This April, brands are still fixated on helping us achieve brighter, healthy-looking skin. Products infused with antioxidants and botanical extracts are bumping shoulders with other glow-boosting skincare products on our shelves—all on a mission to target dark spots and uneven skin tone.
Over in the makeup section, pigmented products take centre stage, so you can achieve maximum impact with minimum effort. You only need half a pump of Hourglass’ new foundation for complete coverage and a quick swipe of Kat Von D’s pencil liner to pull your look together.
To help you sift through the bulk of new beauty drops, have a look at some of the products we tried and tested for the month of April.
What is it: A creamy, waterproof eye pencil that delivers rich colour and a long-wear formula.
Why I like it: This retractable pencil eyeliner doesn’t drag on my eyelids, so it made application a breeze. Because I have oily lids, the formula only started disintegrating after 6 hours of wear—longer than most eyeliners I’ve tried.
What I don’t like about it: When blended out, the brown shade turns greyish, so it doesn’t look true to colour if you’re attempting a smokey eye using only this pencil liner.
Rating: 3/5
What is it: A weightless, full-coverage liquid foundation that creates a finish that’s akin to a second skin. Available in 28 shades.
Why I like it: The lightweight foundation is so concentrated, you really don’t need much at all to conceal blemishes, pigmentation and dark circles. Its formula has a slight blurring effect too and doesn’t contain any fragrances, so it didn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
What I don’t like about it: It’s not exactly sweat-proof like the product claims to be, but then again I really shouldn’t have been out in the sun for a long period of time.
Rating: 4.5/5
What is it: Inspired by the colours of Los Angeles’ streets, skylines and sunsets, this 16-pan eyeshadow palette features 9 mattes and 7 shimmers.
Why I like it: The range of colours makes for a great multi-tasking palette that suits almost every occasion. In fact, we filmed a full-face makeup tutorial using only this palette to create a glam evening look. The eyeshadows are pigmented and blend out easily too.
What I don’t like about it: It’s great that it comes with a pencil eyeliner, but I would’ve much preferred a dual-ended eyeshadow brush since it is an eyeshadow palette.
Rating: 4/5
What is it: An anti-ageing trio that helps to boost collagen production for smoother, younger-looking skin.
Why I like it: My skin responds really well to vitamin C-infused products, so the Brightening Skin Corrector has lightened my acne scars without irritating my skin. It’s formulated with only 11 ingredients including hyaluronic acid, so it drew moisture to firm my skin too.
What I don’t like about it: The fragrance in the Collagen Specialist cream was too strong for my sensitive skin and nose. I had to rinse it off after a few minutes. As for the Hyalu Mask, alcohol sits high in the ingredient list, so the smell of it was a little unbearable too.
Rating: 2.5/5
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What is it: A satin lipstick and a semi-matte lipstick packaged in a decadent silver case, topped off with a mini built-in mirror and a Swarovski rhinestone embedded on it. Comes in various shades of pink and red.
Why I like it: For someone who’s not into glitter, the slight pearlescence in the Lip Blossom lipstick actually lends a flattering touch of shine to the lips. However, the Lip Blossom Velvet is more up my alley as it’s a straightforward lipstick that hydrates and imparts rich colour.
What I don’t like about it: My issue with scent continues here. This has a fruity fragrance that lingers for a few hours, which is probably not a negative to most people, but I prefer not getting a taste of my lipstick that often.
Rating: 3.5/5
What is it: A day moisturiser that has SPF 40 to shield the skin from UV rays, city pollution and blue light.
Why I like it: This light cream feels comfortable on my skin during the day and keeps the dry areas of my face hydrated without clogging my pores. It doesn’t have a strong artificial fragrance too, so it doesn’t cause any skin irritation.
What I don’t like about it: It’s a chemical sunscreen, so while it did protect me from the harsh UV rays during lunch hour, it’s probably not the best for my sensitive skin in the long run.
Rating: 4/5
What is it: A luxurious cream packed with antioxidant-rich Japanese purple rice, inspired by Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic. The tub comes with a gold spatula secured on top of the lid.
Why I like it: The texture of this cream feels rich and emollient, but it absorbs into my skin really quickly. If you’re in your late 20s and you’re looking for a moisturiser to address dry, sallow and sagging skin, I’d recommend trying Tatcha’s superfood-infused cream.
What I don’t like about it: It leaves my oily T-zone looking quite shiny—that’s fine when I’m staying in for the night, but I would suggest using a small amount during the day. Given the price tag, using less is ideal too.
Rating: 4/5
What is it: Ganbanyoku is a hot stone therapy treatment that heats the body from the outside in with magma stones from Japan.
Why I like it: From weight loss to soothing joint pains, the treatment promises numerous health benefits. After an hour-long session, the pain in my lower back was alleviated, but what got rid of my scepticism was an ease in my digestion over the following week. Smoother bowel movements for the win.
What I don’t like about it: How relaxing you’ll find the treatment is largely dependent on who you’re sharing the room with. If you’re in there with a snoring auntie (like yours truly), I wish you all the best.
Rating: 4/5
In Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s YouTube makeup tutorial, Hourglass’ Global Director Marc Reagan said you only need half a pump of foundation for your entire face. With that in mind, I applied a tiny amount of foundation using a makeup sponge and blended the product out.
The result is a natural, skin-like finish that sits somewhere between matte and satin, so it’s easy to trick others into thinking you have an excellent complexion. The waterproof formula holds up well in our humidity too—no caking or visible dry patches.
Marc’s pro tip is to create your own concealer by mixing a bit of setting powder with the Vanish foundation, which I tried out of curiosity using my RMS Beauty “Un” Powder. The translucent powder helps to build coverage, creating a matte finish concealer that I used under my eyes, on my forehead and around my nose.
If you’re a fan of the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Stick, you’re bound to be enamoured with this liquid version.
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