You'll be grinning too, if you had So Yi Hyun's enviably small gua zi lian (that'll be "watermelon seed face"; us Chinese have the weirdest metaphors!) Image: Facebook
Reality check: Think this week has been stressful? It’s only going to get worse over the next month or so, as relatives come a-snooping, pineapple tart tins get pried open, and the mahjong tab piles up, oh my.
You know what’s the worst bit about this whole CNY business? The gobbling of greasy goodies, downing of DIY cocktails and protracted rounds of poker are all going to do a number on your complexion. Sigh.
To pre-empt the nights of prosperous debauchery ahead, yours truly has scoured the cosmetic cabins for some of the best depuffing quick fixes on the market. Puffy of face and bleary of spirit? Kick up your achy, breaky feet and let these four beauty buys do their thang.
#1 THE J-BEAUTY SECRET TO A KAWAII MOCHI FACE
Try this teeny experiment: Look into a mirror and press a finger into the flesh of your face. If it springs straight back, congrats, you’re either a prepubescent schoolgirl or perfectly preserved.
But if you’re left staring at a thumbprint smooshed into your skin, bad news, buddy: The cushion of collagen buttressing your youthful bounce is breaking down from sun, stress and such. #Sad.
The solution? Try Shu Uemura’s thrilling new Tsuya Skin Youthful Bouncy-Fine Emulsion and Cream, both of which are stuffed to the gills with a choice concoction of chestnut and royal jelly; said ingredients promise to work in tandem to wick water into the deepest layers of your skin.
Throw in an intriguing next-gen molecular ingredient (impress your Shu cabin staff by casually name-dropping “rhamnose”) said to rev up your skin’s metabolism and you’ve got the perfect recipe for skin that’s zippy and zingy like the most kawaii handmade mochi (Shu being a Japanese brand and all.)
#2 GET A SHOT OF ESPRESSO TO YOUR SKIN
I’m as guilty of this particular skin sin as the next joint-hopping hipster, even though I ought to know better: My daily cuppa may be contributing to chapped skin. Enter Origins’ very punny GinZing Energy-boosting Moisturizer (geddit?), a gorgeous oil-free gel with a “double shot” of coffee bean plus exotic panax ginseng for extra punch.
This herbal caffeine concoction reportedly drains water retention and rejuvenates skin rendered lacklustre from one too many all-nighters. Remember: Ingestible coffee bad, topical caffeine good. Bottoms up!
#3 GO ‘SUGAR-FREE’ FOR A SLIMMER FACE
Up all night shuffling mahjong tiles with your kakis? Clarins should make short work of post-gambling bloat. The fab French prestige brand’s legendary Shaping Facial Lift, now in its fourth incarnation, promises to shave years off your jowls and add hours to your sleep tally.
What’s new in the Shaping Facial Lift’s current formula? Zerumbet ginger, for one, which is said to stop stressed-out blood capillaries from spewing fluid: Less water retention, less puffiness. The silky salve is also packed with other potent depuffing agents like exotic kaki fruit, all purported to buffer collagen fibres from the sagging and bagging that comes with excessive sugars (read: Pineapple tarts and love letter rolls!) in your diet.
#4 BREW SOME ATAS YEAST FOR A FACELIFT
Another day, another V-shaped face sculptor. Our obsession with petite profiles isn’t going anywhere, so we might as well roll with the best of ‘em. Dior’s very covetable Capture Lift Ultra-stretch Reshaping Serum boasts a very special strain of yeast that’s said to boost blood circulation and cart off toxic fluid from your face.
Dior says the formula has also been carefully calibrated to provide a “lifting” and fat-burning effect – no needles needed. Entirely welcome side effect: I’ve found that the massaging motions of the relaxing ritual really contributes to the overall quality of my Z’s.
Right, then, picked out a personal favourite yet? Have fun beauty shopping, and continue fighting the good fight against gravity!
Clarins Shaping Facial Lift, $106, is available at all Clarins counters. For more information, visit www.clarins.com.sg and follow Clarins Singapore on Facebook.
Dior Capture Lift Ultra-stretch Reshaping Serum, $205, is available at all Dior counters. For more information, visit www.dior.com/beauty and follow the brand on Facebook.
Origins Ginzing Energy-boosting Moisturizer, $50, is available at all Origins counters. For more information, visit www.origins.com.sg and follow Origins Singapore on Facebook.
Shu Uemura Tsuya Skin Youthful Bouncy-Fine Emulsion and Cream, $95 for 75mL and $115 for 50mL respectively, are available at all Shu Uemura counters. For more information, visit shuuemura.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook and on Instagram at @shuuemura_sg and #shuuemurasg.