Why do some girls always get their own way?  No man can resist the flutter of perfect lashes, accompanied by a pearly white smile!  Here is Beauty Buzz HK’s guide to the top five mascaras in town, so you can bat you way to the top!

1. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara $TBC
This iconic mascara should be in every woman’s make up kit.  After thirty five years in the market, it is still going strong and loved by celebrities and make up artists world wide.  Maybelline Great Lash mascara is a definite staple when it comes to top mascara steals.  The non-gloopy formula seems to coat and lengthen every lash perfectly, for a pristine, natural long look.  Its also cheaper than any of the other fab five, so its a steal!  Available in a good variety of colors and shades as well.

2. Lancome Definicils $TBC
Lancome Definicils is a fabulous mascara that does exactly what is says on the tin.  The patented wand coats every separate last from tip to root, for a semi-realistic fan effect. Its uber strong formula keeps lashes in place after curling for hours, but may be a little hard for some peoples taste.   Defincils would be a hot runner for our number one spot, but the price point of the Maybelline just beat it to the post.  Available in five colors to match every outfit.

3. Chanel Inimitable Mascara $TBC
With a unique rubber wand, this mascara manages to lengthen and volumise without sticking together or clumping at all.  The regular formula is perfect for everyday, bu the waterproof version is a must have for any beach beauty that wants luscious lashes even in the water.  The only problem with this mascara is that is tends to dry out really quickly, so they only last a few weeks, however you should throw mascaras away after six weeks anyway, but who ever does that?

4. Diorshow Mascara $TBC
A classic favourite for those who favour extremely long, thick eyelashes.  Even better when applied over fakies! For the just-stepped-off-the-catwalk look, this is the mascara for you.  Can have the tendency to clump eyelashes together, so can take a bit longer to apply, as you may need to brush out clumps to separate.  Great for night out on the town!.  Available in three great colors, including a ultra-cool royal blue.

5. Clinique High Definition Lashes Brush then Comb Mascara $TBC
Beauty powerhouse Clinique came up trumps with their ingenious dual edged, high definition mascara.  The award winning product giving you a double sided wand to help coat each lash and then build and separate for the most natural look of the fab five. It is also small enough to give you a great coat on your bottom lashes too.  A wonderful wand, but can be a little time consuming. Available in two colors, black and brown.

Some mascara application tips:
1. When you pull your wand out of the tube, bend it slightly, so you have an angle. Professional makeup artist use their wands this way to get as close to the lash line as possible.
2. When you notice your mascara getting clumpy, clean off the excess by wiping your brush on a tissue.
3. If you use mascara everyday, you should toss it in about 6 weeks.
4. Don’t pump your mascara — air gets pushed into the tube, causing bacteria to harbor.
5. Don’t share mascara.
6. Don’t think you can add life to your mascara by adding water. This just makes it easier for you to get an eye infection.

There you have it.  BeautyBuzz Hong Kong’s Fab Five Mascaras.   Go ahead, bat those lashes.

1 available from Manning and Watsons.

2-5 available from Lane Crawford.

LANE CRAWFORD IFC MALL
Podium 3, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central
tel: +852 2118 3388

LANE CRAWFORD PACIFIC PLACE
Level One, Pacific Place
88 Queensway, Admiralty
tel: +852 2118 3668

LANE CRAWFORD CANTON ROAD
3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
tel: +852 2118 3428

LANE CRAWFORD TIMES SQUARE
1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
tel: +852 2118 3638

Ever lost in Central, looking for a fab little place to have a manipedi, but don’t want to pay extortionate prices, or get a free fungal disease with a dodgy looking local salon?

Well Rainbow Nails might just be the place for you.  Discretely tucked away, high up in a building near H&M you will find Helen Leung and her team at Rainbow Nails.  After ten years in the industry, Helen also is the chief OPI trainer in HK, and regularly runs nail classes in her quaint little shop.

In a strict shoes-off policy, the OPI centric shop is clean, friendly relaxing and very reasonable, not to mention you will have your nails done by one of the best nail technicians in Hong Kong.

Whether you are looking for gel nails, nail art, buffing, french or just a regular manipedi, Rainbow is a fabulous little gem in the middle of the bustling city.

