Best of Beauty February 2024: Covering Our Bases

Growing the hero category never fails, and there’s practically no greater hero range than Estée Lauder’s Double Wear line. Though this is not the first primer to be inducted into the iconic range, it is the first colour-correcting primer to be added. The Estée Lauder Double Wear Flawless Hydrating Primer SPF50 PA+++ comes in two shades, and we’re spotlighting the peach shade, which promises to mask any signs of redness and, at the same time, imbue the skin with an enviable brightening effect. We’re also loving the added SPF, because more is always more when it comes to sun protection, so layering this on top of your sunscreen and underneath your favourite Double Wear foundation formula (which also has sunscreen added!) will just beef up your protection game to the umpteenth level.

Sometimes, a no-frills foundation is really all you need. And that’s what the Smashbox Always On Skin-Balancing Foundation is offering. No bulls**t. Just as the name suggests, the foundation will help your skin to stay in that sweet spot where you’re not overly hydrated (which will result in a greasy, transferable mess) or God forbid, dry (which means the foundation could crack, or worse, flake). Thanks to its Balance Boost Complex, it can deliver on its 16-hour longevity promise. And if you know anything about Smashbox Cosmetics, you can count on its coverage products to stay true to colour. After all, their core branding is to help people achieve great skin both in real life and in front of a camera.

Whether you’re a minimalist beauty lover, or simply enjoy a multitasking and travel-friendly makeup item, the N°1 De Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm is a must-have for your collection. Infused with the invaluable and revitalising red camellia, the balm works double-time to prevent and correct signs of aging. With nine colours to choose from, the buildable cream can go from a gentle wash to a more impactful colour expression. When worn on the lips, the red camellia oil nourishes the lips like a salve. Applied on the cheeks, the cream imbues a soft blurring effect that diminishes the look of pores and wrinkles.

We’ve got to give it to Nudestix—they sure know how to deliver on convenience. They just dropped an item that’s perfect for the gym bag. This time, they have packaged a skin treat on a stick. The Dewy Barrier Hydrating Stick is a handy moisturiser that is enriched with multiple nourishing ingredients, including 15 percent squalane, ceramides, and panthenol. But it’s more than that. It also acts as an anti-aging powerhouse, with bakuchiol, vitamin C, and a multi-peptide complex that works in tandem to slow down the process of aging.

The Ordinary’s arrival in Malaysia has been such a welcome sight, especially when you’re in the market for an effective skincare that does away with the unnecessary frills. This time, they have updated their much-loved Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum formulation. If you take issue with the serum’s tackiness in the past, then it’s time to give it another shot, because the texture has improved to absorb more elegantly into the skin. Now even more lightweight, there are five total forms of hyaluronic acid that work synergistically to hydrate, plump, and smooth the skin. And for those who still haven’t mastered the art of applying a hyaluronic acid product, the treatment serum now has ceramides in the mix, protecting the skin barrier and decreasing the odds of transepidermal water loss—a condition where the skin actually loses moisture to the environment.

It’s positioned as an oud fragrance for someone who doesn’t typically go for oud fragrances, and we agree with that notion. So if you’re one for an extravagant oud perfume, then this is something you might want to skip. But the joy of Oud Maracujá by Maison Crivelli is in its surprisingly juicy start. That’s thanks to the delicious blend of top notes that include passionfruit—that’s the Maracujá part. Once the extrait de parfum settles onto the skin, you’ll start to sense the oud and leather peeking through. The unisex fragrance also benefits from the symphony of Turkish rose, Indonesian patchouli, amber, and vanilla. Scent aside, it has a wonderful lasting power and a sizeable sillage, making it a scent you wear when you want to turn heads.

Exclusively available at KENS Apothecary.

Rouge Dior has got to be one of its most iconic beauty products. It is, after all, Christian Dior’s first foray into cosmetics. Now, 70 years after the fact, the Rouge Dior is getting a reformulation to modernise the lipstick. With Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup Peter Philips at the reins, the Maison has updated not only the ingredients, but also texture, colour expression, and savoir faire. The new edition offers up to 24 hours of comfortable and graceful wear and is available in two decadent textures: satin and velvet. The former glides effortlessly onto the lips and imparts a luscious finish that’s perfect for the everyday. The latter, on the other hand, offers a soft-touch feel that coats the lips with full-impact colour, all without sacrificing comfort. With 70 shades to shop around, we bet that there’s at least a couple that you’ll bring home.

