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Everything new in beauty this February 2022 that we’ve had our eyes — and our hearts set — on.

Skincare lines, eye serums and creams and so many red lipsticks. Here’s this month’s roundup of the newest must-have fragrances, makeup, skincare and other beauty products to add to your collection now. And make sure to check our previous instalments here!

New in Beauty This February 2022

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Skincare
Makeup & Fragrance

Skincare

Caudalie x Harvard Medical School Premier Cru Collection

Expert skincare brand Caudalie has partnered with genetics professor Dr David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School to bring us the new Premier Cru Collection, which features patented TET8TM technology to remove signs of ageing, aiding the natural production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.

That means slowing down worrying visible features like deep wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots while supporting your skin’s firmness, elasticity, and radiance. Like all its products, the line is clean with no endocrine disruptors, no irritants, no animal-derived ingredients and no non-biodegradable ingredients.

N°1 De CHANEL Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum

Chanel’s new No1 beauty collection is dedicated to a distinctive red version of founder Gabrielle Chanel’s favourite flower: the camellia. In particular, the skincare line features potent infusions of the red camellia, harnessing its anti-ageing and nourishing properties.

Our pick is the lightweight gel-texture serum, which works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and pores, and improves skin elasticity. And the collection makes every effort to be more sustainable, with 30 percent less packaging as well as refillable products.

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Brilliance Serum

From Estee Lauder, the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Brilliance Serum is a skincare gem (see what we did there?), made with a potent infusion of the brand’s exclusive Black Diamond Truffle Extract and Vitamin C to reveal brighter, more radiant skin that’s noticeably firmer and more supple.

SHOP HERE

Hourglass Equilibrium Instant Plumping Eye Mask

New from Hourglass Cosmetics, the aptly named Equilibrium Instant Plumping Eye Mask is a powerful treatment for the eye area, hydrating and plumping while reducing the look of puffiness and eye bags. Its gel formula is infused with one plumping and one cell-balancing complex. What more could you need?

La Mer The Eye Concentrate

Celebrity-favourite skincare brand La Mer has created the ultimate eye cream: The Eye Concentrate. Promising to be your solution to fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles, the fast-absorbing cream is made specially for the delicate area under your eyes, and is powered by a concentrated form of the luxury brand?s cell-renewing Miracle Broth™, brightening molasses, soothing kelp, and lime tea.

NARS Light Reflecting Skincare Collection

NARS? all-new Light Reflecting Skincare has been expertly developed to hydrate, smooth, firm and plump your face ? delivering glass-like skin that promises to reflect light.

The line-up includes a lightweight gel-cream moisturiser, a peptide- and hyaluronic acid-packed eye and lash gel, a clarifying treatment, a restorative skin barrier-strengthening night treatment and, perhaps the standout, a dual-texture firming serum that harnesses the power of gold fortified peptides, red snow extract and encapsulated baobab oil. The collection is available in NARS stores, boutique counters, and the brand’s eShop.

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

One of the most asked-about products from The Ordinary, the previously discontinued 2% Salicylic Acid product is back and better than before. An exfoliator created for blemish-prone skin, the Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is designed to clear dead skin cells that can contribute to clogged pores, aiding in your skin’s clarity.

If this version is still too strong, consider the Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution, a gentler approach to decongestion and exfoliation that delivers the active acid in a slower manner.

YSL Beaute Eye Reboot Concentrate

A new addition to the brand?s Pure Shots range, the Eye Reboot Concentrate from YSL Beauty promises to help your skin-fatigue recovery, combatting signs of exhaustion on the face where it shows up first ? the contours of your eyes.

Beautifully complementing the Night Reboot Serum, this lightweight concentrate features antioxidant-packed moonlight cactus and a unique caffeine complex. Apply a single pump to the eye contour day and night, and use in tandem with the serum for best results. It’s available to purchase at Lane Crawford.

Makeup & Fragrance

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Sheerlips Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm

The first lip care product from Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, the Sheerlips Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm is infused with Dolce & Gabbana Beauty?s Mediterranean Glow Complex and sunflower seed wax to deliver hydration, all-day comfort and a subtle touch of colour. It comes in four flower-inspired shades in signature D&G gold packaging.

Gucci Beauty S?rum De Beaut? Fluide Matifiant Primer

Gucci Beauty?s S?rum de Beaut? Fluide Matifiant is the brand?s first mattifying primer, with a gel formula developed to suit and care for all skin types while keeping makeup looking fresh all day. It can be used alone to even out complexion and blur the appearance of pores, or to blend seamlessly with foundation for a natural, long-wearing look.

SHOP HERE

Hourglass Confession Lipstick ? Red 0

Previously released as a special-edition item, Hourglass’ Confession Lipstick in shade Red 0 is back. Featuring a one-of-a-kind vegan red, this is one of the few (perhaps only) red lipstick on the market that is truly cruelty-free and completely vegan. Instead of the beauty industry’s standard red pigment made from crushed female insects, this lipstick used no animal by-products, harming no animals in its production and testing.

