By Janness Koh

The realm of beauty is never-ending to me with so many new brands and products launching all the time in different parts of the world, so that keeps me busy trying to catch up but also makes my wallet really depressed. In previous articles we mentioned about beauty brands and products to look out for when you are in the USA, but what about in Asia? Below are some brands that aren’t available in Singapore stores.

1.Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart is an American fashion brand but its cosmetics line seems to be only available in Asia so more often than not, it is misunderstood as a Japanese brand. Singapore stores do not carry this brand but some airlines sell a few items on board and the nearest you can get your hands on them in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, China, and Thailand.

What I love about Jill Stuart is their packaging that will definitely bring out your inner romantic princess. All their products are just so girly and pretty with jewelled packaging and they smell good. They always launch seasonal limited edition products that are to die for as well.

Their most popular product is probably their blushes that comes with a retractable brush attached and I think every girl needs to own at least one (guilty, I have two)! Another tool I highly recommend from them is their eyelash curler that is in rose gold and very suitable for Asian eyes. I have one from Shu Uemura that is raved by so many and if you have that too, give Jill Stuart’s a try, its even better.

Hope I’ll see Jill Stuart in Singapore soon, pretty sure that will create another beauty storm on our small island.

*Images credit to www.jillstuart-beauty.com/en-jp/

2. Tatcha

This is another American brand but the brand is born because of Japan when the owner visited Kyoto and met a geisha. They are made in Japan and ingredients are also pretty much Asian inspired like rice, pearl, silk, and etc so rest assured their products will be very suitable for Asian skin.

Tatcha is a brand that I started noticing in the past year thanks to Youtube beauty gurus and I tried one of their holy grail products, Polished Rice Enzyme Powder. It is a powder cleanser that activates with water and rice seems to be a common key ingredient in a lot of Japanese skincare, for example the brand SKII.

This product comes in different version to suit different skin type and it is supposed to be non-abrasive even though it contains rice and papaya enzymes to reveal smoother, brighter, baby soft skin. I do like how it made my skin feel after using it but need to test out more products for sure. Tatcha ships internationally for free with purchase of over USD 250 which isn’t too difficult as this is a rather premium skincare brand so their products are quite expensive, or the nearest you can get your hands on this is in Hong Kong.

  *Images credit to tatcha.com

3. Skinfood

For those of you Korean beauty junkies, Skinfood is no stranger to you. It used to have quite a number of stores in Singapore but I actually do not see them around anymore and I think its because of how ridiculously more expensive there are here, four times the price maybe? I do spot them at certain Guardian outlets.

Fun fact: I used to work as a beauty consultant for Skinfood so I might be just wee bit biased towards them but I already like their brand way before they started in Singapore.

What I like about Skinfood is as their brand name says, they are food for your skin. They incorporate lots of food essence into their products that are beneficial to the skin and when I was working for them, I’ve turned many friends and relatives into my happy customers.

Their masks are some of my favourites in the market, like their rice wash off mask that is suitable for all skin types and leaves a nice smooth feeling. I also love their black sugar mask that is also a scrub, it exfoliates well and is very moisturising. How about some caviar on your face? Yes please! Their makeup items are very fun as well like concealer with banana essence, peach sake bb cream that comes in skincare line as well, etc. 

*Images credit to http://eng.theskinfood.com and guardian.com.sg

4. Neogence

Neogence is a Taiwanese brand started by a team of experts in the field of dermatology and biomedical technology. I first chanced upon this in Taipei in late 2016 and decided to buy their sheet masks to try. Most of you will probably be familiar with brands like Dr.Wu and Beauty Diary that has already made its way in local stores but Neogence was new to me and it somehow caught my eye with their super simple packaging unlike the rest of the Taiwanese brands.

I have to say I really like their sheet masks compared to other brands. Their sheets are really thin, adheres to the skin well, and does not feel dry within 5 minutes of use like many sheet masks can be that almost seems like it is mysteriously sucking moisture away, this does not do that. It also gives a slight tingling feeling on me in a good way, like the product is working into my skin. Definitely going to try out more of their products next time I’m in Taiwan.

Their hyaluronic acid range seems to be the most popular among users and has been highly raved about by their local beauty gurus. They also have different lines for brightening, pore care, etc. I’ve only seen their sheet masks sold in Sasa Singapore that is quite expensive so do check them out if you ever visit Taiwan.

*Images credit to watsons.com.tw

5. Elizavecca

Elizavecca is a Korean brand and is definitely making its wave both in Asia and USA with more and more exposure thanks to some of their fascinating products and testing out by famous bloggers and Youtubers, not forgetting the piggy mascot on almost all their packaging.

Star products are their Hell-Pore Clean Up Mask is said to be the most painful mask that is super effective in pulling out blackheads and their Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask that makes your face looks like a foamy version of The Thing from Fantastic Four, lol! I don’t recommend using the peel off mask too often as peel off masks is not good for the skin’s elasticity, so only use it when you need to and use a toner with astringent after.

This brand is more well known for their mask products, at least I haven’t heard anyone talking about their makeup items yet but its definitely another brand I will be keen to explore. You can find this in Korea or a number of sites like iherb, amazon, Qoo10, and many more. Can anybody keep count of how many Korean beauty brands are invading each year?   

*Images credit to elizavecca.com and iherb.com