“My nails are always a mess, I never have time to have a manicure”
I decided to try out the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel nail varnish system, not to be confused with gel nails.  With regular gel nails, you have to have quite a thick layer of gel placed on the nails, generally with extensions, with a reasonable amount of damage to the nails.  This also has to be ‘filled in’ every 3 weeks.  With the new O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel, it is the half-way home between regular nail varnish and gel nails.  It claims not to damage the nails so much as it is a much lighter resin, and essentially a nail varnish, it just coats your nails in a thin layer of coloured gel, so you have shiny beautiful nail polish for three weeks that doesn’t chip!

Rainbow Nails YouTube Channel – OPI Axxuim Removal/Reapplication Demonstration

I personally have very thin nails with short nail beds, and nail varnish just chips off in about twenty minutes.  I am often envious of the beautiful talons I see clawing themselves around town, but I also don’t like the idea of fake nails,  and as I spend a lot of time typing, I can’t handle long nails, so with eighteen colours to choose from, the gel nails seemed to be a fabulous idea. Imagine, beautiful shiny nails, which are stronger than usual, that will stay pristine and chip free for two to three weeks!

The process took about an hour, in which time Leung, expertly applied very thin layers of coloured gel, which were set hard with a UV lamp.  I also had a fabulous manicure, in which Helen used a scary looking electric filer to remove the hard skin.  Much to my initial hesitance, and her reassurance, it was very effective in removing the hard skin without clipping, and possibly cutting my skin.  Helen warned me that if a technician isn’t trained properly to use the electric filer, then they can cause a lot of damage, and that most people don’t know how to use them, so do be cautious when you see them pulled out in less kosher looking salons.

Due to the UV light, my nails were dry as soon as she was finished, so I could go about my day not flapping my hands around like a baby.  “O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel is one of our most popular treatments,’ Helen told me.  “What is so fabulous is that the colour is so shiny and vivid, and lasts for up to three weeks.  You can also paint over it with regular nail varnish if you want to change, and the nail varnish remover  doesn’t remove the gel, just the colour on top”.

I decided to put them to the ultimate test.  I was off to Phuket the next day, and as girls know, nail varnish dies a death on holiday, with sun creams and bug sprays disintegrating them, as quickly as we paint them, they quickly start to get sticky and dull.  But with the OPI Axxium Gel Nail Varnish there was no such problem.  My nails stayed as shiny and perfect as they were when I walked out of Rainbow Nails.  Three weeks later, they still looked amazing, even though they had ‘grown out’ a bit.

The Upkeep
As you cant remove the gel yourself, you have to go back to the salon to get them soaked off, or topped up, whichever you prefer.  In the nature of research I soaked them, which took about half an hour, and also comprised of a mini-manicure and buff to remove the flaked top layer of nail. This is where I personally had a bit of a problem.  As my nails are unusually thin, I did sustain a bit of damage for the procedure.  I found for the next six weeks, my nails were flaky and even more brittle than normal.  However I have had acrylic nails in the past, and the damage was no way as much as before.  Helen advised me to rub nail oil on them, and keep them painted, which I did, but I was left longing to put the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel  back on.  I had my fix, now I wanted another hit.

Conslusion:
I would 100% recommend Rainbow nails and Helen for all nail treatments.  With regards to the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel system, even though I had a small issue when they were removed I think it is a fabulous, but addictive product.   I would do it again, especially if I had a holiday to go on, or maybe a wedding to go to, but as I wouldn’t want to keep going back every three weeks, and it did slightly damage my nails, I wouldn’t do it regularly.   Very few people have nails as thin as mine, so I don’t think the damage would be noticeable at all.  However if you do have very thin nails like myself, do consider the constant upkeep or the damage after.  If you seem to find that you are too busy to ever get your nails done, and you are constantly embarrassed of your hands, then I think the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel system might be perfect for you.