SHOP HERE

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Shine On

The new Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Shine On lipsticks are shaped like a professional lip brush, allowing you to effortlessly outline and contour the lips while it delivers rich, luminous colour. Its hydrating, plumping formula is thanks to hyaluronic acid and red cranberries. It?s available in 20 vibrant shades, encased in luxurious red packaging.

SHOP HERE

NARS The Love Affair Collection

NARS is celebrating Valentine?s with The Love Affair Collection ? cult favourite products and the brand?s bestsellers in limited-edition gold and red-heart encasing. The line includes products you?re bound to have tried and loved before, including the Natural Radiant Longwear Cushion Foundation, Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder and Radiant Creamy Concealer.

Tom Ford Most Wanted Satin Matte Reds

Tom Ford has released the Most Wanted Satin Matte Reds collection, a glorious selection of scarlet and crimson lipsticks in a luminous, saturated formula that promises to leave lips moisturised and plump-looking while delivering a satin-matte, full-coverage finish.

diptyque Eau Rose EDP and limited-edition Candles

To celebrate the brand?s signature Eau Rose eau de toilette, diptyque has created the Eau Rose eau de parfum ?imagined up by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin, with a more intense fragrance from the same blend of fresh green leaves, petals and stems from the Damascus rose and centifolia roses as the original, but with the addition of the ?upcycled? firad rose.

Make sure to check out the four specially-decorated candles designed to mark the occasion, that revolve around the floral tone and complementary accents: Roses, Camomille (Chamomile), Artichaut (Artichoke) and Litchi.

(Hero image courtesy and image 10 courtesy of Tom Ford, featured image and image 1 courtesy of La Mer)

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There's no better way to mark the occasion than with good food — and lots of it. Here's our pick of the best Chinese New Year luxury puddings and treats.

With the start of the new lunar year just around the corner, stock up on the best desserts on offer. Turnip puddings (also called radish cakes) are traditional Chinese dim sum snacks, commonly served in Cantonese yum cha. Don't underestimate the small dish — in Cantonese, its name “leen goh” or “loh bak goh” is a homophone for “year higher”, ushering in new heights of prosperity for the coming year.

And we adore the Chinese New Year chuen hup, or traditional candy box, portion of the holiday. A bright red circular box set enticingly open upon coffee tables, filled with all kinds of sweet and savoury treats — it's a time-honoured custom, along with the coconut and turnip puddings. Each neat little segment houses a treat with an auspicious meaning of its own: lotus seeds are symbolic signs of improved fertility; lotus root, of love; tangerines and kumquats sound phonetically similar to "gold"; melon seeds to money and wealth. Chocolate coins, well, are coins.

To celebrate new beginnings and the new year, we've compiled the best Chinese New Year luxury puddings and treats for you and your loved ones to welcome the Year of the Tiger with.

The Best Chinese New Year Luxury Puddings and Treats

China Tang

China Tang's artisan Chinese New Year puddings are a modern take on the classic recipe, serving up two whole new flavours to welcome the Year of the Tiger: a turnip pudding with dried tiger prawn and local preserved meat and a handmade rice pudding with Taiwanese brown sugar and purple rice. Both are crafted by executive chef Menex Cheung and dim sum chef Mok Wing Kwai, and come in these stunning gift boxes decorated with China Tang’s signature Narcissus pattern — symbolizing grace and fortune. You can order the puddings and pick them up from the restaurant.

China Tang Landmark, Shop 411-413, 4/F, LANDMARK ATRIUM, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central; +852 2522 2148

Duddell’s

Michelin-starred Duddell's selection of Chinese New Year puddings is a trio of classic favourite flavours: turnip (HK$348), taro (HK$348) and a "New Year" Pudding (HK$298). Pick up one, all three, or a gift set including the restaurant's signature X.O. Sauce. It's all packaged in a specially designed gift box created in collaboration with G.O.D. (Goods of Desire), with an ornate hand-drawn pattern typical of the embellishments found on Chinese teacups and soup bowls, a nod to its Hong Kong heritage. You can purchase at the restaurant or order online for delivery — find out more here.

We also love the look of the "Prosperous New Year Hamper", stocked with six traditional delicacies: a new year pudding; braised South African 5 head abalone with Duddell’s Abalone Sauce; a signature X.O. Sauce; homemade walnut cookies; Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Yellow Label Brut, Champagne; and Fook Ming Tong Fuding Jasmine Mao Feng Tea.

Duddell’s, 1 Duddell Street, Central; +852 2525 9191

Godiva

To no one's surprise, it's all about the chocolates at Godiva. The Belgian chocolatier has drawn up a new motif for the Year of the Tiger, auspicious red and gold packaging printed with swimming koi and a tiger portrait set amongst crackling fireworks as a symbolic image of wealth. For the chocolates, the bijou creations feature the same lucky tiger motif over the surface and are packed in three distinct flavours: Raspberry Orange White chocolate, Pecan Praliné Milk chocolate and 85% Dark Ganache chocolate. Order before 31 January to enjoy special offers including free gifts, including a complimentary box of chocolates, or 10% off any purchase of HK$688. Find out more and order here.

