Celebrity Life

Believe it or not, it's already April, and before you know it, it’ll be time to set out on junk boats, lounge poolside, and brunch alfresco. So, there’s no time like the present to get summer-ready and put your beauty game into high gear for the longer, warmer days ahead. This season, it’s all about introducing colour in a playful way, glowing with dewy skin, experimenting with refreshing new scents, and safeguarding your face with protective precautions to combat the fiery weather. Whether you’re only committed to small adjustments or you’re looking to make big transformations, here’s our definitive list of what’s new on the shelves for your spring and summer routine.

The Artistry

Anti-Aging Facial Massage Set

Looking for a game changer? Look no further! This set (HK$289) includes a two-ended face roller in different sizes (use the smaller one for areas around your eyes and nose, and the larger one for forehead, cheeks and chin) as well as a gua sha scraper for that “V” jawline and chin. The natural cooling properties of the rose quartz promotes blood circulation, minimises pores, improves skin elasticity and promotes lymphatic drainage. It’s easy to use and frankly rather zen, but most importantly, the results speak for themselves.

Tip: Use with your favourite serum and/or moisturiser starting from the centre of your face and roll outwards. For best results, store roller in the refrigerator to shrink pores, or soak in warm water for a soothing facial massage.

Atelier Cologne

Clémentine California

Atelier Cologne’s zesty new fragrance (HK$1,120/100ml) is summer captured in a bottle. Bursting with fruity and sweet scents without being overpowering, the ingredients originate from exotic countries and awaken your senses with inspiration for travel. You’ll find notes of clementine from Italy, juniper berries from Turkey and Vetiver from Haiti -- all perfectly blended and balanced into a sensual and delicate summer fragrance.

Byredo

Rose of No Man’s Land Body Collection

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The 2015 fragrance inspired by and paying tribute to nurses (often referred to by soldiers as “Rose of No-Man’s Land”) of World War I has finally dropped its body care line (HK$320–$600). With notes of pink pepper, Turkish rose petals, raspberry blossom and white amber, its deliciously ethereal -- a soothing, fruity yet slightly woody fragrance -- and the scent is just as enticing in the body care format. The new collection includes body wash, body lotion, body cream, hair perfume, hand cream and roll-on oil.

Christian Louboutin

LoubiGraffiti Collection

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With its bold colours and long-lasting wear, Christian Louboutin’s newest cosmetics collection (HK$450–$800) continues the brand's strong aesthetics with vibrant pops of pigment in lip and nail formulas. Inspired by extravagant graffiti, it looks as the name suggests. The four velvet matte lip shades and six nail varnishes are designed to invite its users to explore, create and express themselves through playful vibrancy. Shades like turquoise Batignolles varnish and Diva lipstick will be making splashes all throughout summer.

Darphin

The Master Oils

Master botanist, formulator and kinesiotherapist Peirre Darphin brings his French beauty secrets to Hong Kong -- launching his collection known for highly concentrated botanical skincare this April. Harvesting the most active parts of different plants and using pure extraction methods, the ingredients that go into each of his formulas are all exceptional -- most notably the Master of Oils, a collection of eight oils (from HK$490–$1,120/15ml) infused with Omega 3 and 6 penetrate deep into the layers of the skin without leaving a greasy film. Darphin’s claim to be “A Force of Life for Skin” is a big statement to make, but in our opinion, he definitely lives up to the hype.

Note: The collection comprises of Nectar, Tangerine, Chamomile, Jasmine, Rose, Orange Blossom, Vetiver Stress Detox and Niaouli Aromatic Care.

Gucci

The Alchemist’s Garden

Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but we don't mind at all. Following the launch of fragrance Bloom in 2017, this year, creative director Alessandro Michele presents us with The Alchemist’s Garden -- a fragrance inspired by the art of alchemy (HK$1,890 to HK$3,600). The fragrance enthusiast’s apothecary-style collection includes perfumes, scented waters and perfumed oils which can be blended and layered to the wearer’s personal specifications. 

Helena Rubinstein

Radiant Eye Treatment

Prodigy Cellglow has just introduced the newest member to its line -- Radiant Eye Treatment (HK$1,320) -- bringing the collection to a total of four star products. Like the existing items in the range, its uniqueness and efficacy lie in the high concentration of Cellular Supreme of Edelweiss, the floral ingredient that fuses exquisitely with the skin, leaving it glowing and plumped full of moisture all day. This rosy-glow balm promises to lift, rejuvenate, depuff and contour. For a limited time only, every purchase comes with an eye massager that can be filled with warm or cold water to accelerate the process of absorption.

