I wonder when evolution will catch up with us women so that we remain body hair-free throughout our lifetime. It won’t be in my lifetime, so I continue to seek the best method to beat back the bush. Actually, I’m not that hairy, but my underarm hair regrows at a pace that defies the 30 years of waxing war I have inflicted on them. I tried “home-waxing” and, while it is pretty effective, it is messy and time-consuming. And my attempt to outsource to the salon  has escalated the cost of this endless battle. But I have a new weapon in my arsenal. The Braun Silk Epilator. Don’t be fooled by its cute pink packaging, this device is a killer, and I should know ’cause it nearly killed me the first time I used it. Doing the legs was pretty pain free, but I then had a false sense of confidence and attacked my underarms. What can I say? It was “shock and awe”. It was truly painful, and my first reaction was to turn the evil thing off. But then I worked up the courage to try again. I acclimatised to the pain and within a couple of minutes was hair-free, and victorious.

I’m now at an age where my skincare needs to get more serious. And by serious, I mean serums. I stopped at the Dr Sebagh counter at Peter Jones where an extremely well-informed, older sales woman talked me into trying his original serum (I balked at the price tag of the newer serum). After a couple of weeks, I must say, I am sold on the serum. My skin looks great. I can’t wait to try the new serum which is, apparently, even better. And this time I won’t balk at the price.

the new and improved serum

Like I stated in my previous post… I love Eve Lom cleanser. But I’m finding it hard, to justify the big ticket. So I went to my local drugstore to see what I could find. I found exactly what I was seeking at the Clarins counter. I used to use a lot of Clarins but in the last decade or so I’ve been tempted away by “Dr this” and “Dr that”. Except for the Beauty Flash Balm of course… a must-have product for any woman. Clarins has cleanser which satisfies my Eve Lom-love of a balm-texture that rubs into the skin, but it even goes one step beyond. After rubbing in the balm, it turns to a cleansing oil (for all you Shu Uemura buffs) THEN, presto-magico! – it turns to a milky cleanser when you splash on some warm water. What is this dream product you ask? Its Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel. And yes, for about half the price of Eve Lom, you will love it.

Here are some of my favourite products from this year. Feel free to add your own.

Eve Lom Cleanser: A luxury, yes. But worth it.

Nars Eyeshadows: Can’t beat the packaging, the quality and the colours.

Aromatherapy Associates Renew Body Cream – with loads of essential oils, this leaves skin gorgeous.

Benefit’s F. Y. Eye – Eyeshadow Base: I didn’t think I’d love this but I do. It keeps eye shadow looking great all day even sheer sparkly ones.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser – great natural look.

“Cult” products. Are they just hype used by beauty editors? What makes a cult product a “cult” product anyway? Well I have made it a mission to work my way through the list, starting with eve lom’s cleanser.

Eve Lom is one of those skin care lines that separates the maybelline girls from the true beauty product connoisseur. Simple packaging, exclusive availability and a price tag that keeps away the riff-raff, this is a purchase for those willing to invest in their face.

I bought my first tub in London, where the cost for a 100ml tub is about US$90. I saved a few pounds by buying it on ebay, but still felt guilty.

The cleanser is more like a balm, with a bit of texture to it. According to the complex instructions, you warm a dab up in your hand then massage it over the face using a sequence of moves meant to stimulate the skin and help detox through the lymph nodes. After the massage you cover your face with the muslin clothe (included) that has been soaked in warm water.

So… was it worth it? Almost. I loved it. But when the tub was finished I couldnt’ bring myself to buy another and am now looking for a similiar product that costs less. Sorry Eve, credit crunch has bitten.

Always wanted to try putting on “smoky eyes” for a major night out but worried you might end up looking like Courtney Love on a bender? Here’s a great video to help you get it right.

I’ve been taking my vitamins and minerals lately and I believe my skin is the better for it. OK, not exactly “taking” them… more like “slathering” them … on my face.

I’ve been using Emergin’ C serum on my face once a day, which I believe is helping but will report more on this at a later date. However, having a more immediate impact is the mineral-based make up I’ve been using. Mineral-based make up is all the rage right now, and for good reason. I’m using the Laura Mercier mineral foundation powder which goes on like a powder yet has the coverage and SPF of its liquid-based cousin. I’m also using the eyeshadow. The good news about these powders is that they are great for us over-thirty girls since they have reflecting pigments and help skin look radiant. Whereas many powders have a nasty way of settling into creases and crevices, these don’t. And they will keep you looking fresh.

Highly recommended. ones to try: Bare Escentuals or Laura Mercier

… or Aromatherapy Associates. I saw this line of products initially in one of the hotel spas in Hong Kong and I admit, I thought it was another over-priced scented cream that hotels love to stock. But when my manicurist slathered it on my very dry hands, I found myself marveling at how long my skin remained hydrated and … yes.. smelling like roses. If the cream can keep my hands happy, think of what it can do on the parts of me that are less rough and dry? AA’s Renew line of rose oil -based products is really fantastic, mainly because they are loaded with essential oils which keep dry skin moisturised for hours. I have since bought the Revive body oil and the scrub (a powder that you mix with your body wash) and I’ve been very pleased with both of these products as well.

Available in Hong Kong at the Mandarin Hotel Spas & Salon

Once you hit a certain age (probably about 30), there is a fine line drawn between you and the cosmetic counter girls. Their recommendations for buying eye cream suddenly seem, well, insulting rather than helpful.

Recently, I was walking through Selfridges’ cosmetic floor in London, hoping to see some new products when I was approached by a girl (I say girl here because she looked about 16) working for 3Lab. She (seemingly) singled me out of a crowd and handed me a sample of their ‘H’ Serum. I saw immediately that it was an “anti-aging” product and promptly marched off — slightly affronted — but still clutching the sample of course. (Rule No. 1 – always take the samples)

Back at the hotel, humiliation in check, I gave it a try. I managed to squeeze out about 4 days worth from the packet – and I mean squeeeezed out. I loved it.

3Lab is a relatively new company (2002) and this is its signature product. The “H” stands for human growth hormone, which is more commonly injected into the skin to improve its tone and elasticity. “H” Serum uses the first bio-engineered topical growth hormone and is considered to be a breakthrough product. Reviews seem to concur with this pronouncement.

After only a few days, I believed my skin looked and felt better. However my desire to continue evaluating the efficacy of this wonder product has been thwarted somewhat by the exhorbitant price tag (US$175 according to various websites).

Perhaps my pride can stand another beating and a return to Selfridges may be in order. I’ll be sure to skip the eye cream that day and walk slooowly...

3Lab products are available in Hong Kong at Harvey Nichols.

Butter. I am cautious about butter. It’s rich, decadent and heavy and should only be consumed in moderation – so what are we to expect from a body butter?

Body butter. Just saying it makes me feel greasy. I normally reserve body products that leave a shiny film for toast-tanned legs in summer time. But a recent visit to the cold, dry air of London has changed my mind.

I have been packing around a sample of Bliss’s Plum Body Butter in my travel toiletry case for about a year now, convinced that it would be too rich even for my dry skin. I finally ripped it open in a desperate attempt to combat the dry conditions in my hotel room.

The body butter was not like butter at all, at least not like body butters I have tried in the past (mainly the Body Shop’s version). It went on thick but disappeared quickly into the skin, leaving hardly a trace of shine. And best of all, the plum fragrance didn’t have an over-powering, jam-like sweetness  to it, like many other fruit-fragranced products do.