Godiva, various locations across Hong Kong

Little Bao

Little Bao is paying tribute to lucky colour red with a beetroot turnip cake, replacing turnip with fresh beetroot for a natural bold red cake. Ingredients include Sam Hing Lung rose wine sausages, Thai dried shrimp and natural seasoning for extra-healthy eating. You can also opt for the taro cake, made with Okinawan sweet potato and fresh taro for an extra soft and pillowy texture, and also to help boost the immune system. You can order them and more here.

Little Bao, 1-3 Shin Hing Street, Central; +852 6794 8414

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel is celebrating the new lunar year with traditional Chinese recipes, serving up three classic puddings — a savoury Chinese Turnip Cake with Conpoy made from Chinese sausage and Jinhua ham; a sweet Coconut Pudding with Gold Leaf decorated with golden leaf glutinous rice and coconut milk; and a Water Chestnut Cake filled with crunchy water chestnut pieces. Bottles of homemade XO Chilli Sauce are also available to order. You can find out more here.

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, No. 3 Canton Road, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; +852 2118 7283

Ming Court

Located inside Cordis, Michelin-starred Ming Court is offering an array of festive treats to ring in the Lunar New Year. Executive Chef Li Yuet Faat has prepared three auspicious puddings: a coconut Chinese New Year Pudding; an abalone, conpoy, and air-dried preserved meat and turnip pudding; and a red date and coconut pudding. Go for the deluxe Chinese New Year hamper, with a coconut pudding, homemade XO sauce, South African premium 12 head abalone and more. You can order it here.

Ming Court, Level 6, 555 Shanghai Street, Cordis, Mong Kok, Kowloon; +852 3552 3301 

Rosewood Hong Kong

Rosewood Hong Kong is offering an array of Chinese New Year sets for gifting, featuring everything from traditional puddings to homemade XO sauce, festive candies, afternoon tea sets and more. Don't miss the well-wishes themed hampers: Harvest (HK$9,988), Fortune (HK$3,388), and Joy (HK$2,288) — for every CNY hamper purchased, Rosewood will donate 5% of the proceeds to support ImpactHK and their work to support those experiencing homelessness in Hong Kong. Find out more here.

We also love the clever Chinese New Year advent calendar from Rosewood — rather than counting down, you count on from the first day of the lunar calendar into the new Year of the Tiger. The whole set holds 15 special treats from the hotel, one for each day of the Chinese traditional holiday that lasts for two weeks. Tug open the jewel-toned drawers to discover a selection of delicious snacks from fortune cookies and egg rolls to XO sauce, palmiers, nougats, ginger candies and crunchy peanut bites. Much better than your usual melon seeds. You can order it here.

Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 3891 8732

Paul Lafayet

No crème brulée from Paul Lafayet this Chinese New Year. What you can get, though, is the patisserie's Lucky Tiger Gift Box with French illustrator Emilie Sarnel's hand drawing of two dancing tigers. The gift box set pulls open to reveal three different tiers featuring a whole afternoon experience: “Cookirons" — a cookie-based iteration of the brand's famous macaron; jasmine and hojicha tea tins with pots of honey in the second and a special fine bone china porcelain dish at the base to hold it all. The plate is specially tailored to the Year of the Tiger, featuring a sketch of two smiling tigers amongst a flowery meadow filled with macarons. You can order it online here.

Paul Lafayet, various locations across Hong Kong

Saicho

So this might not fit into traditional Chinese candy boxes, but it will still sit very prettily amongst red-adorned decor around the home. For the Year of the Tiger, Saicho has launched a very special creation of only 900 bottles — Eight Immortals — featuring the special Dan Cong Oolong tea grown atop Phoenix Mountain's Tian Liao village in Guangdong. From harvest to roast and rolling, the Dan Cong Oolong leaves are looked after by a qualified tea master. The result is a fragrant blend that adheres to the leaves' distinct complexity: bright notes of ginger mango and tangerine that rounds into a bitterness, then herbal, the likes of anise, fennel and tarragon. With Eight Immortals' earthy savouriness, Saicho recommends pairing with traditional Chinese New Year dishes including Chinese steamed fish and tang yang (glutinous rice dumplings). You can shop Saicho's Chinese New Year selection here.

Smith & Sinclair

Candy box fillings will be extra exciting with the addition of Smith & Sinclair treats, they're made after your favourite tipples! The UK-based brand crafts vegan-friendly gummies — or "Edible Cocktails" — from anything, including classic Gin & Tonic to special concoctions like Passionfruit Mojito. For the Year of the Tiger, the brand has designed a special red, tiger-printed sleeve as a symbol of good luck and fortune. These can be fitted over any of Smith & Sinclair's nine signature sets, from spirit-based "Gin Obsessed" or "Tequila Time" to themed "Love Box" or "Night In". You can order and find out more here.

