Gone are the days where we needed to take up precious luggage space for all our beauty buys — after all, internationally sought-after brands including Mediheal, Colorgram, CNP Laboratory and more are just as readily available at Singapore’s top health and beauty retailer, Guardian Singapore.
As seen in their ‘Beauty Around The World‘ campaign, and the host of hyped-about and cutting-edge brands introduced by the retailer just in the last year alone, it really does feel like the best skincare, beauty, and health essentials from around the globe are just a click (or store) away. These include a diverse range of the world’s trending products, innovations and brands, from countries such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and America, which Guardian has thoughtfully sought out for our convenience and accessibility.
To celebrate this diversity, here’s an exclusive promotion you ought to look out for. Guardian has introduced a “Buy 2 at 30% Off Mix and Match” promotion on over 2,500 participating products, both in stores and online, running for a limited time only, now till 31 May 2024. This applies across beauty, personal care, health and wellness brands, with definite savings that gives us further incentive to shop and stock up on our favourite products.
If you’re not sure where to start, look only our list of 16 top-shelf products, from Biore, Cetaphil, Mediheal and more, renowned in their respective fields, and now available on a Guardian shelf near you.
OUR SKINCARE PICKS
Mediheal Vitamide Brightening Pad
K-beauty toner pads have taken TikTok, and the world, by storm, and we always find Mediheal’s series to be among some of the top recommendations. Let’s just say the hype is real. Mediheal’s daily treatment pads are saturated with essence, so it feels like a face mask when on the skin, though they’re formulated according to your specific skincare concern as well. This Vitamide Brightening Pad contains Niacinamide, Sea Buckthorn and other essential vitamins that deliver a boost of radiance and clarity to the skin, while a liposome delivery system enables rapid and deep absorption of ingredients, in order to achieve glowing glass skin.
Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner
Since brightening is a perennial top concern among Singaporean women, we’re thankful that there are plenty of next-generation skincare products that help with radiant skin, one of which being Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Toner. The product works to instantly illuminate one’s complexion, while also leaving us with softer and smoother skin, by way of their patented GentleBright Technology™. What we appreciate about the brand is also how seriously they take their dermatologist-recommended label; even for a brightening product that addresses skin dullness, Cetaphil ensures a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free formula that’s clinically proven to respect sensitive skin.
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++
Japanese brand Biore is practically synonymous with UV protection at this point, and one of the brands we reach out for on the shelves, simply because they nail perfect textures made for Asian skin and climates. Their latest Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ is an innovation in the sunscreen space as well, earning the distinction of being the World’s First Micro Defense formula, which even provides UV coverage at a micro-level. It’s then further infused with skincare ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Royal Jelly Extract and moisturising Butylene Glycol, alongside hydrating Aqua Micro Capsules that release moisture during application. All this, and an incredibly lightweight texture that leaves zero white cast!
Mentholatum Acnes Clear Up Mist
For those with troubled or acne-prone, Mentholatum is a time-honoured brand that started with the Kansas-based founder’s interest in the relieving properties of Menthol. More than a 100 years later, we know the brand beyond just their health remedies; their acne-targeting line has gained quite the reputation for itself too, pimple patches and antibacterial face wash included. This latest product is the Acnes Clear Up Mist, a facial mist consisting of a duo of 5X Acne Pionin and micro-fine Centella Asiatica, to both soothe acne-prone skin and effectively target acne as well. The spray can be used on the face, though we think its format is most useful to cover wide areas across the body.
NUMBER eI8ht Hydrating Serum Vit B5 10%
This fresh skincare brand seems to understand the needs of today’s young generation of beauty lovers pretty well. At affordable price points, and with formulas backed by testing and sourced from the world’s leading experts, their skincare formulas are vegan, free from mineral oil and parabens as well, while they’re committed to being kind to both skin and planet. The NUMBER eI8ht Hydrating Serum is a good place to start, as it’s infused with 10% Vitamin B5 to enhance hydration and improve our skin barrier, alongside Hyaluronic Acid for plump skin.
Eucerin Hyaluron Radiance-Lift Filler Boosting Essence
As a renowned dermatologist-recommended skincare brand, one that was founded in a pharmacy in Hamburg, Germany, Eucerin prides itself in technologically-advanced skincare innovations achieved via working with dermatologist, so you know your skin’s always in safe hands. Their HYALURON Radiance-Lift Boosting Essence is designed for soft and nourished skin, where we see skin-soothing Panthenol along with actives Vitamin C and Antioxidants to help reduce fine lines and deal with skin dullness. Introducing this product as the first step in your daily routine will certainly go a long way towards brighter and more youthful-looking skin.
K-BEAUTY INNOVATIONS
Colorgram Pin Point Eyeshadow Palette 01 Peach+Coral
And then there’s k-beauty. We can’t help but spotlight this category on its own, mainly because South Korea’s beauty imports are often on the brink of innovation, including something as “simple” as an eyeshadow palette. The Colorgram Pin Point Eyeshadow Palette, for instance, is brilliantly packaged in a handy palette of 12 highly-pigmented shades, with enough base, shading and shimmering peal combinations to create all kinds of looks. The trick here is to look at the symbols — we’re told to apply the shades in numerical order to build up colour on the face, though they’re curated to just as easily match no matter the combinations.
