Best Beauty Buys: August 2019 Edition

As the hype over summer makeup collections ebb in August, we’re seeing a lot of exciting makeup and skincare launches that promise to give us better skin. Here are eight of our most anticipated launches this month.

1. Shu Uemura Unlimited Breathable Lasting Cushion Foundation, $78, in eight shades, from Shu Uemura

When Shu Uemura launched its Unlimited Breathable Lasting Foundation earlier this year, we were blown away by the long-lasting yet lightweight formula. The second-skin finish and medium-to-full coverage blurred out skin imperfections and could take us from day to night without streaking or melting. What’s more, the 24 shades offered were created specifically to suit Asian skin tones, to give us a better shade match.

Now, the brand is launching a cushion foundation with the same breathable formula. It gives full coverage with a semi-matte finish, and has an upped SPF of 36 (from 24 for the liquid foundation). We like the cushion format because it’s easy to tote around, especially if you are a frequent traveller, and it makes touch-ups on-the-go more convenient – not that you’ll need it if you’re wearing its liquid counterpart in the first place, of course.

2. Dior Dreamskin Care & Perfect Perfect Skin Creator, $150 for 30ml – $200 for 50ml, from Dior

Luxury beauty house Dior’s Dreamskin line has distinguished itself as a skincare line that helps you get better and healthier skin. And its newly reformulated Perfect Skin Creator has more active, natural-origin ingredients such as shea butter, niacinamide, marine sugars and French Alpine water compared to its predecessor, which makes it more gentle on skin while it helps strengthen skin barrier, accelerate cellular renewal and nourish skin. The light rose-tinted fluid also has a patented blend of pigments and powders that imparts a youthful radiance and blurs out skin imperfections.

We took it for a test run and are pleased to report that when used on its own (as the last step of your skincare regimen, before your sunblock), it creates a beauty filter-like effect on skin – great for days when you want to go a makeup-free, your-skin-but-better look. Used under foundation, it works like a primer to allow your makeup to last longer. But the best thing is that when you use it every day, it helps you get more translucent-looking skin, smooth out fine lines and refine skin texture too.

3. Armani Beauty Color Sketcher, $55, in seven shades, from Armani Beauty

Multi-purpose products never fail to get us excited because they are usually easy and convenient to use. And Armani Beauty’s new Color Sketcher, a makeup pencil/crayon that works as a blush and lip colour, is one of those that fits the bill. It has a smooth, creamy and easily blendable texture, and its satin sheen finish makes it ideal for everyday makeup looks. The formula can also be layered for a more intense look that you can sport for dinner dates and parties. Plus, the colours are super wearable and classic – shades of beige, brown, pink, and plum – which is really what modern women need.

Related article: 7 New Cushion Foundations To Add To Your Makeup Bag

4. Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, from $130 for a 30ml bottle to $315 for a 115ml bottle, from Lancome

If one bottle of a serum is sold every six seconds, and 25 million bottles of it have been sold worldwide, a reformulation of said serum is going to be a big thing. Which is why we’re excited to try out the newly reformulated Lancome Advanced Genifique serum. The bottle looks unchanged at first glance, but the serum has been enriched with pre- and pro-biotics fractions that now work more efficiently to help skin better defend itself against internal and external aggressors, according to the brand’s scientific studies. The aim of the serum remains the same – to keep the skin microbiome in a balanced state, which then translates into stronger skin barrier functions and healthier, more radiant and youthful-looking skin.

5. YSL Beaute All Hours Setting Powder, $82, in 12 shades, from YSL Beaute

We sometimes find translucent loose setting powders a bit messy and they don’t do much else except, well, set our makeup. So YSL Beaute’s All Hours Setting Powder is on our must-buy list this month because it’s a setting powder which comes in a compact form (read: not messy) and gives added coverage on top of setting our makeup. The pigments in the powder are encapsulated in microspheres which ensures even distribution, and the matte finish has a buildable coverage that doesn’t make your complexion look ashy. Plus, there are 12 shades to choose from, to take off shine and give you that extra bit of coverage where you need it – great for midday touch-ups for areas such as around your nose and mouth, where we tend to rub off our foundation after meals or when excess sebum production interferes with our foundation.

6. Coach Floral Blush, from $66 for a 30ml bottle to $149 for a 90ml bottle, from Metro Paragon Lobby (from Aug 9, 2019), and major retailers (from Aug 16, 2019)

Inspired by the brand’s signature Tea Rose motif and the free-spirited Coach Girl, this new perfume celebrates the romance of adventure and endless possibilities. It opens with notes of goji berry and grapefruit before notes of peony and peach take over, finally mellowing down to woody, musky notes. We think it’s a refreshing fruity, floral scent perfect for the modern can-do young woman who’s also fun and carefree.

Related article: 9 Best Eye Sheet Masks To Revive Tired-Looking Eyes

7. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation, approx. $96, in 36 shades, from Pat McGrath and Sephora

Known as one of the most influential makeup artists of our time, Pat McGrath is launching her first foundation, the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation in August. And if you have been keeping up to date on your beauty news, you’ll know that Pat McGrath Labs has long had a cult following of beauty aficionados since its launch in 2015. So you can imagine how excited the beauty community is about this foundation launch. The liquid foundation comes in 36 shades categorised into five groups – light, light-medium, medium, medium-deep and deep – so it’s easier for you to find a match for your skin tone. We’ve heard that the entire range is what Pat McGrath brings to runway shows, where she creates runway-worthy looks for many brands. The oil-free formula is also said to be creamy, self-setting and long-wearing, with a satin finish that lasts the entire day. Skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and a Vita-Serum Complex work with pigments that scatter light and blur out imperfections, so your skin doesn’t just look good, it feels healthier too.

8. Cover FX Monochromatic Blush & Bronzer Duos, $56, in eight dual-coloured palettes (six blushes, two bronzers), from Sephora

Blushers are essential because they add colour and glow to your complexion. We like that Cover FX’s blush and bronzer duos come with two finishes, matte and shimmer, so you can pick and mix depending on your mood or the makeup look you want to achieve that day. The pressed powder has a hybrid powder-cream texture, with emollient ingredients that blend easily, and pigments that give an airy, air-brushed finish. Plus, the formula is vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, and free of parabens, gluten, mineral oil, fragrance and talc – great if you are looking for greener and cleaner options in your beauty routine.

9. Jurlique Moisture Plus Rare Rose Serum, $87, from Jurlique

Australian organic skincare brand Jurlique is launching a new line of hydrating skincare that is said to help replenish moisture to dehydrated skin and lock it in for 24 hours, so your complexion looks naturally radiant. The star ingredient is the Jurlique Rose extract, which is encapsulated in a microcapsule to allow it to penetrate deeper and to better deliver moisture into skin’s deeper layers. The line comprises a serum and three types of moisturisers in lotion, gel-cream and cream formats (these are $70 each). The serum is the must-have of the range, as it has dwarf lily turf root extract to strengthen skin barrier functions too, so skin feels softer and more supple.

Related article: 7 Best Beauty Buys: May 2019 Edition

10. Urban Decay Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation, $55, in 24 shades, from Urban Decay

Urban Decay, known for its range of Naked eyeshadow palettes, is introducing a new foundation to the collection. The formula sounds amazing – waterproof, lightweight, breathable and flexible to ensure zero streaking and caking – and is vegan-friendly to boot. The foundation is said to give medium, buildable coverage and a second-skin finish that stays colour-true without oxidising for 24 hours. Singapore carries a selected 24 shades (out of the 50 shades in the global collection) and the foundation will be launched together with the Stay Naked Correcting Concealer ($40) which comes in 12 shades.