Celebrity Life

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."

The post New Year, New Beauty: 4 Trending Makeup Looks to Try in 2022 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Bright and healthy skin, accentuated eyes – we took notes. Here are the top beauty trends from the autumn/winter 2021 runways.

We take note of the bright, healthy skin and accentuated eyes on this season’s runways as we preview the looks that will capture our attention this autumn.

Bold colours on eyes

Loud pops of colour on the lids are perfect for the current times when you’re masked up and the eyes only are on display. Make-up royalty Pat McGrath was backstage seemingly everywhere – Prada, Anna Sui, Miu Miu – but her bold lids at Versace’s autumn/winter ready-to-wear defined the season. The digital runway show saw electric-blue and hot-pink cat eyes on fresh, natural-looking faces. McGrath’s looks for Dolce & Gabbana also featured cyan and pink lids but with black winged liner and bright red and sea-green pouts. And at Valentino Couture, McGrath matched eyeliner colour to the gowns and cocktail dresses, with pops of lime green and acid pink on the lids.

Elsewhere, bright hues on lids made statements that seemed rebellious – a bold take-no-prisoners look. Make-up artist Helene Vasnier at Giambattista Valli’s show exemplified this with striking lids in geometric shapes, packing on M.A.C pigments in bright and dark tones – in teals, cyans, violets, pinks, oranges and greens among other shades – and played with shapes and lines. The shadow extended up past the eyebrows, covering them entirely and sometimes replacing them with slim powdered-pencilled coloured lines.

Armani Privé went for more muted tones, with models showcasing icier and pastel blues and purples on the lids, courtesy of make-up artist Linda Cantello who followed the designer’s idea for something blue, playful and pastel.

Dewy, clean skin

Letting the outfit do the talking doesn't have to mean absolutely nothing on the face. Natural-looking fresh faces trended on runways everywhere, achieved with minimal make-up that worked to enhance models’ features. Clean and dewy skin was seen at Giambattista Valli, Armani Privé, Markarian and Ambush. “Health is wealth,” and glowy, healthy skin is the natural go-to.  

Clean, bare-looking skin also made a nice base for facial decorations, as seen on models at Bora Aksu and Courrèges. At Maison Rabih Kayrouz, the face was dewy and glowy – almost glass-like. Make-up artist Cécile Paravina created luminous skin that had a soft, diffused sheen to it, flawless at every angle yet with no distinguishable cosmetics. The outfits at Ermanno Scervino (neutral tones with notes of green, pink and purple) were also complemented with natural and seemingly bare faces.

Although models at the Iris van Herpen couture show appeared make-up free, a closer look revealed feathered brows, a nice sheen of colour on the lids and a natural-looking base, as well as highlighted top points of the face, freckles and beauty spots, and a touch of gloss on the lips. At Elie Saab’s haute couture show, the skin was clean with a pastel flush on the cheeks, complemented by soft smoky lids in neutral tones and lightly filled brows. 

Big black winged liner

From everyday wings to smoked-out kohl and classic cat-eye, big, black liner is guaranteed to come into fashion again and again. Whether it’s retro or even slightly goth, the look serves up some of the evening glamour we’ve been missing over the past 18 months. 

At Chanel and Dior Haute Couture, slim black wings were complemented by royal-blue shadow and liner. Both runways featured reverse cat eyes (smoked-out shadow under the eyes to create an upside-down, mirrored liner look). For more reverse cat-eye inspiration, look towards Schiaparelli Couture’s heavy inky liner underneath the eye, complete with skinny, barely etched eyebrows.

There was a nod to the ’60s styles with looks like that at Giambattista Valli Couture, where the entire lid was covered with black cat-eye doll-like liner while keeping the rest of the face (including under the eyes) neutral and bare looking for dramatic effect. A similar, top-heavy liner look was also seen at Balenciaga at the fashion house’s return to couture after 53 years. There was dramatic black liner that extended up towards the brow bone, as well as black in the waterline, as at Valentino. And at Erdem, NARS global artistry director Jane Richardson played with lines to create black graphic looks that winged up towards the temples and then back under the eyes.