How Much?
Rainbow nails regularly have promotions and special offers for returning customers, so do join their mailing list to in informed, but at the time of going to press the cost is:
For two treatments-
Hands: was $1,150 now $1,000
Feet: was $1,550  now $1,400

Where?
Address : Unit 503, 5/F., Canton House,   54-56 Queen’s Road Central,   H.K.
Telephone : (852) 2840 0660
Website : http://www.rainbownails.com.hk/
Email : rainbownails@rainbownails.com.hk

Nestled deep in the heart of the cosmetics department at Lane Crawford lurks a hidden gem: a cluster of cocoon like pods specially designed to soothe, rejuvenate and invigorate. I went along to Pacific Place to experience pod living the Elemis way and familiarize myself with some of Elemis’s next generation retail beauty products.

As one of those people whose daily beauty routine is lucky if it includes moisturiser, the Elemis facial was something of a master-class in how one should really look after one’s face – if you want to avoid looking like a soggy beancurd sheet by the time you’re 50 that is.

As soon as I’d discarded my day-wear for a toweling robe and settled onto the comfy pod bed, we kicked off the treatment with a gentle cleanse. Rehydrating rose-petal cleanser was applied in an artfully soothing manner to help remove the build up of grot and grime from my un-loved skin. I particularly liked its delicate fragrance which, unlike many rose scented products, was not too overpowering.

After the cleanser came the application of toner and a gentle exfoliation. Sophia, the therapist, applied eye mask, face mask and lip mask (see below for details) before settling me, ready for a 15 minute hot stone massage. Ahhhhh – what bliss. I drifted near sleep as Sophia oiled my shoulders and set to work with her hot stones. I wasn’t expecting to feel so much more relaxed after only 15 minutes, but I was………zzz.

Sophia removed the mask, again using the rose-petal cleanser and applied pro-collagen marine cream, an anti-ageing treatment cream. It wasn’t too heavy, cloying or perfumed. As for its anti-ageing credentials, one session just isn’t enough to comment, but according to Elemis its anti-ageing ingredients include marine algae, gingko biloba, Chlorella, Prophyridium, Rose and Mimosa Absolutes. Quite a list!
After donning my day-wear, I walked away feeling a little bit taller (thank you the hot stones) and more energised. My face didn’t feel clogged up by the application of multiple products, but firmer, brighter and better tended than it has done in some time.

So with my critical hat on, what could have been better? Well the exfoliation could have been a little more abrasive but I suppose that’s partly a personal preference and on the plus side, I didn’t leave looking like my face had been on the receiving end of a sand storm.

End Result
The pod facials are a brilliant way of taking a little time out from the office or the shops (especially if you work or shop in Central) and treating yourself and your skin to some professional care. I liked the products and am tempted to treat myself to the rose-petal cleanser and apricot toner.
X factor

Hot stone massage. This was an unexpected treat and I encourage all you hot stone skeptics out there to give it a go.
Things you should know

A number of power booster facials are offered in the Pod, all at the HK$790 mark. Guys don’t need to feel left out either as there is a specially designed treatment to keep you looking and feeling and looking tip-top-tastic in the face department.

Helen Wrigglesworth

Costs
Facial:
Pod Power Booster facials: HK$790
Products:
Rehydrating Rose Petal Cleanser, 200ml: HK$399
Soothing Apricot Toner, 200ml: HK$399
Gentle Rose Exfoliator, 50ml: HK$365
Pro-collagen Quartz Mask, 50ml: HK$1150
Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask (applied to lips), 50ml: HK$550
Absolute Eye Mask, 30ml: HK$450
Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, 50ml: HK$1380

Where
Elemis Counter
Cosmetics Department
Lane Crawford at Pacific Place
Tel. +852 2118 3654

Elemis fans should also check out the Elemis day-spa
9/F, Century Square,  
1 D’Aguilar Street,  
Central, Hong Kong  
Tel: +852 2521 6660

Looking for a snog at the HK Rugby Sevens? Make sure your lips are in tip top shape and pucker up girls, its time it slip on something fabulous!  We’ve tried and tested lipglosses galore to find the best ones for your luscious lips.