CNP Laboratory Propolis Energy Ampule
Another thing that’s a current hit in Korea? Skincare ampoules, which contain a high concentration of skincare actives to help boost our skin. As a leading aesthetic clinic in South Korea, CNP Laboratory aims to bring their scientifically-innovative formulas and dermalogical expertise to the fore, with skincare products that work while still being gentle on the skin. This Propolis Energy Ampule contains a concentrated dose of Propolis Extract, known for its antioxidant and moisturise-retaining properties, along with Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, and other key ingredients. These all work to not only moisturise and sooth irritation from environmental stressors, but also revitalise the skin with a natural and healthy glow.
SKIN1004 Centella Ampoule
For those who find their skin reacting or flaring up under the heat, here’s one way to counter it. SKIN1004 has come up with a soothing Centella Ampoule, made up of 100% Centella Asiatica Extract that’s been freshly-sourced from Madagascar. What this does it to help calm and restore imbalance in the skin caused by harsh environments, since the extract is known to soothe and replenish one’s skin hydration level, while also creating a protective layer around the skin to further shield it from an environment that may cause it to be dry or reactive. Needless to say, this is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones.
THE LATEST IN HAIR & BODY
Stephen Knoll Color & Control Shampoo
We all know how important at-home hair care can be after a colouring session at the salon, particularly if you’ve had to bleach your hair as well. Here’s introducing New York City-founded hair brand Stephen Knoll, which we trust for salon-quality products including this silicone- and sulphate-free Color & Control Shampoo that prevents colour fading and damage. It works on multiple fronts to, first, gently yet effectively wash hair with a dense lather; repair hair cuticles with a Color Keep Agent that further controls them from losing their hue; and ensures shiny hair with shine-enhancing ingredients for hair you can flaunt.
KUNDAL Night Repair Hair Lotion
Korea-based brand KUNDAL recently brought us a Night Repair range with hair care products designed with their exclusive Night Wrapping System™, which uses plant-based Phyto Collagen to moisturise and coat the hair, for smooth tresses that are easy to style the next day. The collagen coating on this lightweight Hair Lotion, in particular, helps prevent static electricity when we apply it just before bed, so we can take up for voluminous and detangled hair. Its formula is also famously free from 10 harmful ingredients, including six types of Parabens and three types of Silicones, for those concerned about chemicals and scalp health.
Guardian Eco Garden Deep Clean Bergamot & Peppermint Body Wash
Guardian’s Eco-Garden range is their commitment towards sustainability, and is a 100% vegan body care and hair care line designed with earth-friendly materials and ingredients, which are, interestingly sourced from all over the world as well. This Bergamot & Peppermint Shower Cream, for instance, contains a refreshing combination of Bergamot Peel Oil from Italy and Peppermint Oil from India, lauded for their deep cleansing properties while leaving skin soothed and hydrated. We’re talking 100% certified Organic actives and more than 90% natural-origin ingredients, while leaving out Parabens, Colorants, SLS, Mineral Oil and more in this green formula.
ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Lotion
Tried, tested, and it works. ILLIYOON’s Ceramide Ato Lotion gained a fair bit of hype when it made its debut last year, especially since this is a skin strengthening and protecting formula that works on sensitive skin; after all, it’s hypoallergenic and fragrance-free as well. Though labelled as “mild”, we like how it’s suited for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin or children, while skincare actives such as Phytoceramide™ and a Ceramide Skin Complex™ provide up to 100 hours hydration, and amazing results of skin barrier recovery by 87% in just 7 days.
HEALTH & SUPPLEMENTS
Kinohimitsu MarineGem Collagen 180g
Collagen is found in plenty of anti-ageing facial skincare products, though it’s just as useful to your body as well, which is where Taiwan-based Kinohimitsu’s MarineGem Collagen supplements come in. Helpful to both your skin and organs, it’s packed with Marine Collagen, an all-round-hydrator Green Caviar®, glycation-fighter Formosa Ruby® and Vitamin C to help against free radicals, all of which can give us firmer and brighter skin, but also stronger hair and nails, and improved joint and bone health.
Helaslim Uruhime Momoko Ceramide Supplement
The Helaslim Uruhime Momoko Ceramide + Collagen Supplement is one of the most popular skin moisturisers from Japan — and yes, it’s not a topical one! Meant to work orally, each pill contains contains 1,800 micrograms of Ceramide that’s been extracted from Japanese rice. This is then absorbed by the skin in order to retain moisture within the skin, thus helping to improve skin dryness and strengthen its barrier function to shield against environmental stressors. On top of Ceramides, they containt Collagen, Vitamin C and Vitamin B complex as well to further improve skin firmness and elasticity.
Blackmores Probiotics+ 10 Billion
Gut health is definitely something we shouldn’t ignore, and we’ve been trusting Australia-based brand Blackmores and their probiotics supplements for a while now. Their latest Blackmores Ultra Max Probiotics+ 10 Billion formula is better than ever, giving us an effective dose of 4 clinically-trialed probiotic strains of 10 billion good bacteria — and a prebiotic — to restore a healthy balance to our gut while supporting a healthy immune system. You’ll experience the immediate effects of less bloating and more healthy bowel functions, and more robust immunity health over time.
All items featured here are available at Guardian stores islandwide, and online at guardian.com.sg. More on the Guardian ‘Beauty Around The World’ campaign here.
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