Sugarfina

Sugarfina's candy cubes are a delight, both to give and receive. For this Chinese New Year, the confectioner has crafted a series of Candy Bento Boxes for easy gifting (and enjoying!) — with anything from a single cube to a lucky set of eight, featuring the brand's sweet creations in fun, auspicious names. There's the Lotus Flowers flavoured with lychee, Tangerine Bears, berried-flavoured Royal Roses and Golden Pearls. If not for the sweets within, get this set for the beautifully artistic packaging: a hand-crafted shadow box of red and gold decor motifs of lanterns, flowers and a temple to mark new beginnings.

Sugarfina, various locations across Hong Kong

The Peninsula Boutique & Café

One of the traditional elements of the Year of the Tiger is the big cat's head, symbolising strength and good health. Inspired by traditional Chinese "tiger head shoes" worn by children, the Peninsula Boutique & Café is celebrating the new year with plenty of tiger head-decorated gift sets — you can hang the box up as a Chinese New Year decoration! Pick up the festive "Robust Tiger Gift Set" (with cookies, candies, chocolate, tea and more), and any of the Chinese New Year puddings. You can find out more here.

The Peninsula Boutique & Café, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; +852 2696 6969

Venchi

You may be spoilt for choice with Venchi's range of Chinese New Year gift boxes, but one thing's for sure: the range of lucky red and gold packaging all feature the Italian brand's signature 140-years, Piedmont Master Chocolatiers-approved sweets. Pick up The Chinese New Year Double Layer Hexagon Gift Box, an extensive collection of the brand's favourite chocolates: Cremini, Chocoviar, Truffles, and Dubledoni. Or consider the Chinese New Year Round Hamper, which features Venchi's latest creation Gianduja N.3 with Hazelnut, and is a close replica of the traditional chuen hup with the rounded exterior and organised sections within.

Venchi, various locations across Hong Kong

Yat Tung Heen

Led by celebrated chef Tam Tung, Michelin-starred Yat Tung Heen is celebrating the new year by bringing back its highly sought-after turnip pudding, classic Chinese New Year pudding and the restaurant's signature gift box (which includes housemade premium XO sauce, candied walnuts and hand-selected Ginseng Oolong tea leaves). And to minimise the environmental impact of the gifting season, each pudding is thoughtfully packaged in a 100% recyclable eco-friendly paper box. You can find out more here.

Yat Tung Heen, Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2710 1093

Ying Jee Club

Two Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Ying Jee Club is serving the finest delectable pastry duo, a savoury turnip pudding with conpoy and air-dried meat and a sweet coconut milk pudding with red bean and Ceylon tea. Both are handcrafted daily by executive chef Siu Hin-Chi, who has amassed 20 Michelin stars over the past decade alone — rest assured, the preservative-free puddings epitomise the highest standard of Cantonese cuisine in both texture and flavour. You can order in-person at the restaurant, or by calling 2801 6882 or emailing reservation@yingjeeclub.hk — find out more here.

Ying Jee Club, Shop G05, 107 & 108, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road Central; +852 2801 6882

(Hero image courtesy of Yat Tung Heen, featured image courtesy of Duddell's, image 1 courtesy of China Tang)

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Here's everything new in beauty this January 2022 that we've had our eyes — and our hearts set — on.

From fashion brand Moncler's first-ever fragrances to the debut of magnetic false eyelashes in Asia, here is this month's roundup of the newest must-have fragrances, makeup, skincare and other beauty products to add to your collection now. And make sure to check our previous instalments here!

New in Beauty This January 2022

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Fragrance

It’s difficult to tell what’s most intriguing about Flora Gorgeous Gardenia, the newest fragrance from Gucci: the floral but delicately sweet scent or the stunning bottle it comes in. The perfume blends white gardenia with jasmine grandiflorum and pear blossom, with a touch of brown sugar accord, for a captivating but never overpowering fragrance. And the lacquered pink bottle — featuring the Flora pattern originally created for Gucci in 1966 by artist Vittorio Accornero, now re-imagined by creative director Alessandro Michele — is a standout.

Nonfiction For Rest Fragrance

The sixth signature scent from minimalist Korean beauty brand Nonfiction promises to be sophisticated and modern, with a simple monochrome identity and a fresh woodsy musk scent created by master perfumer Barnabé Fillion. The main notes include hinoki, frankincense, Turkish rose, yuzu and nutmeg. In two sizes, Nonfiction For Rest Fragrance is available at Sephora Hong Kong.

Jimmy Choo Beauty Capsule Collection

Jimmy Choo has launched a make-up and fragrance capsule collection, comprising lipsticks and an exclusive set of six concentrated perfumes. Scents include notes of iris, vanilla, rose, white musk and oud wood. The entire collection is available at a Beauty Botanica pop-up in Landmark until the end of this month, and at select Jimmy Choo boutiques.

Moncler Pour Femme & Moncler Pour Homme Fragrances

Best known for skiwear, Moncler has released its first fragrances: Moncler Pour Femme and Moncler Pour Homme. The scents are the work of four master perfumers who created concoctions that pay homage to the brand’s alpine identity — the fragrance duo share a unique mountain wood accord exclusive to Moncler, and are housed in flask-shaped bottles.