Ipsa

Powder Foundation N SPF25

Makeup doesn’t handle heat well. We’ve all experienced the suffocation of our skin under foundation, the melt of the product as we’re exposed to the sun, or the decolouration as the day progresses. Ipsa’s answer to summer coverage is in the form of its new foundation: Powder Foundation N SPF25 (HK$460). It’s unique dual-shade design is perfect for contouring and light touch-ups throughout the day. It’s lightweight and airy, leaving your face feeling natural, too. It does the job to even out skin tone, but if you’re looking for a bit more coverage, you’ll need to dab on a little concealer underneath your eyes to hide blemishes and fine flaws.

Kiehl’s

Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Aqua Gel SPF50

Our prayers have been answered for a light yet powerful sunscreen. Of all the claims of non-greasy SPF protection out there, few succeed in living up to our expectations. As UV and pollution combined does the deadliest damage to ageing skin, nothing is more paramount in your routine than your sunscreen. So when this water-light fluid formula (HK$525/60ml) came out, we had to give it a go. It turns out that, besides its protective qualities, we also saw a reduction in the appearance of pores, felt hydrated (thanks, Vitamin E!) and we were shine-free for hours. This definitely tops our chart as the holy grail of sun-care products.

Tip: This product is designed for normal to oily skin types and humid conditions. Dry skin types may need to top up with extra hydration.

NARS

Afterglow Lip Balm

Just because the dry weather is behind us doesn’t mean you skimp on hydration. To spruce things up in the chapstick department, NARS has come up with a moisture-packed formula (HK$250) using a blend of antioxidants and Monoi Hydrating Complex to help smooth, soften and protect your luscious lips. The series comes in six shades designed to be flattering on any skin tone. Think of this is as a water pack for your lips, but in a sheer wash of colour that leaves a slight shine. Bang Bang (an orangey coral) and Hidden Pleasure (a rose mauve) are our favourite lippies of the moment.

Omorovicza

Acid Fix

When we first heard the name, we were slightly skeptical (and fearful, too). But then we remembered the great benefits of hyaluronic, lactic and salicylic acids, and how those are imperative components that our skin requires for a healthy glow. In Omorovicza’s special blend, its Acid Fix (HK$950) acts as a detox to reset your system by brightening, exfoliating, tightening and toning. We tested it in our normal routine by massaging a couple drops onto our skin (post-toner, pre-serum) before bed time and woke up with reborn skin.

Note: A slight tingly feeling is normal. It’s nothing to panic over.

Valmont

Purity Collection

Humidity and pollutants are the main culprits of bad skin all year round (more so during the summer), so thorough cleansing is a top priority. But have you ever wondered what works best for you? Is it a foam, water, gel, oil or lotion? Valmont has taken its cleansing system seriously and its Purity collection (HK$500–$1,310) targets the skin’s ecosystem while balancing out your microbiota with Swiss glacial spring water and probiotics. Each formula is gentle yet powerful, and can remove even the most stubborn makeup. It's now available in nine different textures, so you can still reap the benefits of its potency in whichever format and texture you love and capacity you need.

Note: The collection comprises of makeup removal face jelly, cleansing cream, cleansing face foam, dual-phase makeup removal oil, makeup removal water, fluid makeup removal cream, face tonic, exfoliating cream and purifying mask.

The post 12 New Beauty Products to Get You Ready for Spring and Summer appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The new Show Notes pages offer a glimpse into what I jotted down during each collection. Every editor’s notebook is different, but then that’s why each magazine has its own mind, character and way of seeing the world. Here’s mine, now an open book, for you.

The post Spring/Summer 2019 Show Notes From the Front Row appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

With a career that spanned close to seven decades, Karl Lagerfeld's demise is felt at every corner of the fashion industry.

The post Karl Lagerfeld: Tributes from the fashion world pour in appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

With a career that spanned close to seven decades, Karl Lagerfeld's demise is felt at every corner of the fashion industry.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Sneakers have joined the ranks of fine wine and high-end watches as covetable items.

