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Sometimes, we just want to smell different. Nothing against all the mass-market scents out there in the familiar floral-fruity-woody variants, but if you’re feeling adventurous, there are more alternative options out there to spritz on and leave the people around you wondering, who is that person who smells so interesting? Only in a good way, of course. Here are 5 options that could be your new signature scent:
 

 
 
Diptyque Eau des Sens
Right from the get-go, you know this scent is out of the ordinary, because Diptyque describes it as “a confusion of the senses”.  The idea here is to celebrate the “softness of skin”, but in an rather unexpected way with orange blossom, bitter orange, juniper berries and patchouli to make up  a woody and spicy scent – not what you’d usually associate with “softness”. It’s also not clear whether it’s made for men or women, left to all that catch a whiff of the scent to decide for themselves. If you like to be deliberately mysterious and create an air of intrigue around you, spritz this on.
Diptyque Eau des Sens Eau de Toilette, $144 for 50ml and $190 for 100ml. Available at escentials stores.
 
 
 



 
CHANEL Les Exclusifs de Chanel Boy Chanel
It’s a fragrance borne out of a rather tragic love story – Gabrielle Chanel’s 12-year relationship with Arthur “Boy” Capel, the gentlemanly English polo player who helped finance Chanel’s first-ever store. It was an affair that ended prematurely when Capel died in a car crash in 1919, and this addition to the Les Exclusifs de Chanel scent range commemorates their relationship, a story that has been much retold. Chanel’s perfumer Olivier Polge imagines “the mark of a man on the skin of a woman” with a heart of rose geranium, an “androgynous flower” that is equal parts minty and rosy,  between layers of citrus zest, lavender and sandalwood. It’s a fragrance that’s meant to be androgynous, like how Chanel was always unafraid to don menswear pieces without sacrificing any of her femininity. This scent is one for the romantics.
CHANEL Les Exclusifs de Chanel Boy Chanel Eau de Parfum, $310 for 75ml and $560 for 200ml. Available from 10 June at CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Boutiques at ION Orchard, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and VivoCity. 
 
 

 
 
 
Comme des Garçons Dot
The dot has long been associated with the Comme des Garçons brand, and the story of this scent started off from this iconic symbol. Rei Kawakubo herself requested that the osmanthus flower, characteristic of Japan in the autumn, be the the main theme of the scent, and the result is a floral and fruity mix that is made up of bitter orange, pepper, and white amber woods to create the mysterious allure of a park filled with osmanthus trees in full bloom. It’s definitely a feminine fragrance, but unusual enough without being overpowering, in typical CDG style.
Comme des Garçons Dot Eau de Parfum, $206 for 100ml. Available at escentials stores.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
Kenzo Totem
There seems to be a recent trend of creating fragrances for millennials, and this trio of unisex scents is Kenzo’s version of what millennials are supposed to smell like: fresh, woody, and brimming with energy. The trio is made up of the Totem Woody Citrus, with pink grapefruit and tea leaves and a base of woody leather; the Totem Woody Floral, made up of bitter orange, lemon blossom essence and vetiver; and the Totem Woody Fruity, which has pineapple, cardamom and cedarwood.
Kenzo Totem Woody Citrus, Totem Woody Floral, and Totem Woody Fruity Eau de Toilette, $95 for 50ml. Available at Sephora stores from 12 May.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
CLEAN RESERVE Warm Cotton Reserve Blend
If you like your scents clean, New York-based fragrance brand Clean Reserve has a range of offerings that’s all about keeping things fresh and simple. Another important fact about the brand: all its ingredients are sourced responsibly from sustainable sources. Warm Cotton is one of its more iconic scents, and is a combination of light florals and musk with notes of mint green, pepper floral and musk, to evoke freshly-washed cotton on skin. Clean Reserve’s fragrances are also linear, which means they don’t move from top to bottom notes like most other perfumes; this means they’re suitable for blending – we suggest the other offerings like Reserve Rain.
CLEAN RESERVE Warm Cotton Reserve Blend Eau de Parfum, $128 for 100ml. Available at Sephora stores. 
 
 
 
 
 

This TGIF, it’s time for a G&T – though not of the alcoholic sort. Sons of Singapore, trade in your skin-damaging gin & tonic for something a lot friendlier – a Ginseng Tonic Facial!