NARS Lunar New Year Collection

If you’re already missing NYE celebrations, ring in the CNY with the Lunar New Year Collection from NARS, which includes two limited-edition products in traditional red and gold packaging. We love the look of the Taj Mahal Quad Eyeshadow — an ultra-luxe four-pan palette inspired by the brand’s classic blush shade — that features a yellow-gold shimmer, a light peach shimmer, a multidimensional burnt-orange shimmer, and a purple-red matte.

MATCHY! Magnetic Lashes

Touted as the first magnet-based false lash brand in Asia, MATCHY! has debuted in Hong Kong with a range of falsies that snap on without the need for glue. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, they promise to give you the lash look you’re after — delicate and natural-looking, thick and full, long and luscious — in no time, and with little effort or mess. The brand carries black and brown lashes in 12 styles and is available at matchylashes.com

Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Foundation Concentrate

Harnessing the brand’s exclusive brightening technology, Guerlain’s new Orchidée Impériale Foundation Concentrate is a skincare–makeup hybrid that delivers intense hydration, high coverage and a flawless finish for up to 10 hours. Velvety to the touch, it adapts to the contours of the face while avoiding bleeding into wrinkles and fine lines — ideal for those with mature or textured skin who seek a natural look.

Kérastase Chronologiste

The rejuvenating Chronologiste range from expert hair care brand Kérastase harnesses the power of three star ingredients — hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and abyssine — to deeply nourish the hair, repair damage and protect your strands from external aggressors. Products include a pre-shampoo hair cleanser, a gentle revitalising shampoo, a hair mask, fragrance hair oil, a heat protectant and a hair serum.

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Serum

One of the French luxury brand’s star beauty products, the Dior Addict Lip Maximizer plumping gloss is now available as a lip care-focused clear hybrid gloss-serum. The Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Serum promises 24 hours of hydration, nourishing and smoothening the lips with the use of mallow extract, 100% natural-origin hyaluronic acid, a blend of sensorial oils and vegetable waxes, and a peptide that helps stimulate collagen.

Tatcha Red Camellia The Kissu Lip Mask

Tatcha’s bestselling The Kissu Lip Mask is getting a tinted update, featuring the same smoothening and plumping formula with a brand new subtle red hue. Harnessing the nourishing properties of Japanese peach extract, squalane and camellia oil, the non-sticky jelly lip treatment is now available in a limited-edition “Red Camellia” form inspired by the striking red flower of the same name, exclusively at Lane Crawford.

Chloé Eau de Parfum Naturelle

A new addition to french luxury house Chloé’s signature perfume collection, Eau de Parfum Naturelle is a 100-percent natural-origin fragrance developed with ethically sourced ingredients and lower-impact packaging. Featuring the Maison’s fresh woodsy-rose scent, the formula is vegan with water and naturally derived alcohol and free from artificial colouring.

Burberry Matte Lip Colour

British fashion house Burberry has added an all-new Matte Lip Colour to its Burberry Kisses lipstick line — a luminous matte with hyaluronic acid to ensure hydration and comfortable wear on the lips, and an intense colour payoff that promises to last the whole night. Packed with pigment, it only needs one stroke for high coverage. It’s available in 20 shades, including the luxury brand’s signature colours: Red, red-brown Russet, Soft Pink and Burgundy.

Gucci Beauty Rouge De Beauté Brillant

Gucci Beauty has added three vibrant new shades to its Rouge De Beauté Brillant hybrid balm-lipstick line — a burnt-orange Lucy Dark Orange, a dark-pink Diana Amber and an Abbie Maroon Red. Sitting between a sheer and satin finish, the deeply moisturising formula features a concoction of flower oils, fruit butters and hyaluronic acid to deliver hydration and a lip-plumping effect. It’s available now at all Gucci Beauty counters.

Benefit Brightening Face Primer

Benefit’s “that gal” Brightening Face Primer is now available in three shades, with two new colour-correcting options to help even out your complexion and create the perfect base for make-up application. With raspberry, chamomile and oat-kernel extracts, the silky lotion-like primer comes in a Silky Pink for a rosy glow, a Silky Lavender to brighten and cover sallowness, and a Silky Green to conceal redness.

And, while stocks last, here are a few of our holiday collection picks...

The holidays may be over, but there's no deadline on picking up a skincare kit or makeup duo. Grab them while stocks last.

Fenty Beauty Resting Peach Face

We loved everything in the holiday collection from Fenty Beauty — especially the brand new 12-pan Bomb Posse Mega Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette — but our pick of the bunch is the limited-edition Resting Peach Face duo. Featuring two best-selling cream products in all-new set-exclusive peach shades — a full-size Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush and a mini Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream — it’s perfect for a soft wash of peach colour to the cheeks and lips.

