From Orange to Red to Pink
Hermès is blushing pink.
In 2020 the French luxury house launched Hermès Beauty with Rouge Hermès lipsticks — known for its iconic orange, the maison brought its emblematic reds to the fore.
This year Hermès takes its second step in beauty with Rose Hermès — a line of eight Silky Blushes, two blush brushes (one travel-size), a Pommette blush case and three rosy lip enhancers all based around the color pink.
“The result of a collective effort, Rose Hermès initiates a subtle unveiling of the complexion; a natural next step in the expression of beauty according to Hermès,” says artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas.
In Hermès’ history, pink carries a lot of significance. Not only did they make pink silks for horseracing jockeys from 1902 to 1985, it’s a ubiquitous shade in the maison’s archive of 75,000 silk colors.
But perhaps the true birth of Hermès pink can be traced back to 1961, when they made a pink Azalée woolen coat, displayed it in store windows and it became an immediate success.
For Hermès, pink signifies dawn and new beginnings. “Red is a confident signature, whereas pink expresses transience, the fresh bloom of sensation,” says Jerome Touron, creative director of Hermès Beauty. “It can be blended, shaded, intensified.”
Rose Hermès’ eight shades include Rose Abricot, an orange-pink like a velvety apricot in a beam of sunlight; Rose Plume, a misty, watercolor pink refreshed with a hint of blue; Rose Pommette, a bright, radiant pink for the ultimate rosy cheek; Rose Ombré, a celestial, subtle peony; Rose Tan, a tropical bouquet of light tan and golden pink for a sun-kissed glow; Rose Nuit, a deep pink like a bougainvillea at night, touched by moonlight blue; and Rose Poivré, the pink of a Persian night enveloped in spices.
I tried Rose Pommette (“pommette” is French for “cheekbone”), and it’s an incredibly beautiful shade that instantly brings light and life to the face. The surface of the blush powder is textured like the fine ribs of Hermès silk twill, and it’s just as silky. Hermès’ blush brush —made of goat hair and boasting a lacquered handle reminiscent of the Pierre Hardy-designed lipstick tubes — picks up just the right amount of pigment and blends it effortlessly across your cheekbones. As Touron said, it’s buildable, whether you want a light wash for a just-pinched look or full-on red-carpet glamour.
Hardy, creative director of Hermès shoes and jewelry, also designed the elegant blush compacts, with Hermès’ gold ex-libris imprint on the white lid, while the blush pan is placed slightly off-center in the black, refillable base. “The white and black case showcase the color contained within,” he says, “and inside, the off-center effect introduces a playful drift, a hint of movement. It is not simply ‘packaging,’ but rather an object that is both desirable and discreet.”
Just as she did for Rouge Hermès, perfumer Christine Nagel created a new fragrance for the blush, adding green tea notes to her base of arnica and sandalwood.
Hermès pro tips for applying the blush: to highlight your cheekbones, brush in circular motions on the cheekbones to reflect light. For a sculpted effect, apply from your cheekbones to the temples for a more sophisticated look. For a healthy glow, apply in light touches to the nose and hollows of the cheeks to brighten the complexion.
Enhance your lips
The perfect match for Rose Hermès blushes are the Rosy Lip Enhancers, a cross between lipstick and lip balm that has a unique, candle-wax finish, inspired by the feel of the buttery-soft Butler calfskin Hermès developed in 2012 for its Constance bag.
It also evokes the Hermès legacy of its leather artisans using warm, kneaded beeswax to coat and protect their linen threads prior to saddle stitching.
The three shades in the range are Rose Abricoté, the lightest peachy-pink for a fresh, morning look; Rose d’Eté, which is the tender pink of a summer rose; and Rose Tan, a warm amber shade that kisses the lips with sun.
Enriched with an exclusive extract of white mulberry, raspberry-seed oil and sesamin-based nutrients, they coat lips with a protective film that melts to nourish and repair, while mineral powders provide a soft-focus, matte finish.
Perfumer Nagel infused angelica into her delicate arnica-sandalwood fragrance base, and the lip enhancers are housed in refillable tubes slipped into canvas drawstring pouches, cradled in Hermès orange boxes and secured with recycled paper sleeves that highlight the house’s recent moves towards sustainability.
Hermès treats its beauty products as it does every single product — whether it’s a leather bag, silk scarf or powder blush, every detail meticulously and poetically renders the maison’s heritage and turns it into a luxurious object of desire. I am totally obsessed.
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Rose Hermès, Rosy Lip Enhancers and all other Hermès Beauty products are available at Rustan’s Makati.
A card that grants you extreme access
Nars is going all-out to celebrate its Anniversaire Extreme — its grandest campaign for 2021. To reward its #NARSISSISTS, they’re launching an exclusive Nars Extreme Access card today for a privileged few, for a limited period.
Buy the card online or in-store from Sept. 1 to 30 and instantly get a free box of welcome gifts from Nars, with choices like the new Summer Lights Face Palette, Laguna bronzer and Powermatte Lip Pigments.
