RETURN TO INNOCENCE?

The latest makeup and skincare trends and what they say about the state of the world

YOU’VE HEARD OF THE HEMLINE INDEX (ITS THEORY: THE BETTER THE ECONOMY, THE SHORTER THE SKIRTS). NOW WHAT ABOUT THE BEAUTY INDEX? FROM A SIMPLIFICATION OF ROUTINES TO A RENEWED FOCUS ON SOME OF THE MOST TIME-HONOURED INGREDIENTS (NOTHING FANCY-SCHMANCY HERE, GUYS), MOH SHUYING LOOKS AT HOW SOME OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN MAKEUP AND SKINCARE MIGHT REFLECT TODAY’S STATE OF THE WORLD.

THE RETURN OF THE 3-STEP More and more women are going on a skincare diet – a reminder that sometimes more can indeed be too much.

K-beauty swept the world about a decade ago and with it came the normalisation of the multi-step regime: toner, lotion, essence, ampoule, serum, moisturiser, facial oil… The list goes on. Over the past year though, experts have been noticing a rise in women streamlining their beauty routines. Aptly dubbed the skincare diet, the trend sees the return to a simpler tripartite approach: toner, serum, moisturiser, done (uhm, cleansing ought to be a given).

Socialists might attribute it to the resurgence of feminism – you know, modern, busy women have much better things to do than waste an hour or more on prettifying their faces. But as with how many are pushing back against today’s culture of oversaturation by stripping back, this beauty detox so to speak might have to do with the effects of application overload – actual physical ones.

Recent studies have shown an increase in the number of women seeking help for skin sensitivity, redness or inflammation. While our dedicated/extensive/time-consuming quest for Song Hye Kyo’s complexion might not be the only cause, it could certainly be a factor. “Putting excessive stuff on your face is not beneficial for skin,” says makeup artist Larry Yeo. “I find that it results in build-up and can cause some people to break out more, especially in our humid weather.”

It’s a point that Dr Calvin Chan, medical director of Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic, agrees with. “More is not always better when it comes to skincare even if you are using good quality, expensive products,” he says. “Firstly, excessive active ingredients can counteract one another or trigger irritation. Secondly, if you apply too many layers of skincare, they may not absorb well and potentially clog pores.”

To say that this new decade’s skincare diet movement is the result of vanity and an unhealthy obsession with Descendants of the Sun, however, would not be fair. Improvements in technology, research and ingredients have made it easier for brands to pack more benefits into a product and reduce the time needed to see results. And as Yeo puts it: “A toner, serum and moisturiser are sufficient to give one good skin. The trick is to find well-formulated products.”

Take Cle de Peau Beaute’s Key Radiance collection, for example. Consisting of exactly a lotion, serum and moisturiser, it claims to brighten skin and treat all signs of ageing (yes, all – from lines to dehydration) with a complex that boosts skin’s natural ability to discern between and react to good and bad stimuli. Within a week of trial, we noticed a softer complexion; its full effect in approximately three.

Even South Korean favourite Sulwhasoo is giving the less-is-more approach a shot: Its Bloomstay Vitalizing line similarly boasts only a water, serum and cream. Enriched with plum blossom extract – known for its powerful antioxidant properties – it promises to reduce free radicals and in turn slow down skin’s ageing process all while restoring its firmness and vitality.

So is it time for everyone to cut back on their skincare consumption and ditch everything else besides that magic trio? It’s sure worth a shot. Think of it as Marie Kondo-ing your beauty regime. While perfect skin remains the main goal, the process of reflecting on and figuring out what will actually help achieve that – and eliminating the excess – will also offer something that everyone can do with more of today: mindfulness.

MAKE MOISTURISERS A MUST-HAVE It seems obvious enough, what with hydration being the most essential element to skin health. Yet with rising temperatures (read: more water loss) and a mounting air pollution problem (moisture strengthens skin’s protective barrier against it), the need for reminders on the importance of moisturisers has become as good as urgent. How have brands been responding to this “crisis”? With power-packed, multitasking variations like these.

Chanel Sublimage La Creme Lumiere, $594 Using Vanilla Planifolia extract – a potent antioxidant – this not only evens out skin tone, but also brightens and regulates pigmentation. It also stimulates skin regeneration for a plump and youthfullooking complexion. Bonus: Its light, creamy texture melts into skin effortlessly.

Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Honorstige Cream, $1,050

Infused with reishi mushroom extract, this fortifies skin’s protective barrier while repairing and restoring collagen fibres so that skin feels and looks plumper and firmer. It also has traditional herbs to soothe and heal as well as treat inflammation.

Cle de Peau Beaute La Creme, $1,200 The sixth iteration of this iconic moisturiser, this contains more than 60 ingredients to treat every skin problem you can think of – from fine lines to sagging to dullness to dehydration. It’s so enriching that a pea-sized amount is reportedly enough to treat one’s entire face and leave skin softer and smoother.

3Lab Oil Complex Brightening, $555 Formulated with hyaluronic acid in four different molecular sizes, this ultraquenching cream is said to effectively repair dehydrated, damaged complexions. It also has biomimetic peptides to reduce the appearance of dark spots, increase luminosity and clarify skin tone.

JUNGSAEMOOL Minifying Water-Wrap Cream, $60

Created to hydrate sensitive and easily irritated skin, this has what the brand will only reveal as “natural moisturising factors” that wrap skin with a protective bubble to prevent moisture loss. It also has the trademarked “French Bud” extract to calm and white truffle to brighten.’

Shiseido Vital Perfection

Uplifting and Firming Cream, $165

This “smart” moisturiser has what the brand dubs “ReNeura Technology++” that activates skin’s nerve cells to boost its self-regeneration properties and improve their responsiveness to skincare. The result: a smoother, firmer and more lifted-looking complexion and less time spent on your regime since the products that follow are said to work more quickly.

Dior Capture Totale C.E.L.L Energy Firming & Wrinkle-Correcting Creme, $200 Boasting a floral complex of Madagascan longoza, Chinese peony, white lily and Chinese jasmine said to power up stem cells to help them regenerate optimally, this promises to make skin heal faster and correct visible signs of ageing.

YSL Beaute Pure Shots

Perfect Plumper Cream, $169

Designed to treat skin damaged by a hectic, urban lifestyle, this uses a cocktail of botanical active ingredients to restore essential elements like proteins, peptides and amino acids so that skin looks fresher and more youthful. PS. We’re also kind of obsessed with its bouncy, marshmallow-like texture.