Celebrity Life

We hear from the experts about the proper application of sun protection, their tried-and-tested regimens for summer skincare, and alternative methods to get that summer glow.

We’ve all probably thought this at one point in our lifetime: “You can’t get sunburnt in the shade,” or, “There’s SPF in my make-up products, so I don’t need to put on extra sunscreen.”

These are two of the most common sun myths, according to Harriet Lee, chief strategic advisor at Joyce Beauty, and Newby Hands, global beauty director at Net-a-Porter. It all comes down to a lack of awareness of how sun damage works and how even when we think we do, more often than not we aren’t applying sufficient sunscreen for full-spectrum protection.

“It’s the UV radiation, not sunlight, that damages your skin,” says Lee. “UV rays can reflect off nearby surfaces and so you can still get sunburnt in the shade. Harmful UV rays are present year-round, no matter what season it is. Believe it or not, even when it’s cold or overcast, up to 80 percent of UV rays can pass through clouds. For these reasons, it’s important to ensure you wear sunscreen, even though we can’t see or feel the UV rays.”

Lee suggests that the correct amount of sunscreen to use would be about a quarter teaspoon for the face and neck. That comes down to five pumps of Clean Screen or Supreme Screen, and three pipettes of Queen Screen, all from Australian brand Ultra Violette, which she recommends.

On a typical day for Hands, an SPF 50 product is her pick; she applies a generous amount 20 to 30 minutes before she leaves the house and routinely reapplies it every two hours throughout the day. “A lot of make-up and skincare products, such as primers and moisturisers, offer SPF protection, which can add to your sun protection but can’t replace sunscreen entirely,” she warns. “Many products offer only low protection and may not be broad spectrum. If you care about your skin, then a broad-spectrum SPF 30 to 50 should always be the last step in your daily skincare regimen.”

A broad-spectrum SPF will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays, and many beauty products today come with beauty textures that feel more like face creams than greasy pastes. Zelen’s hydrating sunscreen is Hands’ personal pick, a hypoallergenic formula that uses micro-encapsulation technology to provide full protection without any irritation, and is also enriched with botanical antioxidants to reduce the formation of damaging free radicals and delay premature ageing.

If we do unfortunately get sunburnt, which is inevitable during Hong Kong’s popular junk season, applying more SPF isn’t the answer. “If you get a sunburn, then cover up and stay out of the sun,” says Hands. “You need to take the heat out of your skin with a cooling shower or compress. Using anti-inflammatory skincare on areas of sunburn is great, while good after-sun can really help, as it’s well formulated to treat sun damage. And do avoid any peels or exfoliators and keep skin nourished and hydrated.”

A good after-sun gel can help to soothe and hydrate irritated skin; Susanne Kaufmann After Sun Moisturizing Gel is enriched with calming aloe vera and anti-inflammatory Indian balloon plant extract that helps soothe the skin. We shouldn’t neglect our hair, either, which can become dry and extremely brittle under the sun’s powerful rays. Net-a-Porter also carries specific after-sun hair-styling products, such as a cream from Sachajuan that can condition the hair from the root to the tip without feeling greasy.

According to Lee, sun damage isn’t just about a single sunburn, so we shouldn’t apply sunscreen only on junk trips or at the beach. It can occur from cumulative unprotected daily exposure to sunlight. “Repeated exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause changes to the skin, such as fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, pigmentation and redness,” says Lee. “Hence, routinely taking care of your skin day-in and day-out makes a huge difference.”

If your skin has been exposed to the sun more than usual, Lee recommends an everyday skincare regimen that incorporates a simple cleanser, antioxidants, nourishing moisturisers and SPF. “Ditch any product that contains possible irritants, such as exfoliants, essential oils, fragrances and acids. Hydration is key to sun-exposed skin and can help delay the ageing process.”

To cleanse, Lee recommends the nourishing Softening Cleanser from Tata Harper, which is dermatologically tested and designed to support the skin barrier without stripping it down. Follow up by hydrating the skin with Derm Institute’s Antioxidant Hydration Gel Masque, which is an intensive mask, then calm down redness in the skin with Dr Barbara Sturm’s Calming Serum, and finish with Omorovicza’s Queen of Hungary Mist to feel refreshed. Of course, the final step should always be SPF – RéVive’s Sensitif Renewal Cream comes with broad-spectrum SPF 30 and is also suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

At night, following a day out when a build-up of excess oils and make-up can cause skin congestion, both Lee and Hands recommend a double cleansing ritual.

There’s no need to deviate from your usual cleanser, according to Hands. If you don’t want to try double cleansing, you can use your preferred cleanser – but really massage it into your skin to wash off the dirt and grime.

