This Month In Beauty: Dior Expands Its Lip Addict Range & More
The 4-1-1 in the beauty world right now
By Keng Yang Shuen,
It's a good month for skincare junkies - many brands are coming up with complementary products to their existing blockbusters or expanding beloved collections. Think Rare Beauty's viral Soft Pinch Liquid Blush or Glow Recipe's Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, and of course, Dior Beauty's iconic Lip Addict family. More details below.
Dior's Lip Addict is the Y2K icon that just keeps giving: this year, there are five new shades ($64 each) joining this high-gloss range that boast a formula composed of 90 per cent natural-origin ingredients. There's 546 Dolce Vita (a sunny coral); 362 Rose Bonheur (a subtle peachy pink); 391 Dior Lilac (a pink-tone lilac); 481 Desir (a raspberry pink); and 616 Nude Mitzah (a natural brown).
There's more: there are three new limited edition takes (from $47) on the Lip Addict's familiar lacquered case. Rosemania (second from left) features a tonal interpretation of the house's signature Dior Oblique motif, while Pink Oblique (second from right) is a dual pink-and-white version inspired by the house's scarves and canvas, while Silver Cannage is as the name suggests - a gleaming case coated in high-shine silver.
Available now at at all Dior Beauty boutiques, counters and online store
Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush went viral when it was first launched last year for its extensive range of colours and its ease of use - and naturally, the brand has followed up with a sister product to the original: cue the new Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush ($44) that's said to be a hybrid of Rare Beauty's signature Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter. The Powder Blush features a transfer-proof, smudge-proof, water-resistant formula that comes with pearl powder for a more natural finish that reportedly won't cake or look ashy. For now, it comes in six shades: Cheer (a light warm pink); Hope (a nude mauve); Happy (a cool pink); Joy (a muted peach); Truth (a mauve maroon); and Love (a rich terracotta).
Available now at Sephora stores
Swiss powerhouse La Prairie has been focusing on skin architecture in the evergreen goal of improving skin - this "architecture" is composed of several horizontal and vertical elements, with the latter being skin ligaments, which are said to be essential to the stability of one's skin health. Researchers at La Prairie created sophisticated 3D imaging techniques to uncover how active ingredients affect ligament structures and adipocyte (fat) cells. These investigations reportedly showed that caviar science has the ability to revive communication between ligaments and cells, effectively counteracting the effects of aging.
On that tangent, the brand has just updated its signature Skin Caviar Eye Lift serum ($865 for 20ml): it's now newly infused with Caviar Infinite and Caviar Micro-Nutrients to target both horizontal and vertical elements of the skin. This eye serum is designed to redensify the dermal structure, strengthen vertical pillars, and reactivate ligament-to-cell communication. The result is reportedly lifted upper eyelids, intensified firmness, smoothed wrinkles, and diminished eye bags. The bottle too has been redesigned: it now boasts a dual-chamber design that fuses two formulas with one pump, transforming into a silky serum that melts into the skin.
Available now at La Prairie boutiques and counters
Anyone in Singapore will attest to the fact that it's been extra searing lately and the lips are often an area of the face that gets overlooked when it comes to sun protection (yes, you need to protect the lips too - skin cancer can occur anywhere). Cult Aussie sunscreen specialist Ultraviolette already had an SPF 50 lip product - the Sheen Screen SPF 50 Hydrating Lip Balm ($29 each) - in its arsenal, but the brand has expanded it to include four new shades Bejewelled (a peachy-gold), Choc Top (a deep beige), Silk Pillow (a shimmery soft pink) and Blow Out (q fizzy peach-coral). Two existing shades have also been renamed: Rose becomes Smoothie (a creamy mauve) and Bite is now Last Bite (a juicy berry). Oh and did we mentioned the new and improved lip-hugging silicone tip applicator?
Available now at Sephora stores
Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, is the gold standard when it comes to anti-aging ingredients that have proper science behind it, and brand after brand have been introducing their versions of it in recent years. The latest is Elizabeth Arden, which has not just one but two products touting retinol as the key ingredient. The first is the Retinol + HPR Ceramide Capsules Rapid Skin Renewing Serum, which combines not just retinol but also HPR (hydroxypinacolone retinoate), one of the newest members of the retinoid family.
