KAREN NG, 39, PERSONALSTYLIST

Ms Karen Ng, a fixture inSingapore’s social scene,always shows up in the latest

looks from luxury brands suchas Chanel and Givenchy.The same expensive tastes apply

to her skincare regimen.The 39-year-old swears by potions from luxe

brands such as La Mer, La Prairie and SK-II,spending $1,500 to top up her supply everymonth.

“Beauty is something I will not compromiseon. I will do the best for my face as this is aninvestment,” says Ms Ng, whose job involvesdressing celebrities and socialites for events.

“I want to be assured that the skincare I useis of good quality, so I pay for the brands.”

She once spent about $10,000 on a facialmachine that claimed to use ion technology topurge the skin of impurities. She used that forabout a year before realising that “I am blessedwith good skin and all I need is to upkeep myskin with a proper regimen”.

This entails a 20-minute routine twice a day,where she cleanses with Clinique facial soapbefore slathering on La Prairie’s Skin CaviarLuxe Cream. Her eye area is kept hydrated withLa Mer’s The Eye Concentrate.

She also has about 10 other face and eyeserums as well as spot lighteners from brandssuch as By Terry and Lancome.

The devil in her “minimalist” regimen is inthe details.

A $1,200, 100ml jar of La Prairie cream lastsher only about six weeks because she is “notstingy” with the amount she slaps on. Usually,a jar of this size would last at least four months.

A certified facial therapist, she also uses thefacial massage techniques she picked up fromthe course on herself “to promote absorptionand circulation”. She massages her face for atleast 10 minutes, morning and night.

She also exfoliates her skin with a La Prairiescrub once a week, and uses face and eye sheetmasks from La Mer and SK-II three to fourtimes a week.

Explaining her diligent grooming, Ms Ng,who is single, says: “Just like how I tell myclients that the right appearance will openmany doors, my looks help me overcome myinsecurities.

“For example, when I feel down, I look atthe confident front that I am projecting and Ican tell myself, ‘Heck, I’m not going to becrushed by what other people say’.”

Besides skincare, she also visits Passion HairSalon about five to eight times a month to gether hair and make-up done for events,spending about $550 per session.

“Looks are a whole package. Whether I weara gown or a sleek pantsuit, my hair andmake-up have to match my clothing.”

The battle with Father Time will only gettougher as she grows older and she has noqualms about going under the knife if need be.

“I am a believer in aesthetics procedures. Iam fine for now because being meticulous withskincare helps delay the signs of ageing,” saysMs Ng, who goes for intense pulsed lighttreatment once a year to tighten the skinaround her eyes.

“If I see my skin start to sag, I will definitelygo to the best doctor to get some help.”

Beauty spending: About $1,500 a month onskincare products, which include moisturisersand sheet masks. Her annual intense pulsedlight treatment costs about $1,500.

What is the price oflooking good? About$200 a month,according to a survey.

It is how much theaverage Singapore woman spends onbeauty products and services, fromhaircuts to visits to the aestheticsdoctor, making her the biggest spenderin the region.

Coming in a close second arewomen from Hong Kong, who spendHK$1,200 (S$189) a month, followedby mainland Chinese women, with amonthly beauty spend of 800 yuan(S$151).

Market research company Frost &Sullivan polled 300 women aged 20 to49 who make the national averagemonthly household income of about$7,000.

Women in Thailand, Taiwan andAustralia whose pay was equivalent totheir respective national averages werealso polled for the survey commissionedby pharmaceutical company Allergan.

While there is no past data forcomparison, the survey suggests theSingapore girl is increasingly willing tosplurge on something she might haveonce considered a luxury.

Ms Rhenu Buller, globalvice-president of Frost & Sullivan’spharmaceuticals and biotechnologyteam, points to the growing number ofcareer women here who delay havingfamilies.

“It leads to them having disposableincome to spend on themselves.”

Looking good, she says, is perceivedas having an important role in“securing the deal” on both theprofessional and personal fronts.

The 2010 Singapore Nielsen MediaIndex and Consumer Insights studysheds some light on where the moneycould be going.

It found women in Singapore spentan average of $76.13 per month onskincare products and another $69.50on other cosmetics and beautyproducts.

Meanwhile, sales of high-endcosmetics jumped by 35 per cent from$260 million in 2008 to $350 millionlast year, according to figures from theSingapore Association of Perfumes andCosmetics Distributors.

