'My name is Elizabeth Yeung [@elizabeth _yeung] and I am a lawyer based in Hong Kong. It’s almost been a decade back in this crazy city—I was born here—but I grew up in New Zealand. Hong Kong is a difficult place to cultivate any hobbies beyond eating at restaurants, having one too many drinks, nursing your hangover, and repeat. I don’t know if its because I’ve grown up or that Hong Kong is as much in the grip of that worldwide middle-class fitness epidemic, but I do now dedicate some time to sipping green juices, finally getting outdoors on Hong Kong’s trails and beaches and enjoying a night in.
My approach to beauty is very much of a low-maintenance girl gradually confronting the realities of being into my 30s. I spent my 20s giving gym people the side eye while stuffing my face with McDonald’s, yet now I know what HIIT stands for. In the last couple of years, things that may have worked in the past might not so much anymore. I’m adding steps and products in to deal with new problems, preserve what youthful radiance I still have, and to be responsible about my body.
My skincare routine is still relatively simple. I wash with cold water in the morning with Simple Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. It gets off even the most stubborn waterproof makeup but doesn’t leave your face squeaky. I’ve been using this since my teens and it even works for my 86-year-old grandmother. I’ve recently started using Shiseido Ultimune, which made me feel airbrushed the first time I used it so I keep it around. My usually well-behaved skin went bonkers on me earlier in the year so I started using La Roche-Posay Toleriane to reset and find the culprit. It calmed my face and it’s a great simple moisturizer.
Oronine H Ointment is my miracle product for any blemishes. Load up before bed and guarantee that the red is gone by the morning. It’s multipurpose—cuts, scrapes, burns, done. It might not be for serious cases, but this stuff will be with me forever.
Once a week I like to do a face scrub followed by toner and a mask. Currently it's Laura Mercier Face Polish. Contrary to conventional wisdom, I like my scrub to actually have scrubby bits and this one does. I follow that with Aesop Parsley Seed Toner, which seems to even skin tone and a Japanese paper mask while I catch up on TV. I buy the pearl extract one from Puresa over and over and it gives a perceivable glow after use.
I am still guilty of not using sunscreen everyday, but when I do the best is Shiseido Perfect UV Protector. It’s non-greasy and dries to a powdery finish. For body I highly recommend Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sport SPF50+ which smells nice and dries completely non sticky. Both are super water-resistant—after a week on a yacht in Croatia in and out of the water, these products made me look like I hadn’t seen the sun in years.
I used to never wear makeup but now, on a workday, I use Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 23 as a concealer as needed and Maybelline Pure UV Mineral Pressed Powder [ed note: not available in the US] to set. If I haven’t gotten Japanese lash extensions, then a press with the Koji No63 Eyelash Curler will do. It’s just as good as the Shu but cheaper and they do replacement rubber pads in packs of four. Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister Mascara is the best and once someone asked me if I had extensions on with this stuff alone. For liner, I usually buy whatever has the best ratings—right now I’m using Leanani Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner [ed note: not available in the US], but the Love Darling Eyeliner is good, too. My all time favorite Lovedrops Impact Eyeliner has gone MIA. from the shelves and I’m coming to terms with the fact that it may have been discontinued.
Any girl who lives in high humidity environs needs to start using Japanese waterproof eye makeup like, yesterday. Even the best Western brands will leave you with an unsightly ring of doom under each eye by lunchtime on a sticky day. These products will not budge an inch yet will wash off like a dream. Sometimes the mascara fibers will hang on for dear life but a coat of Heroine Make Mascara Remover before you wash will do the trick.
I do not feel right without a coat of clear eyebrow gel. Currently, it’s Anastasia, which has a better brush than MAC and Bobbi Brown—but they all work. Finish it all with a sweep of Nars Orgasm blush and a spritz of Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile or Diptyque Do Son and I’m off. On a night out, I like a red lip and my favorite shade is Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl, with Red Square and Topshop Lips in Rio Rio also on current rotation.
I have a lot of hair which is always over-processed. I finally tried a coconut oil mask overnight and it works. I was diehard Kerastase since my college years but recently tried Tsubaki which is essentially a supermarket brand and their Damage Care Shampoo & Conditioner keeps things soft and supple. I somehow forgot all my products on a trip to LA in April but picked up the Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Styling Crème which does something good in damp hair and the Bumble & bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil which kills flyaways. I only wash my hair two or three times a week, and Batiste Dry Shampoo helps get me there.
After being addicted to fancy body washes for years right now I’ve settled on Dr. Bronner’s in Eucalyptuswhich I find very Zen when you're hungover. My favorite post-shower body oil is Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, as I love beachy scents but my wallet feels less guilty slathering myself in Neutrogena Body Oil so I go to town with that most nights. I like oils versus creams because you can use every last drop.”
—as told to ITG
The #ITGTopShelfie series puts the focus on the lives and beauty routines of Into The Gloss's lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Show us your own Top Shelfie on Instagram—tag us @intothegloss, and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie.
