This September, beauty brands are going back to basics with foundations and concealers that leave a skin-like finish. Among the new launches, there’s a daily exfoliant that’s loaded with nourishing oils and extracts as well as a fine-tipped brow pencil to perfect your arches.
To help you navigate the latest beauty drops in the month ahead, have a look at the products we tried and tested.
What is it: A hydrating, longwear liquid foundation that provides medium to full coverage.
Why I like it: The formula feels like a moisturiser and foundation hybrid. It’s incredibly pigmented and blends into the skin easily. I can apply this with my fingers or the Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge 100.
What I don’t like about it: I have combination skin, which means even though my T-zone gets oily, my cheeks are often dry and dehydrated. While the foundation went on really smooth at first, it clung on to my dry cheeks and magnified my pores after a couple of hours.
Rating: 3/5
What is it: A lightweight liquid foundation that promises 24-hour wear.
Why I like it: With 32 shades in the range to suit several undertones, finding the right one for me was easy. The formula contains a bit of clay, which sops up shine on my T-zone, but also dries out my cheek areas a little.
What I don’t like about it: The foundation started to break up as soon as the humidity levels went up. To avoid patchy-looking coverage after stepping out for lunch, I suggest using a primer under this foundation.
Rating: 3/5
What is it: A long-lasting liquid concealer with shades made to flatter Asian skin tones.
Why I like it: Shu Uemura knows how to make base products with finishes that are akin to a second skin, and this concealer is no exception. A little goes a long way with this, so I only need a tiny dab of it to conceal my dark circles.
What I don’t like about it: The flexible formula didn’t separate over the course of the day, but it did crease a bit under my eyes, which is inevitable. If the brand creates more shades for those with darker skin tones, it’d be perfect.
Rating: 4/5
Photo credit: Prep Luxe
What is it: Part of Prep Luxe’s Bold & Brave colour series, the Platinum Blonde shade is one of seven seasonal hair colours.
Why I like it: Having platinum blonde hair has been a dream of mine for years now, so this was the perfect opportunity to go bold. The process went smoothly over the course of 4.5 hours with several rounds of bleaching and two colour toners to give the shade a platinum finish.
What I don’t like about it: My hair had to be bleached thrice, so that left my scalp incredibly raw and irritated. Totally worth it, though.
Rating: 4.5/5
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What is it: A shimmery water-based liquid eyeshadow with a clean formulation.
Why I like it: True to its name, it only takes 10 seconds to dot the eyeshadow on my eyelids and blend out. Globe is my go-to shade for a touch of shimmery champagne, while 333 is a cool lavender that grew on me over time.
What I don’t like about it: The liquid formula separates easily, so you have to shake it up well before application, which can be time-consuming. It’s also not as crease-resistant as it claims to be.
Rating: 3/5
What is it: A brow pencil with a fine tip for precise, hair-like strokes.
Why I like it: Since the pigments from my brow embroidery treatment a few months ago have faded a little, I’d been eyeing the new Hourglass brow pencil. This waxy pencil has a thin flat oval tip, so sketching in fine strokes to fill in the gaps is a breeze.
What I don’t like about it: At $47, this brow pencil is way over my budget for the amount of product you get.
Rating: 4/5
What is it: A daily exfoliating cleanser that removes dirt and grime while reducing the appearance of pores.
Why I like it: The face wash blends brown sugar granules with grapeseed oil for moisture, and it bears a refreshing strawberry scent. My skin felt smooth afterwards, so I only had to follow up with a small amount of moisturiser.
What I don’t like about it: Sugar-based facial exfoliants are safe for sensitive complexions, but daily use can be too harsh on the skin, as it was for mine. I’d recommend using this 2 to 3 times a week instead.
Rating: 3.5/5
Fresh after colouring (right), 2 weeks after (left)
Agyness Deyn is my favourite model of the early 2000s, and I’ve always wanted to emulate her iconic cut and colour. When Prep Luxe invited me to pick a shade from its Bold & Brave colour series, the Platinum Blonde shade was practically screaming my name.
I headed down to Capitol Piazza one afternoon and made myself comfortable in the sleek, cosy space. The salon’s Senior Stylist, Colin, gave me a rundown of what was about to happen to my hair. After a short discussion, we decided on turning my whole head blonde instead of just the top like I’d initially proposed.
Like every person with naturally black hair who wants to go blonde, several rounds of bleaching were mandatory to my journey. It left my scalp incredibly irritated throughout the session, but all the stinging paid off when Colin washed off the colour toner to reveal a silvery blonde tinged with purple.
It took a total of 4.5 hours for my short hair, so do consult with your hairstylist first before heading down for a colouring session. After using a purple shampoo for a few days, the cool tones gradually faded to a fair blonde.
The upkeep really isn’t that tedious with this hair colour, which is why I adore it. I’ll head back for touch-ups once my black roots grow out too much.
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