Aesthetics procedures are alsobecoming more mainstream, with morethan 60 per cent of the 300 women inthe Allergan survey reporting they hadvisited a clinic for such services.

Today, more than ever, there issomething for every whim and budgetto fend off the ravages of time andnature.

The cosmetics industry is booming,with at least 50 new brands arriving onthe shelves in the last three years.

One of the biggest players wasmulti-label beauty hall Sephora, whichopened in late 2008. It brought 30 newlabels such as cult American make-upbrand Too Faced and the British beautylabel Soap & Glory.

Not to be outdone, personal carestores Watsons and Guardian havebeefed up their selection of hard-to-finddrugstore brands from Taiwan, Japanand Korea.

Grooming services, too, haveevolved. The one-stop beauty salons aresharing space with chains that specialisein niche services.

For instance, Spa Esprit which startedoff as a spa has branched out to includewaxing chain Strip and brow-groomingchain Browhaus.

AFFORDABLE NIPS & TUCKSPerhaps the most striking trend inrecent years is how clinical aestheticservices have moved into the realm ofthe affordable and ordinary.

Aesthetic procedures like botox andfillers are in such demand that theSingapore Medical Council moved tolimit the type of treatments generalpractitioners can perform after a seriesof complaints about botched jobs.

Figures from the Singapore Society ofAesthetic Medicine show there areabout 40 full-time aesthetics clinics inSingapore, run by general practitioners,dermatologists or plastic surgeons. Thisis double the number of plasticsurgeons in 2007.

Dr Kenneth Lee, medical director ofThe Sloane Clinic chain, notes manypatients are well-versed and talk openlyabout what they want.

“This may explain why about70 per cent of our patients nowcome from word-of-mouthrecommendations, compared to about40 per cent five years ago, whenpatients tend to keep their visits asecret,” he said.

They come from all walks of life,from professionals to housewives andstudents.

But while women can well afford theluxury of beauty these days, few may bethinking about how much it actuallycosts them.

Dr Cornelia Chee, consultantpsychiatrist and director of theWomen’s Emotional Health Service atthe National University Hospital’sDepartment of Psychological Medicine,says one reason for the obsession withbeauty is “the culture of glorifyingyouth”.

She says: “This is why, for somewomen, looking young for as long aspossible does become a preoccupation.”

Some women could be exhibitingtraits of perfectionism or haveself-esteem or body image issues, sheadds. They focus on their beautyregimens as a way of dealing with theirdissatisfaction with their faces andbodies.

Dr Brian Yeo, a consultantpsychiatrist at Mount Elizabeth MedicalCentre, says a good way to judge if aperson is becoming obsessed is whenher actions begin to affect her life.

He advises counselling for such cases.“For example, if she is persistently

late because she cannot leave homewithout wearing make-up; or if she goesinto debt from buying beauty productsor going for treatments, then she hascrossed the line into dysfunction.”

With this sober warning, Urbanspeaks to four beauty junkies to find outhow far they will go for beauty.

karentee@sph.com.sg

MS LIVIA GOH, 27,PART-TIME STUDENT

AND ADMINISTRATIVEEXECUTIVE

At the ripe old age of 27, Ms Livia Goh knowsher days of pulling off the “kawaii” doe-eyedJapanese look are numbered.

Which is why, with youth still on her side,the part-time student has no qualms aboutspending up to two hours to turn herself into aclone of the famous Harajuku girls in Tokyo.

Lush false lashes, coloured contact lensesand light brown hair are just some of thetrademarks of these teens.

“Not everybody can pull off the cute lookbut I’m small-sized, so I have an advantage,”says the 1.56m-tall Ms Goh.

“I want to be able to look at myphotographs in 20 years and say that I oncelooked really cute.”

About three times a week, she wakes up at7am and spends about two hours just to painton her kawaii face.

So adept is she that when she holidayed inTaiwan last month, the people she metthought she was Japanese.

But she has been known to be one to twohours late for appointments because of hermake-up obsession.

Her defence: “If I look bad, I’d rather not goout.”

She once got up at 3am just so that shecould doll up in time for a morning flight toTaiwan. On another trip, she left her make-upkit at home and dashed to a drugstore to stockup on beauty essentials the minute she arrivedat her destination.

