can you let the Prestige teams there know?

Sure!

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With these paraphernalia, you can fully enjoy a good yoga session at home.

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Old Céline fans, you might want to sit down for this: Phoebe Philo is finally returning to fashion.

According to Business of Fashion, the British designer will be launching her own fashion label with LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy.

Philo's upcoming eponymous fashion brand will offer clothing and accessories "rooted in exceptional quality and design". In other words, it will be very much aligned with the design language that she cultivated at Céline, the LVMH-owned French luxury label where she served a successful run as creative director for 10 years before stepping down in 2017 to focus on her family.

At Céline, Philo made her mark with women's clothing that felt intelligent, chic and sexy all at once. She also designed a line of bestselling handbags, such as the Cabas, is that were functional and luxurious — and yet subtle, as far as designer leather goods went, with no obvious branding. (The bags are still being offered at Celine today.)

Philo's distinctively modern and minimalist fashion earned her a group of devoted followers known as Philophiles, and her influence continues to be felt at other fashion brands such as The Row and Peter Do. Most notably, after Philo's departure from Céline, her fashion followers have turned to Bottega Veneta, now helmed by designer Daniel Lee who had previously worked with her as Céline's ready-to-wear director.

[caption id="attachment_1804074" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] (Photo credit: Michel Dufour / WireImage)[/caption]

In 2020, there were rumours that Philo would be making her comeback to the fashion world with her own fashion brand. Philo's eponymous label had been in the works since her exit from Chloé, where she served as creative director from 2001 to 2006 before joining Céline. As of February last year, it was reported that she had been assembling a team of designers for her brand.

This year, the British designer also made a semi-return at the 2021 ANDAM Awards. Philo served as a guest judge for the prestigious French fashion prize, alongside the likes of Lisa of Blackpink and fashion photographer Juergen Teller, who shot a handful of memorable campaigns for Céline during her tenure.

Now, it's clear that Philo is back for good. In a statement to Business of Fashion, the designer said, “Being in my studio and making once again has been both exciting and incredibly fulfilling. I am very much looking forward to being back in touch with my audience and people everywhere. To be independent, to govern and experiment on my own terms is hugely significant to me.”

There is no official launch date for the Phoebe Philo brand yet, but you can expect more details to come in January 2022.

Header photo credit: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff / Getty Images

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Did you know 97% of the sunscreens in the market contain toxic ingredients harmful to marine life? Switch it up now.

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