But if you’d like to double cleanse, Lee recommends starting with an oil-based cleanser, such as Wildsmith Skin’s Active Repair Nourishing Cleansing Balm, which contains a blend of plant-based oils that breaks down natural and synthetic surface oils, pollutants and make- up. For the second cleanse, Augustinus Bader’s The Cream Cleansing Gel is a good choice. Coupled with TFC8 and a blend of soothing botanicals, the gel is light and refreshing, and leaves the skin feeling hydrated, nourished and primed to absorb the rest of your skincare products.

Although most of us want to have a healthy summer tan, instead of over-exposing yourself to the sun, self-tanning is a good alternative. “Today’s self-tans are brilliant and come in so many different textures, from water to oil, to excellent drops that you just add to your usual face and body care,” says Hands.

The key is finding a self-tanning product that suits your skin tone. Wonder Oil from Tan Luxe is formulated to adapt to your skin tone. For a more elaborate procedure that’s still beginner-friendly, Amanda Harrington’s Buff Bronze Face Set includes three simple steps that can be done at home and comes with a soft bristled face buffer brush to create a streak-free finish.

Before you begin, prepping your skin is also an essential step. Lee recommends an oil-free cleanser, such as Tata Harper’s Clarifying Cleanser. You can also exfoliate your skin with Wildsmith Skin’s latest Dual-Action Exfoliating Treatment, an amazing plant-based enzymatic exfoliant that will leave your skin smooth and refined for self- tanning.

The post Proper Sun Protection and Summer Skincare According to the Beauty Experts appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The Carlyle hotel-inspired bolthole -- slated to open on the uppermost floors of Rosewood Hong Kong later this year -- will offer a blueprint for the eponymous group's vision of "a new kind of international members' club". We venture north of the harbour to discover just what that entails...

Hitherto, the Hong Kong ecosystem of private members' clubs has been split broadly between two camps: at one end, you have venerable institutions catered to the needs of the city's professionals (the FCC) and those who surround them (the KCC); at the other, a burgeoning array of social haunts meant to profit from the growing number of Silicon Valley types -- hawkers of crypto, CBD cafes, and other speculative investment opportunities -- who reside here.

Call me Debbie Downer, but neither feels like an especially glam place to visit. After all, such clubs justify their patronage by way of mostly pragmatic considerations: a convenient location; access to business networking opportunities; affordable gym membership; and so forth. This, as Rosewood Hotels CEO Sonia Cheng well knows is where Carlyle & Co. can break the mould -- by conjuring a little glamour into Hong Kong's mostly comatose members' club scene.

Best thought of as a kind of pied-à-terre to the Rosewood Hong Kong (spanning the 54th-56th floor of the hotel) Carlyle & Co. is, in effect, Cheng's answer to the boutique members' clubs that have dominated pop culture these last 20 years. In Hong Kong -- where bureaucratic red tape is frequent; and decent-sized real estate scant -- her hotel group's latest venture feels especially impressive -- if for no other reason than the sheer audacity of it all.

In recent weeks, the first details of the club's leviathan 25,000 sq. ft. premises have begun to emerge, inspired in broad strokes by the "intriguing, inimitable and ultimately indefinable" style of The Carlyle in New York (incidentally also a brand owned by Rosewood Hotels). To orchestrate this vision of Hong Kong-via-Manhattan, Rosewood turned to British designer Ilse Crawford, whose approach has imbued the club's many rooms with a light, playful sensibility -- affording each a healthy dose of individual personality.

For fusty decadents like yours truly, the gentlemen's spaces -- including a barber, shoeshine, and capsule store by an award-winning haberdasher -- hold immense charm -- even though they espouse just one of many eclectic visual styles members will enjoy each time they navigate the club. The aforementioned differ significantly from spaces like the Cabaret Bar and Sitting Room, both of which employ the medium of painting (by artists Jean-Philippe Delhomme and Christina Zimpel respectively) to celebrate The Carlyle hotel's legendary Bemelmans murals.

Supper & Supping

In the spirit of its progenitor, the various dining venues at Carlyle & Co. seem to be accompanied by an august sense of occasion. The crux of the action happens at the brasserie, which (like any decent club restaurant in Hong Kong) serves a medley of Western, Chinese, and all-day delicacies. Here, the focus is on simply cooking the freshest produce the club can source -- various of the small plates are smoked, cured, or otherwise preserved in-house -- yet it's hardly the most theatrical outlet. That honour belongs to Café Carlyle, an intimate supper club intended as the local chapter of the eponymous tippling destination in New York. Members can expect this to be the repository of the club's live musical programming, which (consistent with the historic acts that have taken to the stage at the Carlyle hotel) will include an assortment of uniquely American artforms like jazz, funk, and blues.