Don’t we all live for the swatches from Pat McGrath Labs? With every iteration of the Mothership eyeshadow palette, it seems that the craze for her dimensional metallic eyeshadows exponentially grows. For its 11th edition, the brand went full rose with the colour story. Dubbed the Sunlit Seduction palette, it’s the perfect eyeshadow palette to go into the spring and summer seasons. From floral-inspired pinks to golds that mimic the sun’s ethereal glow, you can execute pretty much the most neutral of looks all the way to editorial-style eye looks with these 10 shades. And no matter the finish, you can count on quality when it comes to Pat McGrath. The mattes are smooth and buttery, the metallics reflective, and most of all, Astral and Blitz finishes that are exquisitely jaw-dropping.

After all those hours sitting in a chair, getting your blonde ambition on… you best be protecting your tresses afterwards. To help you combat brassiness and brighten the tone, Oribe is reintroducing the Bright Blonde Radiance & Repair Treatment, now with 13 times pure violet pigment from its predecessor. Of course, colour correction isn’t the only thing on the menu here. Dedicated to addressing the needs of both colour-treated and natural blondes, the formula is developed to hydrate and repair blonde hair—which is categorically more porous than the average hair. A blend of botanicals works in conjunction to repair, seal split ends, add a lustrous shine, and strengthen each shaft so that you can live your best blonde life.

Exclusively available at all Oribe partner salons nationwide.

Sometimes, all you need is a detailing tool to add that touch of finesse. To help you achieve that in the brow section is Benefit Cosmetic’s Precisely, My Brow Detailer Pencil. If you’re already a fan of its predecessor the Precisely, My Brow Pencil, then you’re going to love the fine tip of this one. At 0.8mm, recreating that hair-like stroke will take less of an effort. It works for all camps. If you’re one of the bushy-browed gals, then you can fill in where you need; if you have sparse brow hair, then you can literally draw individual hairs in; and if you’re someone who’s currently brow-less, the fine strokes will help you recreate a whole brow seamlessly. The formula is said to last at least 12 hours, and the best part? It’s waterproof and smudge-proof, so all that hard work will stay on as long as you need them to.

Sorry, 2016 makeup, it looks like glowy skin reigns supreme. At least according to Make Up For Ever. Its latest addition to the HD Skin range is an antithesis to matte skin. In an attempt to recreate the backstage magic (where makeup artists will prep the skin with a hydrating sheet mask before makeup application), the professional brand has bottled up the HD Skin Hydra Glow Foundation. Not only does it help to achieve a similar result, the complexion product also touts a 24-hour wear—even as a hydrating, illuminating foundation. Perfect for those with normal to dry skin, the buildable foundation arrives in a spectrum of inclusive shades.

It looks like Drunk Elephant has cooked up yet another moisturising product, and we urge you not to sleep on it. Especially if you’re suffering from a compromised skin barrier. The Bora Barrier Repair Cream is another concoction that you get to play around with when creating your skincare smoothie, and this cocktail will be the richest one yet, texture-wise. Packed with ceramides, lipids, and antioxidants, your acid mantle will appreciate the nourishment, and in return, you will find your skin to be at its most comfortable and better yet, healthiest. Not only that, but it also promises to promote elasticity as well as the natural synthesis of collagen, so you’re getting that anti-aging action, too.

The girls that get it, get it. Cushion foundations are a godsend for your coverage needs, and this month, we’re excited about the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Airy SPF 50+ PA+++. Why? Because it’s infused with the iconic First Care Activating Serum. You’re practically getting the benefits of that uber-luxurious serum along with the foundation, which has a buildable to medium, skin-like finish. Formulated for those with dry skin, it boasts a technology that helps to lock in the breathable moisture and radiance, leaving the skin in a state of comfort, all day long.