[By Kendall Goh]
Kendall is our overseas correspondent currently doing a course on Textile Design in Parsons, The New School for Design, NYC. As she braved the cold and trudged along 12th Street, her mind is dreaming of open toe, strappy heels and strawberry martinis.
For the longest time ever, Pink is a color that only appear in gowns meant for Disney’s princesses all ruffles, lace and frills. Then along came style maestro Tom Ford in the late 90s, sending models down the Gucci runway in every shade of pink imaginable, and the fashion world started to see this Pantone shade in a different light. From coy and flirty to sultry and sexy, Pink left the domain of childhood paraphernalia and became a trendy IT color in every imaginable shade. Peony, rose, blush, Germolene or Millennial Pink has been the color of the moment making its round in fashion and design circles for a few seasons now, showing no signs of slowing down with Versace, Valentino and Miu Miu and Erdem sending down a rose parade on catwalks for spring/summer 2018. From powder ruffles to fuchsia silks, even the most minimalist or androgynous of tastes will be tempted to think Pink, the mood lifting shade that’s synonymous with ultra-femininity.
Trend Alert #1: Peony ombré nails & grapefruit daiquiri kisses
For the faint hearted damsel, the easiest and best way to introduce something new into your wardrobe is to play with make-up colors. With so many different shades from the family, you’ll definitely not go wrong with a pink-hued nail polish. Make sure that the pink pigment chosen complements your skin tone. Gals with dark hair and warm complexions often look stunning in hot pink. Light blondes with fair complexions look sassy with paler hues, whereas corals work best for ladies with dark blonde hair and warm, olive complexions.
Dress up your nails in ombré, a twist of the classic French manicure that had caught on in recent years. Opt for white and peony or up to 3 different shades of the blushing tone, adding on a light dusting of glitter for added charm and pizazz. POPSTAR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick delivers a vivid explosion of color with its waterproof, lightweight and non-sticky formulation,with Detox, Desiree and Mimi the trio of pink hues in the palette to be seen in spring. 100% vegan, cruelty-free with no added parabens and fragrances, the winner of Harper’s Bazaar Beauty Awards 2017 for Best Long-Lasting Lipstick with a unique applicator that glides with comfort and precision is built for taking you from day to night, offering color freshness that’ll last for hours upon hours.
To look more put together, pair pretty pink nail polish with pink lips but it’s not necessary to choose the exact shade and be over the top ‘matchy-matchy’. Go light on the rest of your make-up as your painted lips and nails are already shouting out for attention. Get your complexion flushing with the glow of spring with CHAI ROSE GOLD Regenerating Serum, a powerful moisturizing serum formulated to soothe and deeply hydrate skins in need of a deep dermal oasis. Formulated to impart a bouncy, youthful dewy finish for all skin types especially thirsty, dehydrated ones, this refreshing and revitalizing formula combines pink gold extracts with Alguronic acid, a breakthrough anti-aging ingredient, with nourishing microalgae oil and a potent vitamin C derivative to keep skin supple, radiant and positively youthful-looking.
Read more: 4 Sure-Fire Ways to Look Polished and Well-Groomed (Beauty Edition)
Trend Alert #2: Crossbody arm candy & pretty-in-pink whimsical heels
There’s always a reason for a new bag every season, but make sure it’s not another one in black or tan! Designers are putting out bags in a myriad of rainbow colours for S/S 18 and pink is definitely a strong contender. A deliciously creamy salmon beige colored Chanel boy bag cut in signature calf skin with brushed gold accents is a great way to add a pop of color when paired with work neutrals as pink looks great with greys, creams and navy. Embellished with tattoo-inspired beaded motifs and finished with a run of exaggerated signature pale-gold tone metal rock studs along the front flap, Valentino Lock bag in rose-beige leather is anything but another boring crossbody shoulder bag. Striking a deft balance between saccharine kawaii and rock-chick chic, matched it with a similar swag to imbue your springtime look with a high-octane feel!
Nobody does whimsical better than Miuccia Prada as shown in this pair of delightful embellished sparrow heels from the archives of Miu Miu, circa 2010. They were an instant hit and a complete sold out which spurned a thousand taobao copies and high street reinterpretations. If you had missed your chance to grab a pair, make sure you keep your eyes peeled on eBay re-sale or current season similar permutations to play footsie with this spot on trend.
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Trend Alert #3: Pink is the new blonde
ith the queen of reality tv Kim Kardashian’s radical transforming her waist length platinum blonde locks to an almost neon raspberry-magenta color, making the social media rounds with a few cheeky Snapchat filters, it’s official that pink is the new blonde for 2018. From blindingly bright bubblegum pink to the subtle wash of millenium pink, there’s a plethora of pink hair colors out there to experiment with. Depending on the chosen shade, pink hair can take you anywhere from bold and subversive to demure and delicate as you want it to be, so check in with your hair colorist today for a rosier future ahead!
“Regular hair colouring, streaking and highlighting can all cause cumulative damage, although it may take several years before obvious signs of hair breakage set in.” Warns Dr. Kenneth Lee, medical director of the SW1 Clinic (formerly from The Sloane Clinic).“Chemical dyes may damage our hair by breaking through the cuticle shield and invade the cortex, and in some cases, they may also cause an autoimmune reaction that’ll lead to increased hair loss.”
Laser light therapy has gained recognition and became increasingly popular as a modality in the prevention and treatment of premature hair loss. The FDA approved Revage 670 Laser engaged in the Keramax Scalp Program is widely recognised as the gold standard to your follicular woes, rejuvenating thinning hair back to its former glory. Revage works by thickening fine miniaturized hair, is highly effective for women with diffuse thinning or general weakening both as a rescue and preventive measure to maintain the lushness of one’s crowning glory. With a total of 30 laser diodes that provide critical coherent beams as a direct source of energy in a hood that goes over the scalp to ensure maximum contact over the area(s) to be treated, Revage maximizes stimulation of each hair follicle at a much higher level that sets its reliability and efficacy way above that of traditional hand-held variants.
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Trend Alert #4: Geek-chic blooming bombers
An innovative way to par down the saccharine sweetness of pink is to pick a style that’s traditionally associated with sheer masculinity. Instead of a structured jacket, go for a bomber style in silk or velvet to nail the current “Sports Luxe” trend. Alessandro Michele hits all the right notes here with this salmon base, multi-colored, raglan sleeves number. The ‘Loved’ Panther Motif Silk Bomber is the perfect statement piece to invest in for spring, featuring a ribbed collar with front zip fastening, and accented with Gucci’s signature blue and red web detail. Show off your softer side without losing your edge and identity, juxtaposing it with a pair of geometric patterned shorts if you dare to go full throttle print-on-print!
Trend Alert #5: Cotton candy wedding confectionery
Gwen Stefani had one and so did Jessica Biel and Reese Witherspoon. If you are walking down the aisle and saying “I do” this spring, why not do so in an alluring shade of cotton candy pink? Millennial pink seems to be the new ivory for 2018, a soft muted shade described as beige with just a touch of blush to a peach-salmon hybrid. Pink as sensual, pink as seductive, pink as dreamy, pink as sophisticated, pink as strong, pink as cool. Definitely setting the bar and making heads turn for all the right reasons, a stunning pink bridal dress without a doubt waxes lyrical musings, indeed “Sweet Dreams Are Made of These”.
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