From the folks over at We Need A Hero, Singapore’s grooming specialist for the modern man, the Ginseng Tonic Facial promises the same refreshing and reviving after effects as a regular good craft cocktail; without the damage to your liver, of course. Made for tired and dull post-work skin, the G&T Facial dissolves dead skin cells and boosts skin resilience, so you’ll emerge with a more radiant and smooth complexion. The secret lies in the formula, which contains an extract from Siberian Ginseng that helps to re-energise, exfoliate, and cleanse the skin. It’s a power-boosting 3-in-1 process, and all you have to do is sit back and relax.
  
 
While some treatments only focus on problem areas, the G&T Facial covers all bases – literally. Taking special care of your eye area, the treatment includes a customised AHA peeling mask, after which you’ll be slathered in a Regenerating Serum and calming cream to reinvigorate your skin, topped off with SPF 50 Face Screen to seal it all in. The entire process takes only 35 minutes – perfect for the time-pressed working man who still wants a quality face pampering. A first-time trial starts at only $50; though you might find yourself returning, now that there’s such a feel-good alternative to your home facial care routine.
 
We Need A Hero Ginseng Tonic Facial
Price: $85 for 35mins ($50 for first-time trial)
Address: 57 Eng Hoon Street #01-86
Tel No: 6222 5590
More info at weneedahero.sg

We’ve waited way too long for this: from July this year, we’ll all be able to stock up on the cult Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liners and Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks at local Sephora stores.
It’s hard not to freak out, because for such a long time now, beauty junkies here have been clamouring for the brand, one of the most popular in US Sephora stores, to be stocked in Sephora Singapore. All the while it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen, until a few months ago, when we heard whispers that things might finally be changing… and before we knew it, we received invites to the official media launch of Kat Von D Beauty here in Southeast Asia, where we got a chance to finally try out the products we’ve heard so much about, and meet Kat Von D herself!

 
“I’m really excited and curious as to how people in Singapore will respond to the makeup line, because I truly believe I subconsciously created it for you guys and the weather here,” she tells us. She couldn’t be more right, especially considering the weather we’ve been melting in recently: with product names like the Lock-It Foundation and Tattoo Liner, these formulas are made to not budge from your face.
Another thing you’ll love about Kat Von D Beauty is the sheer range of shade options for both the complexion products and the lip colours. Von D hasn’t been afraid to include shades like ultra-pigmented black and green amidst traditional reds and the currently-popular nudes. But that doesn’t mean you a have to be super daring with makeup to wear her brand.
“Well, I think a lot of people have the misconception that our makeup line is designed for people who look and dress like me, and that’s not the case,” says Von D. “The beauty of it is that there’s a duality to it that anybody in any age range in any culture, sub-culture, musical preference will love the makeup line.” Case in point: the Lock-It Foundation. It may be a full coverage formula with a matte finish, which isn’t everyone’s favourite texture, we know – but Von D suggests mixing in a bit of her Lock-It Featherweight Primer for a lighter and dewier finish.
If you’ve had your eye on Kat Von D Beauty for awhile now, we’re sure you already know what you’re going to grab from the Sephora shelves the moment the brand officially launches in July. If you’re not as sure, for starters, you can make a beeline for the Tattoo Liner and Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks – they’re not Sephora USA’s bestselling lipstick line for no good reason (we hear people practically fight each other to get their hands on coveted shades like Lolita, a dark pinkish nude). As we count down to July, we’ve rounded up six of the most iconic Kat Von D Beauty products that you’ll definitely have to try, and got Von D herself to tell you why you’ll love each one:
 
1. Tattoo Liner, $32

This liquid eyeliner is quite legendary indeed. Besides the formula that promises to stay on for a full 24 hours – like a day-long tattoo – the brush is made up of precisely 325 bristles to allow full control whether you want a super-fine line, or a thick cat eye. “People are really intimidated, I think, if they don’t know how to wear eyeliner,” says Von D. “They’re really scared of doing it because they haven’t practiced it, but the component really makes it super easy, so I think the person who’s a rookie or amateur is going to love it just as much as the pro makeup artist.” Take note, if you think you’re an eyeliner amateur.
 