We won’t bore you with the science talk but mostly what you need to know about HPR is that its manufacturer says that it’s similarly active as pure retinoic acid (the most potent form of retinoids) but without the irritation the latter normally comes with. More external studies need to be done but on paper, it seems to be very promising. The serum is delivered in tiny capsules ($90 for 30 capsules, $168 for 60 capsules), each containing a carefully measured dose enough for one night's use, and the brand has used encapsulation technology with the retinol (it's light-sensitive) to ensure purity and potency for every application. Additionally, it's said to be gentle enough to suit both first-time and experienced users of retinol.
The matching Retinol + HPR Rapid Skin Renewing Water Cream ($147 for 50ml) is another option for those who prefer their retinols delivered in moisturiser-form: It contains the same key ingredients as the serum, but also a blend of peptides, phytoceramides and hyaluronic acid to strengthen and cushion skin, as well as bisabolol and ginger root to help minimise irritation.
Available now at all Elizabeth Arden counters
Bulgari's Pour Homme has been a mainstay at the Italian label since it was first launched in 1996 - it was notably one of the most elegant green fragrances of the period, put together by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier. More than 20 years on, the OG finally has a more intense version joining it in the new Bulgari Pour Homme Eau de Parfum (it was originally launched as an eau de toilette). Designed by the same perfumer, the Eau de Parfum ($219 for 100ml, $145 for 50ml) retains much of the original's main structure: woody, smoky tea notes layered over a soft musk background, but this time round, there's also Ambrette seeds absolute that add a touch of powdery, second skin effect, while fresh ginger adds warmth to the composition.
Available now at Takashimaya, TANGS, Sephora and Bulgari's online store
Bodycare just got more luxurious - Dior has beefed up its J’adore Les Adorables range (its bath and body collection) with three new products: a shower gel, body milk and a moisturiser for hands, nails and decollete. The shower gel ($95 for 200ml) comes enriched with jasmine extract, it cocoons the body in a gentle, airy lather, leaving the skin velvety smooth and delicately perfumed, while the body milk ($113 for 200ml) moisturises and smooths out the skin with a formula made up of 92 per cent natural origin ingredients and infused with jasmine wax, and finally the Hand, Nail and Decollete Cream ($91 for 50ml) provides long-lasting nourishment and hydration with its moisturising formula (enhanced with jasmine wax and cotton nectar).
Available now at at all Dior Beauty boutiques, counters and online store
Glow Recipe's viral Watermelon Dew Drops was huge when it launched in 2020 for giving skin a healthy glow (without traditional "cheats" like mica or glitter) and helped to popularise the powerhouse ingredient niacinamide. Now there's a sister to the original Dew Drops: cue the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops ($57 for 40ml). It boasts a similar profile to the original Dew Drops, including its signature niacinamide, but think of the new Hue Drops as a tinted counterpart - it includes bronze-coloured pigments to give skin a warm, sheer tint.
Hue Drops also incorporate centella asiatica, also known as tiger grass. For those unfamiliar with centella asiatica, it offers a calming and soothing effect. Renowned for its capacity to diminish redness, this ingredient helps to enhance Hue Drops' ability to progressively balance skin tone.
Available now at Sephora stores
Laneige made sleeping masks a thing and its latest, the Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask ($56 for 60ml, $28 for 25ml) is said to act as vital support for skin recovery from the many facial movements we make throughout the day. The mask uses a combination of the brand's proprietary Peony & Collagen Complex and peptides to reportedly boost and maintain collagen levels and firm the complexion. It sports a sorbet-like texture, which contains a staggering 45,000 "Hydro-Melt Glow Capsules" that rapidly absorb into the skin, fortifying your existing moisture barrier. According to the brand, 96 per cent of users experienced more resilient skin after four weeks. Your move.
Available now at all Laneige boutiques
During the day, skin faces stress from urban lifestyles, diverting energy towards external protection like UV rays, weakening its barrier function and leading to excess melanin accumulation, causing issues like dark spots and dullness. At night, skin can regenerate without daily stressors, vital for maintaining a radiant complexion.
Sisley's new Phyto-Blanc La Nuit moisturiser ($300 for 50ml) works on this tangent, using a triple-action formula to transform skin. First up: the key ingredient Rainbow Algae Extract in this cream, is said to aid in the breakdown of melanosomes (tiny structures inside cells that produce and store melanin), releasing the skin from built-up melanin and combating the emergence of dark spots. Second: The action of Rainbow Algae extract is complemented by Sisley’s patented Phyto-Blanc complex which works to fight melanin production at every stage of it, from maturation in the melanocyte to its transfer toward the skin’s surface. Third: A combination of moisturising and nourishing active ingredients, such as shea oil, contributes to preserving the skin’s protective film and limiting dehydration at night.
Available now at Sisley boutiques and counters