Her eyes get the VIP treatment in herroutine: She spends up to 45 painstakingminutes perfecting them before moving on tothe rest of her face.

“They are the first things people look at,”she explains.

She applies a sticker to each eyelid to createmore defined double eyelids, draws a wingtipon each eye using eyeliner to make them lookwider, then finishes off with false eyelashes.

She is not short-sighted, but pops incoloured contact lenses – she has three pairs inbrown, grey and green – for the full doe-eyedeffect.

But she rejects the “beauty fanatic” label.“I may be vain but I’m not obsessed

because I don’t constantly touch up mymake-up once I am out.”

She takes pains to look her best, especiallywhen meeting someone for the first time, asfeedback to her going bare-faced has not beenencouraging.

Previous boyfriends have commented thatshe looks tired, while her colleagues joked thatshe “looks like a ghost”.

But there is a pragmatic side to her vanity –she says she wears make-up only whennecessary.

For example, she goes without make-upwhen attending night classes – she is doing apart-time bachelor’s degree in communicationat SIM University.

“I’m there to study. There are also no cuteguys for me to impress, so I don’t have tobother,” she quips.

Beauty spending: About $50 a month onmake-up from drugstore brands like ZA,Silkygirl, Kate and Integrate. She also spendsabout $100 a month to trim and colour herhair at the salon. She spends about $150 everythree months on Laneige skincare products.

Every six months, when she goes to Taiwanfor a vacation, she will pay about $100 for a fullset of nail art, which lasts two months.

CAN YOU GET?vain

Must-have items

1 ZA Perfection Concealer, $13.90

This is a multi-purpose concealer thatcovers spots, blemishes and dark eyerings.

2 Bobbi Brown Long-wear GelEyeliner, $40

With this smudge-proof gel liner, I canline my eyes extremely close to my lashesto make my lashes look fuller.

3 Maybelline Volum’ Express HyperCurl Mascara, $18.90

Eyeliner does only half the job of“opening” my eyes. I need mascara tocomplete the look.

Must-have items

1 La Mer The Eye Concentrate, $295

It moisturises and nourishes the areaaround my eyes, which gets dry easily asthe skin is very thin. It is also a good basefor eye make-up.

2 La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream,$1,220

This cream makes my skin supple and itcontains light diffusers to make my facelook brighter.

3 Clinique Facial Soap, $26

This cleanser gets rid of all the dirt andimpurities in my skin for a squeaky-cleanfeeling.

MAKE-UPMANIAC

Urban talks to womenwho go to the extremewhen it comes tolooking good

Photographer ASHLEIGH SIM; Special thanks to Passion Hair Salon for the use of its premises

SKINCARESNOB

HOW

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MS YANNY LI, 24, BEAUTY BRAND EXECUTIVE

Some people have security blankets. Ms Yanny Li hassecurity perfume.

The brand executive with a beauty company cannotleave home without a full-sized bottle of Juicy Coutureperfume.

“I feel very insecure if I have a small bottle because itmay run out,” she says.

The 24-year-old spritzes herself on her neck, wrists,ankles and behind her kneecaps about four times a day.

If she forgets her perfume, she will either drive hometo get it or buy a new bottle, which costs $126.

She has gone through about 10 bottles of the scentsince she started using it in January last year.

Her obsession does not stop at perfumes. She also lugsaround an array of hair products that weigh up to 4kg.

These include dry shampoo, hair perfume, styling cream,hair rollers and a pair of straightening tongs.

This is on top of spending at least 11/2 hours to primpand preen for work in the morning.

These items, she says, are necessary for touch-ups.A quick spritz of hair fragrance is essential after lunch

to keep odours at bay and the tongs and styling productskeep her hair in place for a night out after work.

Other beauty aids she stashes in her bag include a lashcurler, compact powder foundation, eyeshadow palettes,eyeliners and a few tubes of lipstick and lipgloss.

She also has emergency fix-its such as HollywoodTape, breath spray, a stain remover and feminine wash.

The key reason for her vanity is that she works in thebeauty industry, where she is expected to look her best.

She adds: “Looking good makes me feel good and Itake pride in my appearance.”

She does not travel light either.She packs full-sized bottles of all her skincare and

bodycare products even for short getaways in case theyrun out.

Her preoccupation with grooming means she is oftenlate for appointments. She manages to make it to workby 9am daily only because she wakes up at 6am to getready.

