The year is finally coming to an end, and as we look into what’s to come in 2024, we have one last round-up of beauty launches to love on. With the latest arrivals at The Exchange TRX (Drunk Elephant’s first-ever retail address; Dolce & Gabbana Beauty at Seibu; and Guerlain’s L’Art & La Matière), keep reading to see what made it to our Best of Beauty December 2023 edition.
Aromatica Hand Cream
It seems like we’re about to be hit with another season of masking and perpetual hand-sanitising, so in anticipation, we’re adding to cart the Aromatica Hand Cream, which comes in four beautiful scents. Loaded with shea butter to nourish the skin, each iteration features its own blend of oils and other hydrating ingredients to keep dryness at bay. If your hands are of normal skin type, try out the hand creams in either Mellowness or Inspirit. They are both a lightweight formula that absorbs quickly into the skin, so you won’t have to deal with things slipping and sliding out of your hands. However, should you be travelling to somewhere more arid, or simply want a richer experience, opt for the Serene or the Embrace hand creams.
Platinum Leather by Carolina Herrera
No one can deny this—the Middle Eastern allure has a real pull on people. Even Carolina Herrera was not exempt from its power. From the mind that brought to you Burberry Goddess, Lancome La Nuit Tresor (including a lot of its flankers), and the sadly-discontinued Mugler Aura Mugler, Platinum Leather is an already proven favourite from the Herrera Confidential collection. Crafted in collaboration with Herrera’s progeny, the range is an ode to the elegance that is synonymous with the fashion house. In this case, Platinum Leather is an olfactory snapshot of a trip to Saudi Arabia, where the scent of leather, jasmine, and spices linger in the air around them. To complete this homage, the Maison added a touch of caramelised dates.
The result? An addictive blend of bold leather, decadent vanilla and jasmine, and bright pink pepper. If you’re looking for a perfume that makes the entrance for you, then you’ve found the ultimate candidate.
Exclusively available at Seibu, The Exchange TRX.
Guerlain Tobacco Honey
Fragrance lovers can breathe easy now that the Guerlain store at The Exchange TRX is housing the brand’s iconic L’Art & La Matière line. The star of the show here is easily Tobacco Honey, a sensual take on the nectar, one that melds tobacco and wood together with honey. The result? A stunningly developed fragrance that’s sweet, but not in a cloying, gourmand way. The top notes of cloves and anise truly balance the sweetness of honey and the darkness of tobacco and oud. If you’ve been wanting to smell expensive, then brave the traffic and steal yourself a quick sniff of this beauty. We promise it’s worth the fuss.
Exclusively available at Guerlain in The Exchange TRX.
Sisley Ecological Compound Advanced Formula
The award-winning serum doesn’t quit. Now made universal, the Sisley Ecological Compound Advanced Formula can address the needs of all skin types. With the added benefits of burdock and meadowsweet extracts (on top of the original five extracts: centella asiatica, ginseng, hops, horsetail, and rosemary), the serum now has the enhanced capacity to calm even the most irritated of skin. Why is Sisley doubling down on that? With urban dwellers in mind, they want to fortify the skin barrier to protect it from environmental stressors (smoke, free radicals, and more), which allows the skin to function optimally.
YSL Le Cushion Encre de Peau Holiday 2023 Limited Edition
The glazed trend persists, and if you too are enjoying the glow, keep it on with the YSL 2023 Limited Edition drop, the Le Cushion Encre de Peau in Gold Rush Trio. The gleam will be delivered through the House’s iconic cushion compact, and instead of one shade of pearlescent highlighter, you get three. The liquid format is perfect, as it will result in some of the most seamless finishes. And because it’s packaged in this way, you can carry this in your purse and amp up the glow on the go—because we all could use some extra bling should the occasion call for it.
Nudestix Hydra-Peptide Lip Butter
A well-moisturised lip never goes out of style, and no purse should ever be void of lip balm—or in this case, a lip butter. Infused with a blend of avocado butter, shea butter, and peptides, the tinted Nudestix Hydra-Peptide Lip Butter is a glossy balm that plumps the lips (which helps you to be rid of those lines!) while simultaneously flooding the dermis with intense moisture, protecting it from the elements. The best part? It’s got a solid staying power, and as far as gloss goes, this one takes the cake, hands down.
Kate Spade Chérie Eau De Parfum
Sometimes the best fragrances are the ones that are easy to wear. Enter: the Kate Spade Chérie Eau De Parfum. Gen Z, you’re going to be drawn in by the art pop packaging. But if you’re a millennial and above, the scent is going to have you reminiscing the good old (read: carefree) days of your youth, as the perfume is drizzled with raspberry, red currant, mandarin orange, and sweet peas, a combination that we’ve seen with different iterations of fruity mists that accounts for a hefty portion of the fragrance landscape in the early 2000s. No matter which side of the spectrum you’re on, the Chérie Eau De Parfum is a fail-safe option to check out—especially if you’re in the market for a new signature.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour Trio
You can never go wrong with a Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour, much less with three. For the holiday season, the brand has curated a mauve trio of the iconic eyeshadow sticks for your enjoyment. The easy-to-apply formula glides seamlessly over the eyelids, delivering an opaque amount of pigmentation in just one swipe. Once it has been set in place, trust that it will last you throughout the day—up to 12 hours to be exact. Not only is it party-friendly, but the set also lends itself to being super-portable, as it takes up way less space than a whole eyeshadow palette.
Hermés Hermesistible
The antithesis of a matte liquid lipstick, the lip oil, is truly a godsend. In the Best of Beauty December 2023 round-up, we have to include the Hermés Hermesistible Infused Care Oil. With apricot kernel oil and sunflower seed oil as its main moisturiser, the lip oil is further enhanced with unique scents that are worked on by the Maison’s perfumer. Each version (there are six) comes with its own blend of fragrances, and our favourite, Corail Bigarade, boasts notes of sandalwood, arnica, and Seville orange—just the pick-me-up we all need throughout the day.
Exclusively available at Hermés boutique Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Hermés beauty counters in Parkson and Seibu, The Exchange TRX.
Decorté Marcel Wanders Face Powder XIII
Want to treat yourself to something truly opulent? Then check out this limited-edition powder from Decorté, which comes in a delicate music box. The powder itself is suitable for even people with dry skin, as it is infused with skin-loving ingredients such as refined moringa oil and olive squalane to care for the skin while imbuing it with a soft-focus filter. This year, Marcel Wanders returns to create his 12th design imprinted onto the powder—rendering this item a must-have collectable for any beauty lover.