All the beauty products you need in your kit in May 2018

Whether it’s a new perfume you want to try or need a burst of colour for your lips for the summer, this month’s freshest beauty launches will have you covered.

Just in

Long-lasting, fresh and easy on the pocket—the new homegrown fragrance house started by Varsha Dalal, Embark, is all set to become a millennial favourite. While the two women’s fragrances—My Life, a floral-aromatic blend, and My Dream, an oriental-woody scent—are perfect for daily spritzes, we’re stocking up on the aquatic scents made for the men too, because an impromptu beach vacay is always waiting to happen.

Embark Eau de Parfum for men and women (100 ml), Rs 1,595 each

Mood makers

With Nykaa’s perfume duo, Moi, scents don’t have to be saved for special occasions. For floral lovers, Raison d’etre is a sensual blend of rose, vanilla, musk and vetiver. If you’re in the mood for an airy one, Joie de Vivre will take you to the breathy outdoors with citrus, amber and oak moss.

Nykaa Moi, Joie de Vivre and Raison d’etre (100 ml), Rs 1,800 each

Scentual space

Picture a secret evening affair from behind a Luca Guadagnino lens. Only, instead of artistes and creative minds, they’re perfumes—little-known wonders who’ve come together from different corners of the world. There is ‘Dangerous Complicity’ when ‘Hindu Grass’ meets ‘Joy’. Together they all laugh about how ‘Juliette Has A Gun’. Before you wonder what’s going on, they’re names of niche scents available at Maison des Parfums, a haven of artisanal perfumes sourced from across the globe. The Mumbai store lets you become a part of this exclusive scent soirée that has everything from classics like Bond No 9 and Annick Goutal, to unconventional ones like The Different Company and Nasomatto. Each fragrance screams expressionism and, because the spectrum of noses is so diverse, there’s a high possibility that one of them becomes your scent. And if you want to feel (and smell) rather royal, they even house the iconic scent sprayed by Princess Diana—Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant Paris.

Etat Libre d’Orange Dangerous Complicity EDP (100ml), Rs 9,990; Jean Patou Joy Forever EDP (75ml), Rs 8,175

What’s in a name?

Inspiration. For renowned nose Roja Dove, the name is the starting point in the creation of a truly exclusive luxurious blend. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Shakespeare wrote. But legendary perfumer Roja Dove begs to differ. “When it comes to the inspiration behind my scents, it often starts with a name,” he shares.

Memory lane

It’s how Good Night’s Kiss came to be. “I fell in love with this perfume when I smelled it on my mother one evening when she was going out to a cocktail party,” and it’s this first scent memory that led Dove to his eponymous perfume brand, Roja Parfums.

Perfect notes

Dove uses meticulously sourced, rare ingredients. The real gold flakes in Roja Haute Luxe are the cheapest ingredient in there. “The rose notes come from Grasse, which has its own microclimate. It takes 3,08,000 roses picked before noon in the month of May to make just one kilo of oil.” 

India calling

You can thank Shishir Mehta, founder, Scentido India, for giving us first-hand access to Roja Parfums. “The fragrances from Roja have been some of my most prized scents. I feel the brand’s olfactory portfolio will resonate with the experienced Indian consumer and be a revelation for the ones who have just begun to explore the world of niche fragrances.”

Roja Parfums Haute Luxe Parfum EDP (100ml), Rs 2,23,600

– Jerusha Ratnam Chande

Fruit punch

They look as juicy and fresh as the fruits they’re made with—and it is only right to provide our parched lips this summer the moisturising effects of The Body Shop’s lip juicers. Pick your seasonal favourites from kiwi, blueberry, watermelon, strawberry and more.

The Body Shop Lip Juicers, Rs 650 each

Green day

Not only are they infused with natural ingredients like aloe and argan and come packed in soothing shades of mint green, the BBs and blushes in Kiko Milano’s capsule Green Me collection also pay homage to nature with their eco-friendly properties. The packaging is made with natural elements that come from sustainably maintained forests and recycled paper with a low carbon footprint.

Kiko Green Me Eyeshadow Palette, Feisty Saffron, Rs 1,490

Metal hands

Isa Dora has finally solved a dilemma we’re often faced with—to choose to subject our nails to the harsh effect of a gel manicure or to let go of our dreams of beautiful, chrome nails. With their at-home chrome kit your mirrored nails are three steps away. No fluff, only real shine. Paint your nails with their coloured lacquer, then rub the silvery powder onto it until it gives a smooth, metallic finish, and layer with the fixing top coat. That’s all, ladies.

Isa Dora Chrome Nail kit (base colour, powder and top coat), Rs 2,490

People are talking about… plump pouts

Oversized pouts are everywhere. But before you decide to pump up their volume, you should read between the lips.

It took a while for her to come clean but Kylie Jenner finally admitted to getting lip fillers when she was 16. They did more than give her the now-iconic pout—they put some serious dollars in the bank courtesy her Lip Kit line and started a manic trend among millennials who were willing to go beyond trompe-l’oeil makeup tricks and turn to dubious lip suction devices and injectables to plump up their pouts.

Even back home, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad admits that requests for lip fillers from teenagers are on the rise. But as standard practice, Sharad does not administer lip fillers to anyone under 21. “If a girl between 15 to 21 requests a lip filler, I ask them to get their parents along and counsel them.” She adds, “This is really not the right age as the body is still developing and the hormones are changing.”

But if you are a fully consenting adult who’s exhausted all makeup tricks and wants a long-term solution to define, shape and plump up your pout, she recommends hyaluronic acid gel fillers like Juvederm Ultra XC or Restylane Silk. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance and hence considered safe but it’s not a permanent solution and can last anywhere from six to eight months.

Before you decide to brave the needle, make sure you want fuller lips for the right reasons. Even Jenner has admitted in the aftermath, “I didn’t want people to think you had to get your lips done to feel good about yourself.” Body parts are not a trend. – JRC

Also read:

Nykaa now has their own perfumes, and they’re perfect for summer

30 great perfumes to put on your shopping list this April

This is the perfume Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears every day

How to make your perfume last the entire day, no matter the weather

5 perfumes that will make you happy with a single whiff

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