The post C-Suite executives and their luxury sneaker collections appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Sneakers have joined the ranks of fine wine and high-end watches as covetable items.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Whether you reach for sporty separates or sleep tailoring, these spring/summer 2019 menswear trends all contain a dash of quirk -- be it the in-your-face logo, louche leather or short shorts -- thanks to a changing of the guard across heritage houses.

Photography Joel Low 

Fashion Direction Johnny Khoo

Styling Jacquie Ang

Grooming Rick Yang using Kiehl's and Revlon Professional

Photography Assistant Alfie Pan 

Fashion Assistant Jamie Lee 

Model Anthony Hernandez at Eve

The post Photo Shoot: Get Into The Hype appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The complete guide to all you need to know about Gucci Guilty’s new journey that revels in being free and uninhibited

The post Lana Del Rey and Jared Leto Team Up for Gucci Guilty’s New #ForeverGuilty Campaign appeared first on LUXUO.

Tao Okamoto is a perfect example of what happens when preparation meets opportunity. The 33-year-old’s career reads like a series of what some would call lucky breaks – whether setting off a huge hairstyle trend in the modelling world, booking her first acting role alongside Hugh Jackman or appearing in some of the hottest TV shows in Hollywood.

But life wasn’t always runaways and red carpets. Okamoto grew up in Chiba, on the outskirts of Tokyo, as one of three sisters. Her mother was at home while her father ran an after-school tutoring centre. And while the rest of the family was average height, Okamoto found herself standing head and shoulders above other girls her age.

“I just wanted to feel confident about what I had and how I looked,” Okamoto recalls when I reach her by phone in New York, where she lives with her husband and co-founder of The Last Magazine, Tenzin Wild. “If I were good at sports, I wouldn’t feel bad – but I wasn’t. I was going through puberty and started to look at fashion magazines and thought, ‘Maybe I can try this, modelling.’”

Okamoto called the publishers of one magazine, only to find out their annual modelling competition was still months away. “I was like, I can’t wait for this. So I decided to walk this famous street in Harajuku where people get scouted,” she says, referring to the popular shopping and street-style district in Tokyo.

“I went there by myself the first weekend and I was lucky enough to be asked to become an actress by this agent. He was strange, not like a good agent, but it gave me a bit of confidence that I might look attractive to some people.”

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The experience led Okamoto to reveal her feelings to her parents. “I told my parents for the first time that I was having a difficult time understanding myself, that I wanted to love myself but it was hard and I thought modelling could be a way I might be able to shine.”

When they discovered the scout was not the real deal, Okamoto decided to go out on her own again, sending her picture to a well-known agency in Japan. “I got a call back, and that’s how I started working and signed with an agency,” she says. “I was 14.”

Okamoto readily admits that, despite her determination to become a model, she had no idea what she was doing. Her school didn’t allow her to work, so any auditions had to be done outside of school or in secret. And, at first, nothing really happened.

When she was 17, Okamoto spent a year in England as an exchange student and started to think beyond the borders of her home country. She returned to Japan, finished high school and decided to go to college. But it was too much trying to pursue modelling and attend classes at the same time, and she dropped out after a year.

“I started to get a lot of offers and requests from foreign designers, at a time when I was so not popular among Japanese clients and designers,” Okamoto says. “So I was like, I love Japanese creativity and design, but maybe I’m not needed here. I have my market abroad.”

Okamoto moved to Paris and soon found regular work as a so-called Asian beauty. “I think what they were seeing in me was something very exotic, which didn’t really stand out in Japan,” she says. “I was doing well but nobody knew my name. They were just treating me like the Asian girl. They didn’t care where I was from or anything else.”

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Frustrated and questioning her place in an industry that treated women as so easily replaceable, Okamoto decided to ditch the typical long black hair then associated with Asian models and get a sleek, close-cropped bowl cut. “I don’t know,” she says, “I think I needed to challenge myself and see if I could get booked without having this signature Asian look.”

For the first season, it seems, she couldn’t. But a last-ditch effort to make it in New York would change all of that. Okamoto met a new agent, booked a number of shows and was quickly getting noticed for her unique hairstyle.

“That was kind of my breakout season. I have to think now there was a mix of reasons. The first was my hair became kind of trendy. It was a time when people were going back to that pixie or Vidal Sassoon kind of bowl cut, and I had it before other models cut their hair,” she says, wildly understating the fact that designer Phillip Lim was so inspired by Okamoto’s look that he sent every model in his autumn/winter 2009 show down the runway in wigs cut to match her hairstyle.