Hourglass Cosmetics Unlocked + Caution™ Mascara Duo

This limited-edition gift set from Hourglass Cosmetics features the brand’s bestselling mascaras — Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara and Caution Extreme Lash Mascara — that deliver length and volume to your lashes with long-staying power and absolutely no flaking. Layer both for the most impact, using Caution to build volume and finishing with Unlocked to lengthen. As part of Hourglass’ cruelty-free mission, 5 percent of the annual profits from Unlocked Mascara will be donated to the Nonhuman Rights Project, a US organisation that works to secure fundamental rights for animals.

Drunk Elephant Kissy Face Skin Kit The Babyfacial Routine

Drunk Elephant’s holiday collection included four kits that promise to strengthen your skin’s barrier. Our eyes are on the Kissy Face “softening routine” set, featuring two full-size cult favourites — the TLC Sukari Babyfacial AHA/BHA skin resurfacing chemical exfoliant and the Lala Retro Whipped Cream moisturiser that rescues the skin’s acid mantle.

(Hero image courtesy of Dior, featured image courtesy of Gucci)

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Shanyan Fok Koder and Richard Bassett explain how a Hong Kong art entrepreneur joined forces with a former special-forces soldier to launch a health and mental wellbeing app, Mentor360.

"Mental health and mental fitness are universal concerns," says Shanyan Fok Koder. "And regardless of your demographic, social status, your job or your age, it’s something everyone has to deal with."

Shanyan Fok Koder & Richard Bassett on Mental Health App Mentor360

The Mentor360 app dropped on World Mental Health Day in October, the cumulation of the last 20 months of work and conversations (usually across continents over Zoom) between former military man Richard Bassett and worldly art advisor Koder. A month later, I’m sitting with both in a North London café talking over slices of pizza.

Their app, they hope, offers everyone a holistic 360 guide and framework to “finding your formula” for mental and physical wellbeing. It uses a hybrid approach, with a core layer of clinicians and professional Mentors and then celebrity Ambassadors (who’ve publicly shared meaningful life stories) critical for building noise and momentum.

"I’d been in the military for a long time. And there were a couple of incidents in my life that made me want to create something," Bassett, the CEO, explains. "Firstly, it was my father committing suicide. Then my son had a bit of misdirection. And several of my friends in the military had PTSD issues or adjustment disorders."

"The biggest issue is why people wouldn’t come forward and say they’ve got a problem?” he asks.

“Unlike some apps, we’re not trying to get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it”

— Richard Bassett

The answer often lay in culture, lack of education or concerns about privacy that prevent many from seeking help. With that came Bassett’s idea of creating an app that functions as a “non-judgmental toolkit” with content validated by experts – who include coaches, performance psychologists, mental health-specialising nurses and a clinical psychologist.

Basset’s link with Koder came when his best friend, ex-special forces colleague and TV star Jason Fox, sat next to a pregnant Koder at a charity fundraiser for Born (which researches to prevent premature birth) in late 2019. As the pair talked about their passions for mental health and children’s wellbeing, the connection to Bassett’s idea became quickly apparent.

"Foxy told me that I have to meet his friend, Richard, who’s building this app," Koder recalls. "I was always wanting to support things that are very meaningful and close to my heart … and now Jason is actually our key mentor. The partnership between Richard and I was almost like two parts of a jigsaw puzzle come together."

Although some might go to the app for help with stress, trauma or even resources to help with suicidal feelings, Mentor360 is designed specifically as a three-dimensional offering that will also encourage fitness, workouts, performance and meditation or more clinical matters.

"We wanted to maintain the human factor as a constant throughout. So it feels like somebody has given you some advice rather than some process-driven machine learning," Bassett adds.

The co-founders might come from two different worlds, but the unlikely partnership speaks to the ubiquity of the issues at hand. Bassett’s 25-year military career saw him being appointed the first ever Command Sergeant Major within the UK Special Forces military group. "It was at that stage where I was asked if I wanted to run defence,” he says. “At that point, I thought, I’ve kind of had my fill of the military now, it’s time to move on."

Koder meanwhile grew up in Hong Kong and the UK as the daughter of Li Ka-shing’s "right-hand man" Canning Fok, carving out a career in the arts and taking over her family’s impressive collection. As a female art entrepreneur and mother, her challenges would be different.

"When I had the misfortune of losing three babies to miscarriage and dealing with that emotional fallout, it led me to want to support this as a cause," Koder divulges. "If there’d been something like this app available to me, I don’t think I’d have suffered as much as I did emotionally. It’s a topic that’s still very taboo, even in this day and age … and while you eventually find your own community, at the very beginning, you do feel very alone."

Both were clearly driven towards the app through deeply personal experiences. Bassett saw first-hand how soldiers who’d done several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered – his best friend, Fox, had left the forces with PTSD. Perhaps machismo or fear of institutional repercussions meant that the issue was often ignored or hidden in the military – but he hopes that Mentor360’s holistic approach can gently lead people to explore mental fitness alongside physical performance too.

The male-female perspectives of the pair offer a well-rounded, powerful tool. And while the wellness space is already crowded, Mentor360 stands out by being so broad, human-focused and non-prescriptive.