With every succeeding purchase using the card, you’ll get a full-sized gift of your choice from Nars’ Extreme Rewards Vault, which is refreshed monthly.
The Extreme Access Card membership can be purchased for P2,000, redeemable on the spot for P3,000 worth of products from the Rewards Vault as a welcome gift.
The full-sized gift-per-purchase redemption will be open from your point of membership until Dec. 31, 2021, which encompasses Christmas shopping season, take note.
Nars will also be holding month-long livestreams and workshops to celebrate Anniversaire Extreme. On Sept. 14 catch them live on Rustan’s The Beauty Source on Facebook as they play the game “Take It To The Extreme” with your favorite lifestyle and beauty influencers. Make sure to sign up on that page to get a chance to be part of a team and win exciting prizes.
On Sept. 20, Nars goes live on Look.philippines on Facebook in another level of “Take It To The Extreme,” as they take you through different looks, from natural glam to extreme glam.
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The Extreme Rewards Vault can be accessed at all Nars boutiques and department stores counters at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La, Alabang Town Center, Cebu, Adora Greenbelt, Rockwell, Central Square BGC, the SM Megamall PopUp and Look SM Aura.
The card is also available at Rustans.com (http://rstns.shop/nars), and lookatme.com.ph (http://bit.ly/LOOK-ShopNars)
For more information on NARS Anniversaire Extreme, click on the link https://bit.ly/AnnivExtreme .
Brightening skincare and makeup for today’s modern woman
YOU Beauty, an international brand of makeup, skincare, body care, and cosmetic accessories under the HEBE Beauty Group, is all about you and embracing your unique beauty.
YOU, which stands for “Youthful. Outstanding. Unique,” is committed to providing accessible self-care and beauty products that help women achieve lasting beauty and be the best version of themselves.
According to PR manager Claire Miguel, YOU Beauty is a brand created for today’s modern woman and her diverse lifestyle. “Beauty customers today are more selective when it comes to the products they buy and use, and we have made it our mission to understand whom we are creating these products for and what their needs are,” she explains.
YOU Beauty was first launched in Indonesia in 2018 and has since received international recognition for their ability to localize their product offerings and break traditional stereotypes to empower women to proudly embrace their diversity.
YOU Beauty’s range of products is made with the latest beauty technology from world-class suppliers. The brand’s star collection for skincare, The Radiance White series, includes five products that clarify, refresh, nourish and protect an all-day glow: The Radiance White Purifying Facial Foam sweeps away impurities and makeup residue for skin that looks clean and radiant.
The Radiance White Essential Toner soothes, hydrates, and promotes skin regeneration.
The Radiance White Nourishing+ Serum is packed with nine brightening actives like Niacinamide, 50X vitamin C and probiotics that improve the skin barrier.
The Radiance White Advanced Day Cream helps achieve a healthy, radiant complexion and protects against UV rays.
The Radiance White Active Night Gel moisturizes and revitalizes skin overnight with a relaxing lavender scent.
“The Radiance White Series is ideal for all skin types and helps brighten skin by eliminating dullness and hyperpigmentation and reducing the appearance of warts,” says Jaclyn Cayetano, spokesperson for HEBE Beauty.
The brand’s second star product is Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Cream, which comes in 19 shades and contains coconut oil to moisturize lips and vitamin E to lock in that moisture and keep lips soft throughout the day.
“We decided to launch five key shades, namely Kelly, Naked, Latte, Honey, and Fearless,” Cayetano adds.
All products from YOU Beauty are dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin.
I’ve been using The Radiance White line for about a week now and have already noticed a brighter glow. This stuff really works.
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As part of its grand launch celebration, YOU Beauty is holding a massive sale starting Sept. 9 at their official stores on Lazada and Shopee. Free shipping promos, gift vouchers, and flash sales on the Radiance White Series and Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Cream will be available throughout the sale, so don’t forget to add to cart and check out by midnight.
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Follow the author on Instagram @thebeautytraveler_ph.
Japanese care for mature hair
I have dry, frizzy hair — maybe because I color my roots every month, hehe — so I’m always looking for that holy-grail shampoo and conditioner that’s gentle enough for colored hair and will give me the smooth, silky lockdown locks I crave.
I think I’ve found my HG in Dear Beauté Himawari Smooth and Repair Oil in Shampoo and Conditioner, Japanese hair care that’s been specially developed to address hard-to-style and tangled hair like mine. This clear shampoo and creamy conditioner are formulated with four types of amino-based ingredients — all derived from organic sunflower (oil and extracts from the flower, stem, leaf and seed) plus Lipidure, Himawari’s proprietary lipid complex that coats strands to leave hair smooth and healthy. Himawari is also silicone- and sulfate-free, so it’s safe, gentle on colored hair, and made my hair smooth, tangle-free and silky all the way to the tips!
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Himawari is available at https://shop.beautyboxcorp.com/ , Rustans.com, Beautybar.com.ph and Shopee.