Members craving a dose of sunshine can also take a selection of food and drink on the club's 55th-floor terrace, which (much like the Rosewood property at large) enjoys the sort of view that's conducive to sonnet writing or spontaneous tears of joy. Flanking one end of that terrace, you'll find the local chapter of Bemelmans Bar. Like its namesake, the menu here is split roughly equally between fine wines, punchbowls and classic cocktails; though, at the weekend, you can expect a certain frenetic atmosphere to take hold, as the space merges with the terrace for live DJ performances against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

Cosy quarters, brimming with personality

Though Carlyle & Co. members can easily book themselves into one of the 400-plus rooms at the surrounding Rosewood property, the entire 54th floor of the club is given over to eight themed suites -- all of which celebrate the history of The Carlyle hotel. More or less equal in size, each offers an inviting and distinctive interior personality. If you're retiring following an evening spent drinking (one too many) Martinis for instance, the 'Tommy' seems an apt choice -- named for and inspired by the legendary Bemelmans bartender Mr. Tommy Rowles. Other known personalities include Dorothy Draper, the original 'modern Baroque' decorator of The Carlyle's interiors; and Eartha Kitt, the renowned actress and Broadway musician. For dedicated students of café society, a stay in every single suite would seem like money well-spent.

A variety of membership packages are available at Carlyle & Co., with or without health club membership. To learn more about rates (or inquire about eligibility) visit Carlyle & Co. online.

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There are several ways to get into the festive spirit. In the past, we may have found reason to jump out of bed in December for a sweet treat, but nowadays, counting down to Christmas goes beyond a bite of chocolate. Splurging on gifts to give (or keep), beauty magpies have flocked to advent calendars with daily skincare and cosmetic surprises. To assist you in your holiday beauty haul, we’ve rounded up the twelve best advent calendars of 2019 that you won’t be able to resist opening all at once.

1. Charlotte Tilbury

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We all remember the hype last year surrounding Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Universe. This year, the sparkly gift set returns as a Glittering Galaxy of Makeup Magic with twelve gorgeous bestsellers that we’re all excited about. Inside, you’ll find holy grail products that you know and love, along with new marvels to try out. HK$1,224

2. Clarins

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The perfect countdown to Christmas, Clarins’ Holiday Advent Calendar has twenty four beauty surprises to open for the whole month of December. The limited-edition set includes eight makeup, four body care and eleven skincare products. HK$980

3. Dr. Barbara Sturm

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For the weeks leading up to Christmas, aesthetic specialist Dr. Barbara Sturm offers her molecular approach to skincare in this year’s Advent Calendar. With twenty four different treatments in full and deluxe sizes, your skin will be glowing this festive season thanks to the set’s cleansers, creams, serums, masks and more. HK$4,300

4. Giorgio Armani Beauty

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In true Giorgio Armani style, the 2019 beauty advent calendar comes in luxurious red packaging with the house’s signature gold stars. The exquisite gift set holds twenty four different surprises consisting of the ever-popular lip and skincare must-haves. HK$2,500

5. L’Occitane

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French beauty brand, L’Occitane has commissioned Taiwanese illustrator Hsinping Pan to tell a playful Christmas story in the form of its special advent calendar. Behind the twenty four doors is a combination of brand new products, as well as classic favourites. HK$495

6. La Mer

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La Mer’s Twelve Days of Glowing Renewal Collection is likely to make it on most beauty connoisseurs’ gift lists. Being one of the most sought-after calendars in past years, this limited edition set is one of the most luxurious calendars. Fans will be pleased to know that the Miracle Broth, Revitalising Mask and other signature items are included in the set. HK$3,500

7. Maison Christian Dior

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To celebrate the magic of the holiday season, artist Vincent Darré collaborates with Maison Christian Dior to present a beautiful gift set inspired by the couture house on 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Behind each window, are fragrances, creams, soaps, and candles to be found. HK$3,500

8. Net-a-Porter Beauty

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Following last year’s popularity, Net-a-Porter’s 25 Days of Beauty returns for the holidays. Each drawer is packed with the retailer’s top picks, including travel and full-sized products from coveted brands like Omorovicza, Dr. Barbara Sturm and KORA Organics. HK$2,300

9. Penhaligon’s

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Looking for a new scent come 2020? Penhaligon’s 25 days of Christmas is all about exploring new fragrances. Think perfume, body washes, lip balms, candles and more, each day is an olfactory discovery to love. HK$3,950

10. Rituals

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Having just launched in Hong Kong this year, Rituals is fast becoming a cult favourite for beauty addicts. Their Advent Deluxe Calendar is a great way to discover the new brand’s offering – with twenty four of Ritual’s hero products for the face, body and home. HK$880

11. The Body Shop

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There are times when “the bigger the better” does hold true. At least The Body Shop thinks so. To celebrate the holidays for the past sixteen years, the brand has been launching the most large-scale advents to count down to Christmas. Their Dream Big Ultimate Beauty Advent is filled with twenty six different goodies from their bath and body ranges to take you into the new year. HK$1,499

