August Beauty Edit: Bold Colours, Bright Scents, Ultra-Hydrating Skincare
From Chanel's Byzantine-inspired makeup launch to the new Clarins Precious Le Sérum and La Crème Riche, here's what's happening in the world of beauty right now
French maison Chanel has been having fun with colours lately – last month saw the launch of the vivid Code Couleurs makeup accessories range, and this month, the new and limited-edition Les 4 Ombres Byzance collection continues that streak with its bold hues that are influenced by Byzantine art. Details on that and more below.
Byzantine culture (the Roman Empire that ruled from around 300s to the 1400s) has long influenced the Chanel universe. Proof? Check out the maison’s costume jewellery department: Gabrielle Chanel became inspired after a trip to Venice in the 1930s where she was introduced to Byzantine art, and proceeded to create jewellery pieces that reflected the rich colours of that culture.
Now, Chanel Beauty is continuing that relationship with Byzantine art: their latest makeup launch is a limited-edition release named Les 4 Ombres Byzance – a series of four eyeshadow palettes ($116 each) that nods to the sumptuous hues of Byzantine art and Chanel’s own jewellery pieces (hence the hammered gold texture of the palette).
Available now at Chanel Fragrance and Beauty boutiques
The name says it all: Gucci Beauty’s Flora Collection is a perfume range that’s dedicated to flowers. It launched in 2021, with the first being Gorgeous Gardenia, followed by Gorgeous Jasmine, with the latest being Gorgeous Magnolia Eau de Parfum ($150 for 30ml; $195 for 50ml; $265 for 100ml), which is distinguished from its brethren by its lilac lacquered bottle.
It features a blend of magnolia essence, dewberries accord, and patchouli essence. The top notes are dewberries, which give the fragrance a fresh and fruity opening. The heart notes are magnolia and patchouli, which provide a warm and sensual base.
Available now at Gucci Beauty stores and counters
Dior’s popular Forever Cushion foundation has just been upgraded: it now comes with refillable options and its case now sports two familiar Dior motifs: the Embroidered Cannage (a tactile fabric found on the maison’s bags like the Lady D-Lite), as well as the Vinyle Cannage (an ultra-shiny vinyl that borrows from patterns found on the Lady Dior bag). Each case rings in at $43.
The foundations themselves have also been improved: there are now two finishes – no-transfer matte (Dior Forever Cushion) and glowy (Dior Forever Skin Glow Cushion), with up to reportedly 24 hours of wear. The glowy finish version comes with wild pansy extract, which acts on the skin to preserve its hydration in the long term and improve comfort, while its matte counterpart is infused with both wild pansy extract and rosehip extract to reduce the appearance of pores, for a smoother, more refined skin texture.
Did we also mention they’re customisable? Pick the case you prefer and simply swap in the foundation refill ($77 each) of your preferred finish.
Available now at all Dior Beauty boutiques and counters, Sephora and Sephora.sg
Here’s another notable contender if you’re looking for a summer perfume: Pacific Chill, Louis Vuitton’s latest, is a cologne described as taking after the Californian way of life. The maison’s in-house perfumer, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, was said to have been inspired after ordering a detoxifying smoothie that was popular among locals, and tried to translate the well-being effects of that fruity blend into the perfume. The key note in Pacific Chill ($435 for 100ml; $645 for 200ml) is tangy blackcurrant, with supporting players in carrot, cedrat, lemon, coriander, ambrette seeds, basil, peppermint, and orange essence, with the elegant May Rose lending a touch of floral sweetness.
Los Angeles-based contemporary artist Alex Israel returns once more to create the packaging – he’s painted a California land-and-seascape on the box, while the eye-catching gradient effect on the bottle is a nod to the hiking trails along the Southern California Coast in the morning.
Available now at all Louis Vuitton boutiques and online store
SK-II was one of the many brands that took part at this year’s World Congress of Dermatology and presented its findings: the Japanese giant has discovered a new aging trigger factor the brand terms as Aging Trigger Factor “AT-02”. This is created by daily stressors, which then create a chain reaction, which, if left untreated, can lead to accelerated aging signs prematurely in life.
To combat premature ageing, SK-II has introduced the Skinpower Advanced Cream ($190 for 50g; $280 for 80g; $320 for 100g) that is said to target skin ageing signs from the root. The cream contains their signature Pitera, a naturally derived skincare ingredient derived from a proprietary yeast fermentation process exclusive to the brand, as well as Kinren Bio Extract to protect skin from daily stressors that can produce AT-02, and White Peony Root Extract to maintain skin elasticity, reduce roughness, and plump up skin.
Available now at all SK-II counters
The Clarins Precious range welcomes two additions: Le Sérum and La Crème Riche, both formulated with the same rare Moonlight flower that the collection is known for. Le Sérum ($495) is lightweight yet exceptionally moisturising with a lifting effect, thanks to the organic oat sugars, white lupine extract, albizia extract and hyaluronic acid in its formula. For dry skin, La Crème Riche ($495) is an ultra-nourishing cream that contains camellia oil and organic shea butter, together with the same key ingredients in Le Sérum that ensure optimal hydration and comfort.
Available at all Clarins stores and Clarins online.
Japanese skincare label Sekkisei has been running its “Save the Blue” ocean conservation project for 15 years now and to mark that milestone, its parent company KOSEi Corporation has collaborated with Disney to launch a limited-edition range called Sekkisei Save The Blue x Disney collection.
Popular products from the brand such as their Herbal Gel, Gentle Wash, Pure Conc and Refining Milk feature in this collection ($25 – $56), now made over with various ocean-esque Disney characters from movies such as The Little Mermaid, Moana and Finding Nemo.
Coral will be planted in an area equivalent to the total bottom area of the containers of products purchased during the period of the campaign (from now till August 31). The brand is working to conserve the coral reefs of Okinawa by donating the funds needed to cultivate coral cultivation to the non-profit group Sea Seed, Ltd.
Available now at all Welcia-BHG stores and selected Guardian stores
Text: Keng Yang Shuen/Female. Additional reporting by Melody Bay