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1 .LANCOME PARIS JUICY TUBES - $165
Since Lancome introduced the worlds first lipgloss in a tube in 2000, other companies have been vying to compete with the Mamasan of lipware -Juicy Tubes.  You just can’t beat the shine, this uber glossy lipgloss is available in a vast array of colours and tingly flavours, which are perfect to wear alone or worn over lipstick for that wow factor.  It’s still there shining up your lips like a beacon after numerous Cosmos at Tivo, and tapas at Enoteca, but do refrain from snogging the boy.  After many attempts for a bit of a smooch with gloopy lips, the boy has started to cower away from the ‘yucky mouth’.  Alas no tongue action but fabulous looking lips all night long.

2. DIOR ADDICT ULTRA GLOSS REFLECT – $200
This high tech lipgloss with multi-dimentional reflective pigments that make your lips shimmer and shine to reflect that star that you are.  The Ultra Gloss Reflect has the perfect combination of moisturiser for dry lips, combined, colour and shimmer, with the right amount of gloss without flyaway hair sticking to your lips.

3. MAC LIPGLASS CLEAR – $125

Whilst available in a ridiculously large amount of colours, our fave Mac Lipglass is in puritanical Clear.  It punches a massive punch in the gloss stakes, as you will be hard pushed to find a glossier pout than one doused in Mac LipGlass.  It adds an incredible shine on nude lips (use a nude lip-liner, no dark liner and glossy lips please girls, that is so 1990’s Morticia Adams!), looks fabulous over any number of lipsticks for extra shine, and makes matte lipstick look more sheer.  The only problem is it’s extreme stickiness.  Whilst this is the main reason is lasts so long, and you seldom need to reapply, don’t be shocked to find your hair stuck to your lips.  Mental note, don’t wear during a typhoon.

4. CHANEL LEVRES SCINTILLANTES (Glossimer for lips) – $220
For those of you who crave for shiny sexy lips, but cant stand the uber sticky high gloss gels, then this may be the perfect compromise.  It leaves a high shine, without the ridiculous stickiness of some other glosses, and if a deep colour is chosen, has a great colour intensity, and lasts an impressively long time. The shine creates a impact without being overbearing, and if sheer colours are chosen, they again shimmer with tiny particles rather than bigger glittery bits.  You might even get  snog as boys may not be so adverse your subtle sexy shimmer!   

5.LAURA MERCIER LIP GLACÉ – $170
Another favourite for the more subtle lipgloss wearers.  This lipgloss leaves the lips beautifully hydrated, and very smooth.  It almost feels like a lip treatment, rather than a cosmetic.  It doesn’t last as long as some of the others, and isn’t as high-shine as some of the others, but its non-sticky formula creates very striking and elegant pouts. Available in a variety of coverages (sheer, meduim and full) and finished (shine, sheen and shimmer), there is a choice for everyone.  We love Baby Doll and Rose depending on natural lip colour for a barely there, but sexy pout. 

All available from Lane Crawford.

LANE CRAWFORD IFC MALL
Podium 3, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central
tel: +852 2118 3388

LANE CRAWFORD PACIFIC PLACE
Level One, Pacific Place
88 Queensway, Admiralty
tel: +852 2118 3668

LANE CRAWFORD CANTON ROAD
3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
tel: +852 2118 3428

LANE CRAWFORD TIMES SQUARE
1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
tel: +852 2118 3638

The company behind Perfect C are having the last laugh as their viral videos to promote their breast boosting pills hits the masses.  The videos feature a Chinese girl, who has been dumped by her ex boyfriend due to her small A-cup breasts.  She is seen recording a message to show him what he is missing, then flashing her now ample bosom.

A ‘reply’ video from her ex boyfriend is the second installment on the clever marketing idea.  The viral has already attracted more than three million hits on youtube,  the company’s website has doubled in traffic and they have received more inquiries on the product.  Its a brilliant example of how effective and cheap a marketing campaign can be, but what is it and does it work?  Check out BeautyBuzz HK next week for our review of Perfect C Breast Enhancers.

The fabulous team at Elemis have come to BeautyBuzz with an exclusive special offer.  Visit Elemis at Lane Crawford Pacific Place from February 22^nd to 28^th for an exclusive preview of their next generation Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser where they will be giving away FREE samples plus FREE skincare kits worth HK$500 and FREE 30 minute Elemis Spa Pod facial’s with every Pro Radiance Cleanser purchase while stocks last!