12. Valmont

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Luxury skincare house, Valmont is presenting the brand’s first ever advent calendar this year. Each drawer of the twelve boxes holds  bestsellers including items from the L’Elixir des Glaciers and Hydra3 collections. HK$2,280

The post The 12 Best Beauty Advent Calendars for Christmas 2019 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As global beauty director of luxury retailer Net-A-Porter, Newby Hands has her finger on the pulse of the hottest fashion trends as well as the latest skincare and make-up that women are adding to their carts. While “clean beauty” remains the category du jour -- “sales have grown by more than 400 percent” since Net-A-Porter launched it at the end of 2017 -- it’s the looks dreamed up by make-up artists for the season’s fashion shows that continue to define the lipsticks, eye shadows and other colour cosmetics we just have to have.

[caption id="attachment_135941" align="alignnone" width="683"] Silky skin reigns at Giorgio Armani.[/caption]

“For the SS19 runways, I love McGrath’s look for Prada with ’60s feathered lashes and nude lips,” Hands says, referring to the influential make-up artist Pat McGrath whom top designers often entrust to bring their collections fully to life. “I also love the stunning winged look for the Versace runway. She used a metallic teal shade to create geometric wings, and kept the skin and lips simple to highlight the make-up of the eyes.”

Indeed, dramatic textures and colours were popular themes of the season: space-age silver eye shadows at Missoni, Swarovski-studded lash lines at Valentino, graphic swoops of eyeliner at Rochas and Marni, and spiky lashes paired with neon-bright lips at Chanel.

“Chanel’s girls always look strong and beautiful at the same time,” says global creative make-up and colour designer Lucia Pica of the make-up she created for the Chanel spring/summer ready-to-wear show. “In this collection you have a lot of inspiration in terms of textures and colours.”

Pica even took the idea for the bold lip hue -- Rouge Allure Velvet No72 Infrarose -- from one of the bags in the collection while creating a “glowy and sexy but still perfectly sophisticated” overall look to pair with the show’s beach-themed setting.

[inline-quote author="Newby Hands"]"I'm obsessed with the new shine-free skin texture -- it just looks so elegant. "[/inline-quote]

Glowy and sexy seemed to be the order of the day when it came to the models’ complexions. “This season, facialist skin has returned: a truly glowing, natural look,” says Hands, who recommends a long-wearing formula such as Hourglass’s Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation. “Concealer is also essential for extra coverage and wear. My top tip is to finish your base and concealer by using a kabuki brush to lightly buff all over the face. This gives make-up that seamless and natural finish, making it look like perfect skin as opposed to perfect make-up.”

[caption id="attachment_135939" align="alignnone" width="680"] Winged eyeliner at Versace.[/caption]

Pica achieved the Chanel look with the brand’s new Baume Essentiel highlighting balm in Sculpting and Transparent for a glossy finish, with just a bit of pink blush on the apples of the cheeks. She also blended the long- wearing concealer Le Correcteur de Chanel around the edges for a smooth, even complexion.

Lip colours this season ran the gamut from minimalist nudes at Dior and Stella McCartney to shimmering pink at Giorgio Armani and rose-tinted foil at Jeremy Scott. For Chanel, Pica layered the Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick with loose powder to get the bright, matt effect she wanted.

“Red will always be a classic,” Hands says when it comes to the dizzying array of lipstick choices this season. “It’s a timeless colour that makes a woman feel confident and powerful. Saying that, I would agree that many of our beauty customers who were initially buying red are certainly now venturing out and purchasing products in a variety of shades, with pink included.

[caption id="attachment_135943" align="alignnone" width="683"] A peachy glow at Fendi.[/caption]

“Nude pinks in particular are great options for women seeking a natural feminine look, and what’s great is you can wear them at any event, whether it’s during the daytime or in the evening,” she adds.

Such versatility is key when it comes to translating the make-up seen on the runways to something women can wear every day. “I always love the Tom Ford look, as it’s invariably one that translates so effortlessly into real life,”Hands says of the ever-elegant American brand that this season featured smokey eyes in shades of brown and barely there lips. “Also, I’m obsessed with the new shine- and gloss-free skin texture -- it just looks so elegant and polished.”

And if she could create her dream kit for the spring/summer season? “My perfect palette would have a skin base that gives this season’s velvety skin finish: not shiny, not matt. Plus, the new peachy toned nudes for eyes and cheeks and lip -- they’re so flattering to most skin tones,” Hands says. “Then to finish, a black mascara and the perfect matte red lip.”

Living Colour

Turn runway looks into reality with our picks from the spring/summer make-up collections.

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The post Beauty Trends from the Spring/Summer 2019 Runways appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.