There’s been exciting traction too. Since its launch, the app has been downloaded in more than 176 countries, with the UK, the US and Australia leading. British schools have reached out and it’s one governance board away from being trialled within the National Health Service (NHS), which means added clinical risk management in the app. That has been an important validation, says Bassett, "especially when an institution like that has picked it out from a huge spectrum of apps on the market today."

Covid-19 and lockdowns have helped throw light on mental health, taking the conversation more mainstream. The timeliness has hit home; as Bassett says, “there’s a lot of people now struggling with the transition between Covid and normality”.

Koder tells us that the plan is to serve individuals but also institutions such as the NHS and the military. There’s also the option of “white labelling” it, so the app can be packaged and tailored to certain industries or corporate employees. In the future, might they look more global, with different languages and translations? Absolutely, the pair say, but they’re taking it “slow and steady”. There’s been interest from American corporations and Koder says that she’s keen to push into Asia very soon. Although going truly global might mean translating for languages, cultures and tone, as well as working with diverse psychologists, it remains a future ambition.

Mentor360 may be extra helpful in cultures where mental health is still relatively taboo. As Koder says, "I think, coming from our Asian culture, it speaks volumes to me – so much of our culture is about still performance or hiding a lot of what you’re feeling."

"Unlike some apps,” Bassett adds, "what we’re not trying to do is create a hook or get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it, and if you don’t need it for a while because you’re good, you can just put it away … We’re starting to see those patterns in the trend analysis."

To get a little personal, I ask what works for them individually to keep a healthy mind and body. Bassett’s formula revolves around daily exercise, time with the family, dogs and good sleep – even the occasional glass of wine on the sofa in front of a crackling fireplace. Koder’s happiness hacks centre around motherhood, being content and at peace in her skin, and looking at life with a certain romanticism: "I always love to see the poetry in my day,” she says, "and I think it’s important to just pause throughout the day, check-in and acknowledge that I’ve achieved these things and I should be proud of myself, rather than just rushing on to the next thing."

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Everyone’s favourite Parisian ‘it’ girl is back in town. The second season of Emily in Paris is set to premiere on 22 December – and Lancôme is celebrating with a new beauty collection inspired by the show's star, and the French luxury brand's ambassador, Lily Collins.

When the first season of Emily in Paris aired in 2020, it quickly became a hit – reaching 58 million households in the month after its debut, as well as receiving one Emmy and two Golden Globe award nominations. Starring and produced by actress Lily Collins, the Netflix series follows marketing executive Emily Cooper as she begins a new life in Paris.

With the second season set to premiere in the coming week, Lancôme is celebrating with a special "Lancôme x Emily in Paris" collaborative beauty collection comprising makeup and skincare. After all, Collins has been a Lancôme Ambassador for eight years now. "I’ve always admired Lancôme’s loyalty to their Ambassadors, and to their customers. I don’t think I expected a huge company like Lancôme to feel as small as it does; it really feels like a family," she says.

The limited-edition collection has everything you need for all-day dewy skin, bold lips, and intense eyes: a 12-pan heart-shaped eye palette (featuring chocolate browns, rosy mauves and smoky silvers), the Advanced Génifique Serum, and lipsticks in creamy rose beige and classic matte red.

We chat with actress and Lancôme ambassador Lily Collins about how she uses beauty items from the collection, her self-care routine, and her feelings on community...

Actress Lily Collins on the Lancôme x Emily in Paris beauty collection and more

You're the face of Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum. How do you work Génifique into your routine?

I love the serum and I love the hydrogel melting mask, which I use whenever I have a big job or been travelling or just want to feel like I’m having a spa experience at my house. They’re the most wonderful things. Also, I’ve started using the Advance Génifique serum with my foundation. I add a few drops with the Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation and mix it all together. It just glides on for a very light look but with great coverage.

Are you a mascara enthusiast?

This is, maybe, a pretty obvious statement but as an actor, you emote through your eyes first. It doesn’t matter what you say‚ as long as you are present and awake and emotive through your eyes, then anyone can understand the state you’re in and the emotion that you’re feeling. And so to accentuate the eyes is something that I always have to do.

Have you been practising self-care more lately? What have you been doing?

I totally have. I think self-care can come in many forms, whether it be therapy, meditation, reading a book, or having an amazing cup of coffee. We haven’t been able to go out and get our nails done or go to the spa. Instead, I’ve been finding that joy in wearing a face mask, having a bath, taking a walk outside, reading a meditation book in the morning, writing in a gratitude journal. And just taking a moment for myself. I think it’s easy to confuse the fact that we’ve had so much time at home with self-care time but they’re not the same.

You're outspoken in your support for female empowerment. Does this cause remain close to your heart?

Yes, and I believe it starts with me. Because when you feel empowered, you can then empower others. It’s the same as how, until you feel comfortable and confident and love yourself, you can’t be the best version of a partner or a sister or brother, a friend, a colleague.

Community is important to you. Tell us about that.