For some everyday liner inspiration, look to Alessandra Rich and Prabal Gurung, who both featured classic wings on models – wearable, thick and sharp. 

High-pigment blush

Blush has been back for a moment now, with more popular placements including a dusting over the bridge of the nose for a sun-flushed look – or, for a lifting effect, beneath the part of the face you’d normally apply highlighter. On the runways, however, blush was high impact – on the apples of the cheek and the sides of the face, and even up into the hairline.

Effective blush has some powerful connotations – it can highlight health and vitality. But there are also edgier ways to achieve a well-flushed look. As the Vivienne Westwood ready-to-wear collection was inspired by François Boucher’s 18th-century painting Daphnis and Chloe, beauty looks resembled old aristocracy, with models wearing coral and orange blush in the hollows of the cheek.

Elsewhere, fuchsia blush was worn on the sides of the face – from the cheeks up past the brow bone onto the temples. And at Molly Goddard, extravagant, almost haphazard blush gave models an ’80s feel – complete with big hair and big dresses – and a maximalist look that’s returning to trend post-Covid. Make-up artist Miranda Joyce created high-impact beauty with intensely pigmented fuchsia blush complemented with pink and red shadow on the eyes and a berry-red pout.

The post All About Face: Beauty Trends From the Autumn/Winter 2021 Runways appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Supercharge your evenings out with ombre shading and bold iridescent hues. Let dewy skin, wet-look hair and bright colours do the all talking. Here seven evening makeup looks that to try right now.

Club Tropicana

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER, FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER AND EYE COLOUR LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY STICK BLUSH ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS GLOW PLAY LIP BALM M.A.C COSMETICS

Pearlescent and ’80s-inspired

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER AND FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI EYE COLOURS M.A.C. COSMETICS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY ORGASM ON THE BEACH CHEEK PALETTE NARS ROUGE DIOR 562 DIORLING DIOR BEAUTY

Two-tone Tango

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER AND FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI NAKED ULTRAVIOLET EYESHADOW PALETTE URBAN DECAY DOURO EYESHADOW NARS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY RAVISH BLUSH TOM FORD HIGHLIGHTER ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS ROUGE DIOR 562 DIORLING DIOR BEAUTY

A Bold Neon Wave

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER AND FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI DOURO EYESHADOW NARS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY AM/PM TINTED LIP BALM CODE 8

Metallic Attraction

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER, FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER AND NU PRÉFÉRÉ ROUGE ESSENTIEL LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI NORVINA PRO PIGMENT PALETTE VOL 5 ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY

Late Night Disco Lights

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER AND FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI QUAD EYESHADOW AND ORGASM ON THE BEACH CHEEK PALETTE NARS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY ROUGE DIOR 562 DIORLING DIOR BEAUTY

Ice Queen

ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR ESTĒE LAUDER PURE CANVAS PRIMER AND FLAWLESS FUSION CONCEALER LAURA MERCIER LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION ARMANI NORVINA PRO PIGMENT PALETTE VOL 2 ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS BROW LIFT SET CHARLOTTE TILBURY ORGASM ON THE BEACH CHEEK PALETTE NARS

Seven bold evening makeup looks photoshoot:

PHOTOGRAPHER & MAKE UP REVE RYU
HAIR RYUNOSHIN TOMOYORI
MANICURE JESS CIESCO
PRODUCTION IMOA FEDOR
LIGHTING ASSISTANT ROBERT BOGDAN-ROTH
MAKEUP ASSISTANT KAROLINA BARTNIK
MODEL DASEUL KIM @ TITANIUM MANAGEMENT UK

The post Photoshoot: 7 Bold Evening Makeup Looks appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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