Instagram’s 2018 trending hashtag was #BeautyBoy – a nod to the rise in men who went beyond the use of bottles labelled “shampoo+face wash” to using proper skincare products (bonus points if they’re eco-friendly grooming products) and the occasional dab of makeup.
In 2020, welcome #BeautyBoy2.0 – a lad who is more concerned with the sustainability of the products he purchases.
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Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-free Toner
Eco-friendly from its packaging (100 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic) down to its ingredients – sustainably grown Calendula flowers and no usage of synthetic drying agents – this toner soothes normal to oily skin types without drying it out.
Orbis U Lotion
Key porin booster and oat kernel extract soothe inflammation, deliver moisture, and provide an anti-oxidising boost to the very last drop. By then, one should be compelled to purchase a refill for it to minimise plastic wastage.
Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask
Housed in a glass container that is recyclable and approved by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a soothing (vitamin B5), moisturising (sodium hyaluronate) and softening (lily bulb) cream that is blended in a base of rosewater.
LAB Series Instant Filter Moisturizer
A one-shade-fits-all formula, this daily moisturiser contains an activated blurring technology that conceals visible redness, smoothens out flaws, and enhances brightening upon application with firm outwards and upwards strokes.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
This full-coverage concealer – of which there are 22 shades – is formulated for up to 16 hours of wear, thanks to a weightless formula and reflecting powders that blur imperfections. Its doe-foot applicator makes for precise application too.
Giorgio Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer
Twenty shades of this creamy long-wearing concealer (reports state that it can be worn for up to 12 hours) coupled with a time-released oil system ensure that its finishing never gets cakey, even if one spontaneously wears it to a beach club.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Accomplice Concealer & Touch-up Stick
The 007 bullet-like concealer comes in 17 shades ranging from Edward Cullen to T’Challa of Wakanda, and its benefits are equally diverse – it blurs the look of pores, fine lines, and imperfections like blemishes, dark circles and discolouration.
YSL Beauty Pure Shots Serum
Housed in a refillable bottle to reduce waste, the serum comes in four formulas – a Night Reboot to repair, Lines Away to smooth, Light Up to brighten, and Y Shape to sharpen – which can be used interchangeably according to one’s skincare needs.
KVD Vegan Beauty Lock-it Foundation
Boasting 44 shades that range from a near-white to a rich deep ebony, this vegan foundation offers full coverage – one can use this as a concealer (1/4 pump) or as a sheer tint (1/3 pump).
Dior Capture Totale C.e.l.l Energy Crème
Harnessing 84 per cent natural ingredients harvested from the Dior Gardens (the plants are grown without chemical fertilisers or pesticides), this anti-ageing cream is packaged in FSC-certified cardboard paper that is entirely recyclable.
Tom Ford Shade And Illuminate Foundation
The weightiness of this foundation begins with its packaging (a luxurious glass bottle), meets in the middle with its diverse shade range of 39, and ends with a medium-to-full coverage with a soft light- reflecting finish that glows.
Clinique Even Better Glow Foundation
Twenty-seven shades, a full-coverage finish for two skin types (very dry or combination oily skin) and 24 hours of hydration is encapsulated into this foundation. A thin layer of it is a skin blurring tint, and three layers practically erase any signs of imperfections.
Skin Inc Serum Glow Filter
This pearlescent gel is made for any skin tone – especially ones that need the appearance of pores or imperfections to be blurred – it also doubles up as skincare with anti-ageing gold hibiscus extract, pore reducing vitamin B3, and moisturising hyaluronic acid.
Origins Mega-Mushroom Fortifying Emulsion
The emulsion’s packaging is green (recycled fibre, cardboard, and sustainable paper) but the formulation is greener – nutrient-rich reishi and fermented chaga mushrooms hydrate for up to 48 hours while alleviating redness and sensitivity.
Photography Jeff Chang
Styling Bryan Goh
This story first appeared in the April ’20 issue of Men’s Folio Singapore.