Seems like a lot of FREE to us!  Scientifically formulated to defend skin against daily pollutants, this luxurious, deep-cleansing cream gently dissolves make-up and grime to purify, moisturise and reveal a radiantly youthful looking complexion.

If you would like to book your Elemis Skin Lab analysis and consultation in advance, or would like more information about Elemis promotions, please call 2918 0818 mentioning BeautyBuzz now.

BeautyBuzz review on the Elemis Pro-Radience Cream Clenser and facial coming soon…

I love weird things.  Weird looking creatures, weird TV shows, weird beauty products, anything bizarre and unusual gets me twitching.  You can imagine my squeal of delight when I discovered the new craze product to be sweeping across Japan and Taiwan, home acid foot-peeling, which you may have seen the ads for on the MTR.  The product claims to ‘baby your foot naturally’, (FYI I love bad translations) by donning rather attractive plastic socks containing a rather scary acid solution.  Over a period of a week, your feet are supposed to shed an entire layer of skin, to reveal the very same skin you had on your feet they day you were born.  The company website is full of absolutely shocking photos of feet literally peeling off a complete layer of skin off the soles of feet.  It is utterly disgusting, and I was immediately intrigued.  Testimonials on the site describe husbands peeling off sheets of skin with glee, and piling it on newspaper to show guests at dinner parties  Only in Japan!  I have guests coming over next weekend, so I might not be serving Parmesan with the Spaghetti bolognaise.

My poor little feet have taken quite a pounding lately, and are in desperate need for a good pedicure, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to see if this bizarre product works.  I kept a diary of its progress.

Day 1

After removing my toenail varnish, I cut the tops off the plastic bag socks and placed them over my feet.  I then taped them completely shut.  It felt really odd, like walking through muddy puddles.  I have to say I felt a bit apprehensive.  Given that I am quite partial to my feet, I’m starting to worry that they might fall off.  After an hour my feet started to sting a little, but I think that’s normal, they are sitting in bags of acid after all.  Mental note, do not leave on for longer than 2 hours, as your feet might actually burn off..

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Day 2,3,4,5
I completely forgot about it, had a little look on Sunday, and actually decided that it didn’t work

Day 6

OMG IM DYING!  I just had a good soak in the bath, and it must have triggered something.  I think I’m a leper.  My feet are shedding so much skin, that i think they might bleed!  I look like Shrek in a snow globe.  Not happy but grotesquely intreagued.  I have been told not to pick or peel (OH COME ON! TRY NOT POPPING A PIMPLE ON THE END OF YOUR NOSE!), so far I have resisted, apart a little satisfying rip of my heel.  I am going to put socks on before The Boy comes home, I don’t want to scare him off buying me Louboutins forever!  I’m actually rather worried,  I’m off to Phuket on Friday and I don’t fancy leaving a skin trail wherever I go.  Thank god its freezing here so I can wear my Uggs!

Day 7

I wore socks all night last night as I didn’t fancy shedding skin onto my bedsheets, I get the feeling that would be bed-bug heaven!  When I removed the now extremely cruddy socks, my feet were starting to look a lot more normal underneath.  A lot of the skin had fallen off on my heel and sole, but there were still nasty flakey bits in between and around my toes, and also around the side of my feet.  I’m off tonight on holiday, and I’m starting to think that this was an extremely bad idea to do just before a beach trip.  I couldn’t bring myself to go for a pedicure, I was too embarrassed, so I painted my toes the best I could myself, but with feet that look like that have a serious case of eczema, they just look crusty and disgusting.  I want to cry.

Day 8

Before I hit this beach this morning I gave my feet a really good scrub.  As per the instructions, Ive been washing them, but not scrubbing, or yanking any of the skin off.  I get the impression that if you peel off skin that isn’t ready to fall off naturally, you could do yourself some damage, but now I think that may have been the way forward.  Most of the remaining flakes came off, and they actually feel really soft and don’t look that bad.  The last remaining bits of the ‘old me’ were stuck hard around my cuticles, so I decided to leave them to see how the sand and surf tackle them.  I am happy to say that by the end of day 8, the process seems to be complete, and my feet look and feel lovely.