It’s very important and I think that can mean a physical community, but it can also be an emotional or spiritual community. Community is when you connect with people that are willing to share and be there for you and vice versa. I think that when you have a strong sense of community, you can be the best version of yourself because you feel like even when you’re feeling low, you’ll have the support there to lift you up. It makes you feel a part of something greater.

You can catch the newest season of Emily in Paris on Wednesday, 22 December on Netflix Hong Kong.

The "Lancôme x Emily in Paris" collection is available now to purchase online and at stores across Hong Kong, while stocks last. And as an online exclusive, the first 200 customers to spend HK$500 or above on an Emily in Paris limited edition product are entitled to a free exclusive Lancôme x Emily in Paris pouch.

You can find out more here.

(All images courtesy of Lancôme)

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We've narrowed down the very best makeup picks, perfect for gifting for the festive season!

Makeup is a world of its own – and unless your loved ones have prepared a very specific list for you to choose from, it's easy to stumble around and get lost in it. Have no fear, we've skipped over the more difficult formulas and products (think base products that require you to match someone else's exact skin tone) and rounded up the best beauty picks so that you can look like you put in a lot of effort hunting down the perfect makeup buy. (And if you're still stuck, you can also check out our entire Christmas edit here.)

(Header image courtesy of Charlotte Tilbury)

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Here's everything new in beauty this winter 2021 that we've had our eyes – and our hearts set – on.

Festive face palettes, liquid blushes and more; these are the must-have beauty products to add to your collection now.

Hourglass Cosmetics Limited-Edition Ambient Lighting Palettes

As part of its holiday collection, Hourglass Cosmetics has released two limited-edition five-pan Ambient Lighting Palettes featuring its best-selling finishing powder. Our pick is Universe Unlocked, with three new shades — deep berry, bright peony and metallic champagne — joining the existing warm bronze and golden beige. The cruelty-free vegan palette is also part of the Unlocked collection, from which 5 percent of annual profits are donated to the Nonhuman Rights Project.

Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-recovery Facial Recovery Duo

Inspired by cryotherapy and the art of facial acupressure, Charlotte Tilbury has created a cooling eye serum and an intended-for freezing face mask that promises to visibly smoothen, depuff, lift and firm the skin. The range harnesses the power of Swiss Glacier-soil bacteria, ice wine and a potent caffeine complex. The highlight looks to be the silicone reusable facial mask, which allows for mess- and drip-free application while boosting serums and essences, and comes with metal beads to target acupressure points on the face, as well as gel bead pockets to firm the contours of your face.

CHANEL Beauty Les Beiges Water Fresh Blush

The Les Beiges line from Chanel beauty is all about delivering a healthy glow, with products that give you a luminous complexion, are comfortable to wear on the skin and are easy to apply. The latest addition is the gel texture water-fresh blush, formulated with micro-droplets that melt on the skin and Give a hint of colour to The cheeks. Go for a Subtle rosy glow or Build up to the intensity You desire. It’s available In four shades.

Laura Mercier Grand Ball Holiday Collection

Laura Mercier’s Grand Ball holiday collection is packed with the brand’s must-haves, from its bestselling translucent loose setting powder to a travel-sized trio of foundation primers. Our favourite is the Mini Caviar Stick Trio: luxurious easy-to-use cream eyeshadow sticks with intense, buildable colour in shimmer and matte finishes. The entire collection is available now.

Everything from TruNomad

Drawing from its founders’ Central Asian background, TruNomad is a natural skincare brand from Kazakhstan that harnesses the benefits of mare’s milk. Full of vitamins and minerals, the superstar ingredient promises to nourish and hydrate even the driest skin. The products are free of parabens, sulphates and synthetic fragrances, and range from hand and body washes to creams and soaps. TruNomad is now available in Hong Kong.

NARS Holiday 2021 Unwrapped Collection

There are so many beautiful holiday collections out there that it’s hard to pick just one. NARS’ festive offering includes soft matte and sheer lipsticks, a mini brush set, a glowy cushion foundation, a cheek palette and mini eyeshadow palettes. Touted as stocking stuffers, the mini palettes for eyes feature six tiny pans in matte and shimmer finishes. Buy it for a friend or keep it for yourself — we’re definitely tempted. The collection is available now.

Byredo Shimmering Lipsticks

Byredo has just launched four new soft shimmering nude lipsticks — a high-intensity purple-pink, a vibrant rose, a glittery pink and a true warm nude — that promise to be multidimensional, luminous and hydrating. It's available to purchase at select Byredo beauty counters.

Gucci Beauty Beauté  Des Yeux  Floral Eyeshadow Palette

The first eyeshadow palette from Gucci Beauty has arrived – and it’s nothing short of stunning. The Palette Beauté des Yeux Floral comes with 12 shades in satin, matte and metallic finishes in a beautiful nature-inspired colour story: think burnt ambers, rose pinks, warm browns, purples and a pastel sky blue. The striking gold-trimmed black palette looks set to become a keepsake; with a removable tray that you can use once you finish up the pans.

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