Beauty junkies, guard your wallets. Because Christmas came early and these seriously major skincare and beauty brands have landed in Singapore – you'll be putting money down on the counter before you can even say "highlighter".
1. Sunday Riley
This US-based skincare brand (yes, the founder's name is indeed Sunday Riley) is known for its cutting-edge high-performance luxury skincare formulas that are also green to boot. Be prepared to shell out a pretty penny to get your hands on the cult-favourite Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment that works to deeply exfoliate the dull surface of the skin and plump lines – the 30ml bottle goes for $148. Other hot favourites include Luna Sleeping Night Oil ($78/15ml), a blue retinoid oil that works overnight to improve skin smoothness and radiance, and C.E.O Vitamin C Rapid Flash Brightening Serum ($120/30ml).
2. Huda Beauty
Founded by Dubai-based makeup artist Huda Kattan who has 20 million followers on her Instagram account, Huda Beauty is all about inclusiveness (the #fauxfilter foundation comes in 30 shades!) and colours. The newest release to hit the shelves is the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette ($100) with 18 shades inspired by the Arabian desert and landscape, including one pure glitter bronze-golden shade.
Exact launch date to be confirmed.
3. Tatcha
Japanese time-honoured beauty practices meet modern Californian formulations, Tatcha is all about creating the best base with pure and effective ingredients – namely, the holy trinity of green tea, rice and algae that's said to be the basis for the original geisha beauty rituals. Do like the YouTubers and beauty gurus do and spray on some of Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist ($69/40ml) for the ethereal lit-from-within glow and slather on some Water Cream ($98/50ml) for some skin-loving nutrients.
4. Tata Harper
Super green and super 'clean' skincare brand Tata Harper is known for its non-toxic products – its recognisable green glass bottles are sturdy and pack a punch. Because good skin starts with a good cleanser, one of the most popular items is the Nourishing Oil Cleanser ($104/125ml) that dissolves makeup without stripping the skin. Another to try is the Clarifying Cleanser ($93/125ml) targetted at blemish-prone and oily skin.
5. Pretty Vulgar
Here's a makeup brand that's made to be displayed on your vanity. Pretty Vulgar's vintage-looking packaging is inspired by birds – be it an elegant swan, a dark raven or something else in between – and comes with names like Bury Them With A Smile (matte lipsticks) and Stick To The Story (tinted lip balm). Explore all shades of your personality and dip into one of the four Throwing Shade eyeshadow palettes ($55): Pretty Birdie, Early Bird, Nightingale and Phoenix Rising.
Launching on Sep 13.
All available at Sephora stores and online.