Besides the emerging androgynous trend, Okamoto also credits the strength of the Chinese economy at the time for her success. “I was able to fit in with this group of Chinese girls,” she says, “so I have to be thankful for that.”

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Once the world – of fashion, at least – knew her name, it wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling. But Okamoto never had aspirations of becoming an actress. In fact, her parents had acted in university but weren’t able to make careers out of it.

“I knew that it’s not an easy choice,” she says. “Also, I was a very twisted kid so I didn’t want to go in the same direction as my parents.”

As it turns out, the producers of The Wolverine were looking for a Japanese actress for the role of love interest Mariko Yashida and asked her to audition. Okamoto, who wasn’t a big fan of superhero movies, gave it a try without any prior training or preparation.

“There was a lot of dialogue. I was memorising the lines and then on the day of the last audition with Hugh Jackman, the casting director said she wanted to do improvisation,” she recalls. “I’m like, ‘What?’ I didn’t even know what improvisation means!”

Nevertheless, Okamoto got the part – to the surprise and delight of her parents – and her education began. “I started to realise what a big deal this was. I asked the director [James Mangold] if I should take some classes and he said, ‘Don’t go to any acting classes. Show up as you are and I’ll direct you.’”

Okamoto soon learned how lucky she was to work with a director like Mangold, and why so many people aspire to become actors. “A lot of models go on to become actors. I didn’t understand that transformation and I didn’t like people thinking models were below actors,” she says. “I was very proud of what I do as a model. I wasn’t going to become an actor. But the part I loved most about modelling was being able to transform [into someone else] so I think it was natural for me to go into acting after I experienced it.”

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In the five and a half years since The Wolverine was released, Okamoto has appeared in a few Japanese TV series as well as major US productions including Hannibal,The Man in the High Castle and, most recently, the HBO sci-fi Western series Westworld. She also appeared as Mercy Graves in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

“The writing for Hannibal was very poetic, and hard to understand. English is my second language so it was very difficult for me to understand the real meaning,” she says. “It took a lot of preparation to learn the lines and then express them as an actor. Westworld was totally the opposite. I didn’t have a lot of lines, but I had a lot of action sequences which I had never really done before. As long as it’s challenging, I enjoy it.”

Okamoto has recently been filming an independent movie, tentatively titled Japantown, that deals with the discrimination faced by immigrants and their descendants in the United States, particularly Japanese- Americans around World War II.

“I decided to do it because there’s a line that says, ‘I’m American. I was born here; I was raised here. I do look different from you,’ when talking to a white restaurateur, when Japanese were banned from restaurants. ‘But I’m the same as you. We’re Americans.’

“That’s very relevant today. People don’t really know what ‘immigrant’ means. I’m an immigrant myself because I’m the first generation here but there are a lot Asian- Americans who are not immigrants,” she says. “I think it’s a good time to remind people we may look different but we’re not different.”

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Culture and ethnicity have been on Okamoto’s mind, not only given her experiences as a model but also with the hubbub surrounding Crazy Rich Asians, Sandra Oh and her other fellow Asian actors.

“I’m kind of wondering and seeing how this movement goes. When I was modelling, people treated me as an Asian. That kind of made me frustrated because I wanted to be acknowledged [as Japanese]. Crazy Rich Asians was about Singaporean Chinese but the whole Asian community was cheering and supporting them because we waited for so long,” she says.

“Now I don’t care if people think I’m Japanese or whatever. I just want us to become a big power. I’m really feeling good that I don’t have this ego any more about my nationality and I just want to support and be a part of this Asian movement.”

The important thing, Okamoto says, is that everyone is given a fair shot. So if a Japanese role goes to a Chinese actor, she doesn’t mind as long as she and other Japanese actors had the opportunity to audition. And if she has her way, one day Okamoto will be able to audition for a role in a musical and hopefully fulfil her dream of singing professionally.

“It’s all about timing. Like when I was modelling, I didn’t really do anything for 10 years but then the economy supported me, this whole movement supported me,” she says. “When I think about that, I think I should also have ‘my time’. Maybe it’s now, maybe it’s later, but I want to believe it will happen.”

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