2. Studded Kiss Lipstick, $32

These are available in a whopping 39 shades, each one super-pigmented and in a matte finish. And they all come in a gorgeous black studded tube that’s super badass. “We have this Color Cushion formula that we patented, so it has a 10-hour claim on it. Although it’s not 24-hour wear, it still has a nice comfortable matte finish that’s not going to fall off, or feather or bleed. I think when it comes to really highly pigmented shades, that’s something that’s very important, because nothing looks worse than red lipstick that’s bleeding into your whole face,” says Von D. We definitely agree.
Don’t expect her to launch glosses anytime soon, though, if shiny lips are more up your alley. Von D’s a matte lip kind of girl, through and through. “I was talking to my development team and they’re like, gloss is making a comeback. I’m like, I know, but I f*king hate gloss! I have hair and how do people wear pigmented gloss and not get it in their hair? I don’t know, I think it only looks good in pictures. I kind of just stay away from gloss, but you know, there are other companies that will make gloss for you,” she tells us with a laugh.
 
3. Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, $31

We’re the most excited about this one. The 26 shades go on so pigmented, and although they’re matte, Vitamin E and sunflower seed wax make sure they don’t dry our your lips without compromising on the lasting power (this really doesn’t transfer).
“That one’s a home run,” states Von D. “There’s nothing that I’m going to tell you that’s going to sell it more than you just trying it. There’s a reason why it’s the number one lipstick in Sephora as we currently speak. The shade range is amazing, but I think the formula itself is great. It’s longwearing, it’s comfortable, and it’s highly-pigmented. I have tested every single longwear lipstick out there right now and I’ve still yet to find a formula that I like better. And I’m not just saying that because I made it.”
 
4. Lock-It Foundation, $56

Rest assured a wide variety of skin tones are included with the 17 shades in this foundation range; and yes, this is the famous foundation that’s able to cover up tattoos without a trace – it’s just that pigmented. The matte finish promises to stand up to the heat and humidity here, but without the dry, patchy effect that less well-made matte foundations tend to leave.
“I love it, it’s my absolute, absolute favourite foundation formula,” declares Von D.  “I’ve never worn anything else since I launched this. I think what people here are going to love is that as far as heat and humidity goes, this is really the best bulletproof foundation formula that doesn’t cake up or make you feel dry. It’s great for all skin types, it’s oil-free and buildable, and you can actually do a very lightweight formula version of it if you mix it with the Lock-It Primer. Or you can just do layers of it and it still looks really beautiful, with a really nice porcelain, matte finish.”
 
5. Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette, $73

If you’re already a face contouring whiz, you might be keen to level up to the next big thing: eye contouring. This palette has all you’ll ever need for contoured eyes, with the 12 shades grouped into three categories: neutral, cool and warm. It comes with a how-to guide, don’t worry, so you won’t be left to navigate it all by yourself. “For a neutral eye the formula really lends itself to blending,” says Von D. “It’s a triple-milled formula, and there’s 60% more pigment in all of my shadows than most brands in Sephora, and that gives you an idea of how rich the colours are.”
 
6. Metal Crush Eyeshadow, $32

“The Metal Crush Eyeshadow is amazing,” declares Von D. “I think there’s a reason why the price point is a little bit higher on this, that’s because the formulation itself is really super special – it really lends itself to a different path than any other eyeshadow that I’ve ever tried.” We’re very inclined to agree with her: the 9 shades available are made of pigment-saturated powders that go on really creamy onto the skin, and each of the metallic shades can start a real party on your eyes.
 
Kat Von D Beauty will be available at Sephora and on sephora.sg from July 2016. katvondbeauty.com

The world stopped for a minute yesterday, when king of vacuums, fans, and hairdryers Dyson announced its first foray into the beauty world – with the Dyson Supersonic, first and foremost a hair dryer but above all a leap forward in hair care technology. Trust us when we say that this is the chilli padi of all hair dryers – light, compact, but packs a powerful punch with a fast and focused airflow. In fact, the motor used to power it is Dyson’s smallest, lightest, and most advanced creation yet, and runs up to eight times faster than other hair dryer motors but weighs only half the weight, furreal.

 
But our favourite feature of all has to be the intelligent features, which promise a quieter motor and self-correcting intelligent heat control. When you hold the Supersonic close to your head, sensors measure the surrounding temperature and send signals to the in-built microprocessor, to control the heating element and prevent heat damage to your hair, so it stays glossy and healthy. And you know what that means – no more worrying about late night showers and hair drying sessions; waking up the entire house or risk going to bed with hurriedly dried heat damaged hair will never be a cause for concern again.

 
The Dyson Supersonic comes with four heat settings, three airflow settings, and a cold shot – an ode, again, to the capabilities of an unassuming, tiny handheld hair dryer. Well, all we can say is: a $100million on investments well spent; the Supersonic drops officially in the third quarter of the year, but it already seems like quite the revolutionary new hair toy.