“I’d rather be late than unprepared. Going out is likebeing on Chatroulette, you never know who you mightmeet,” she says, referring to the website that links twousers via webcam randomly.

Beauty spending: About $300 a month on beautyproducts and grooming such as manicures andpedicures. She also spends about $200 every two to threemonths on trims and colour touch-ups at the hair salon.

MS RACHEL KUM, 26, MISS SINGAPOREUNIVERSE 2009

Placenta, snail extract, stem cells.These may sound like what goes into a witch’s brew

but to Ms Rachel Kum, the ingredients may just take herone step closer to the mythical elixir of youth.

They are among the anti-ageing compounds she plansto use in her upcoming skincare line.

Her Rachel K Cosmetics line has already hit stores – apressed face powder and a colour control cream went onsale at 30 Watsons stores last month.

Ms Kum began working on her beauty line last Julyafter her beauty queen reign ended. Together with threebusiness partners, she has invested $100,000 in herRachel K beauty brand.

She has taken other unconventional routes in herquest for beauty.

Last November, she flew to Frankfurt for an aestheticsprocedure called Fresh Cell Therapy, which is notapproved in Singapore.

During this treatment, stem cells from a sheep’s foetusare injected into the patient, which supposedly helprejuvenate the body, improve one’s complexion andreduce the appearance of wrinkles.

It is not accepted by the medical profession as it is notbacked up by scientific evidence, but Ms Kum is unfazed.She decided to give it a go after seeing how a friend’smother looked visibly younger post-treatment.

She reasons: “In 2009, President Barack Obama liftedthe ban on stem cellresearch in the UnitedStates, which showsthat there is a lot ofpotential in stem celltherapy.”

She is a fan of otheraesthetics procedurestoo.

For instance, sheundergoes Thermagetreatments, whereradiofrequency wavesare directed at the skinto tighten and contourit, about twice a year.

She also has Botoxjabs every three to fourmonths to slim andcontour her jawline.Each session costsunder $1,000.

Then there is theDeep Red facial at TheSloane Clinic once amonth.

The $200,60-minute session includes a microdermabrasion scrub,cleansing using sonic waves and LED red light therapy,which is said to boost cell metabolism for radiant skin.

To detractors who say her beauty is not natural, shereplies: “There is no need for me to justify anything as Iam happy with myself.”

Being in the business of beauty, she is mindful of howmuch looks matter.

“I have to live up to my image because I am in thecosmetics line. I am the face of my brand.”

Her complex regimen, she says, actually saves her timein the long run.

“The results from treatments like live cell therapy aresupposed to last for eight to 10 years, so I don’t have tospend time maintaining my looks,” she says.

“I go for these treatments so that my daily skincareand make-up routine can be kept to just 15 to 20minutes. Since my skin is in good condition, I don’t haveto pile on the products.”

It sounds like a lot of hard work, but she insists she isdoing “the minimum that is necessary”.

“I don’t want to do too much now, or else I will haveso much more to maintain as I get older.”

Beauty spending: She spends about $200 on a facialevery month at The Sloane Clinic. She goes for Thermagetreatments twice a year, which cost from $5,000 persession. Botox jabs every three months cost her under$1,000 per session.

Photographer ASHLEIGH SIM; Hair EVANDE LOH, from Shunji Matsuo Hair Studio; Make-up TAN SIEW CHEE, from ZA

Photographer DESMOND LIM; Special thanks to The Sloane Clinic for the use of its premises

PERFUMEADDICT

Must-have items1 ZA Plumper LipsLipstick, $13.90I must always wearlipstick as I feel barewithout it.2 Aqualabel PerfectProtect Milk SPF 50,$28.90Sunscreen is the mostimportant part of yourskincare regimen as itprotects your skin fromsun damage and skincancer.3 Juicy Coutureperfume, $126Smelling this remindsme of happy times andlifts my mood.

Must-have items

1 Rachel K Mineral CCCream, $35

It is my moisturiser,sunblock andfoundation all in one.

2 Rachel K Mineral CCPressed Powder, $38

I use this for touch-upsthroughout the day tokeep my skin oil-freeand photo-ready.

3 Sloane Inc 24K GoldSkin Primer, $158

I use this as a make-upbase to prep my skin sothat my make-up cango on smoothly andlast.

BEAUTYLAB RAT

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