Brand story: APAC updates from Sephora, Shiseido, J&J and more

Sephora’s ‘next-gen’ site mixes high-tech tools with the human touch​

Beauty omnichannel retailer Sephora says it is incorporating digital technology with the human touch via its first Asia ‘next-gen’ store.

The new store is also Sephora’s first-ever store in Asia that is equipped with a fully mobile checkout process.

“Stores can no longer be just a point of transaction because there are so many options for consumers to transact so experiential retail is absolutely critical,”​ said Alia Gogi, President of Sephora Asia.

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Shiseido’s Prior to launch eye shadows with skin ageing care benefits​

Shiseido-owned beauty brand Prior is set to launch a line of eye shadows with skin-loving ingredients that it claims can counter signs of ageing for women over 50.

In October, the brand is set to debut Beautiful Eye Cream Colour, a cream eye shadow in a stick format that claims to care for the eye area with ingredients such as Argan oil and hyaluronic acid.

According to the brand, the multifunctional eye product can hydrate and brighten the eye area while also concealing wrinkles and dullness.

Beauty consumers want humid-proof make-up that feels like ‘second skin’ – Kosé Singapore​

Demand for light, barely-there make-up that can resist humidity while also providing some skin care benefits will endure post-pandemic, especially in warm, equatorial climates such as South East Asia.

While masks may no longer be needed, Lim Yi Fang, brand manager, Kosé Singapore told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that many of the preferences that were formed during the pandemic are likely to persist.

“I think it will still be able minimalist make-up – products that enhance your features so it's like your skin, but better. Nothing too heavy and cakey, just make-up that feels light, like a second skin. It’s that whole concept of having ‘mochi skin’,”​ said Lim

LG H&H’s Dr. Groot brews up microbiome-friendly shampoo to mitigate hair loss​

South Korean hair care brand Dr. Groot has launched a shampoo with brewer’s yeast that claims to benefit the microbiome and alleviate hair loss symptoms.

The Microbiome Beer Yeast range claims to balance the microbiome, hence reducing symptoms such as scalp dryness and itchiness.

The new range of products contain seven types of pre and probiotics, including lactic acid bacteria and brewer’s yeast.

Understanding how blue light affects skin health ‘hampered by research methods’ – J&J study​

The understanding of how blue light affects skin health is being hampered by lack of standardised research methods, according to a new review funded by Johnson & Johnson in Singapore.

While the scientific understanding of the effects of blue light on the skin has improved in recent decades, it was far from optimal.

“Several factors continue to limit the progress in this field, including variations in the definition of blue light itself,”​ they wrote.