A Week Later

Being a lover of gruesome things, I actually enjoyed the process of ‘peeling my feet’, it was horrible but brilliant.  I do however question its effectiveness.  Yes,  it did peel off the aging layers of skin on my feet, but I’m not sure if a good pedicure and a pumice stone would have had the same effect.  Also the really hard bits, such as under the big toe joint still needs to have the skin removed, and I think only a blade would remove that.  As it is winter, and I could cover my feet up daily, then it was fine, but I would have been mortified in the summer, as it really is disgusting.  But it might make people give you a seat on the MTR though, as they wouldn’t want to catch whatever it is that you have!

I have never had a pedicure that removes the skin from between my toes and all around my entire feet, so for that part then it did reach parts the usual procedures can’t.   It is recommended to repeat every 2-3 months, and I probably will do it again.  Next time I would give them a light scrub after a few days, and wear socks and not expect miracles.  My feet were very soft after, but no more than after a very good pedicure, which also gets rid if the really hard parts.   I won’t be serving up my shavings at dinner parties though, unless I never want guests over again. On second thoughts….

Babyfoot is available at Watsons and costs $178

http://babyfoot.co.jp

Please note: the last three photos are customer shots from the babyfoot website.  All the previous photos are of my feet (yuk!)

I just discovered the most fabulous product, and i cant stop using it!  A double ended lip gloss and tooth whitener combo created by top LA cosmetic dentist Dr Pia Lieb.  According to Dr Lieb, if used as part of you oral regime, it can take your teeth up to 10 shades lighter.  By using it up to 6 times a day, in a circular motion on your teeth, your teeth should be pearly white, while the super lip gloss makes your lips plump and luscious.  Genius!   Being an avid lip glosser, I tend to be quite picky, but I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency, not too gloopy, but shiny and long lasting.  I opted for boardroom berry, which also has a pleasant taste and if the compliments are anything to go by, it looked fab too.  The whitening end is minty, with a hint of the hydrogen peroxide.  This doesnt bother me as it doesnt taste too bad, and also i know my teeth will look fabulous.  Ive already had people comment that my teeth look whiter, but im not sure if that is because im smiling religiously at everyone trying to see if they have noticed!

SexySmile will soon be available in stores in HK, but if you cant wait, you can buy it in there online store.

www.sexysmileonline.com/shop-new/gloss.html

Every so often a product that sounds so bizarre pops up, it just HAS to be fabulous, right?  Well, needless to say, our goose-pimples were buzzing when Euoko’s brand new Y-42 Fractional Neck Lift Concentrate cream landed on our desk, complete with rose crystals from Mars! (yes girls, the planet, not the chocolate…) At HKD$4285 it’s not cheap, but if it does what it claims to do, then we foresee queues from Lane Crawford to the moon and back.
Euoko is The New Kid on the beauty Block.  After spending squillions on research and development, they have created a fascinating range of anti aging creams and treatments that is creating quite a stir in the beauty world.  Their trick is in the sourcing of unique ingredients from all corners of the world, such as animal-free hyaluronic acids, peptides, crystals from Mars, red marine algae, and snake venom, and making sure they mix together (which is apparently very hard to do).  By using the finest nanotechnology,  the products absorb into the deepest layer of the skin, and claim to literally turn back time therefore replacing the need for anti aging plastic surgery.
When used morning and night, The Fractional Neck Lift Concentrate is said to offer maximum defense and repair against signs of aging, such as sagginess and horizontal wrinkles in the neck and décolleté area.
It’s flying off the shelves around the world, so if we believe the hype, this cream will be fabulous.  We are told to expect to see results in 3 months, so stay tuned for our Beauty Buzz Product Review.

I said Gawd Damn! There is hope in life.  A life of non stop partying and Kate Moss still looks hot as hell!  We’re loving this new ad for YSL Parisienne, and loving the Depeche Mode tune even more…

Parisienne is the new younger and sassier sister to Paris, still rose scented, but with hints of cranberry, blackberry and patchouli.. Sounds good enough to eat!

The fragrance is to be launched in HK on 8th September, for which we wait with baited breath…