I notice one thing about us girls – the older we get, we more we spend on skincare. Thousands of bucks on facials – and many are religious about it – hundreds on a single bottle or two of serums, and lots of interest in whitening and firming. After all, it’s the only face we’ve got and it’s a good investment to make sure it takes us, firm and gorgeous, into our later years.
So we were thrilled to discover Pure Tincture, a cute skincare boutique in Raffles Place, run by Helen Lien, a simplyfab lady who did a mid-career switch from engineer to skincare expert and business owner. What’s fantastic is that she brings in really niche brands of skincare from all over the world, all organic and many originally created by women who developed them for their own needs to begin with.
One of their main brands is cosmeceutical line Suki, an American brand that uses only natural ingredients, all organic – said that earlier – and suitable for all skins, from normal to super sensitive skin, including those who have severe eczema. It claims to use only ‘high potency botanic concentrate’ as its base rather than water, which packs in lots of goodness. I liked the SukiSpa range which is more concentrated and gives higher levels of performance.
If you want something that gives immediate gratification, the sukispa Renewal Bio-resurfacing Peel (S$150) is the thing to smear on your face. It’s a light lotion with a delicate floral fragrance which promises to whip away the dead skin and rough surface of your face, to reveal glorious smoothness and radiance below! So I did just that on a hot afternoon. It was so relaxing and the smell so soothing I fell asleep on the couch. I had expected some tingling or even stinging sensation – ‘cos it said ‘resurfacing’, didn’t it? – but I felt nothing. Madam woke up with a start half an hour later, washed it off and voila! Very smooth, pretty soft and yes, I must say, the face looked significantly ‘brighter’. The next thing I’ll try is the suki Bio-C 10% Formula Face Serum (S$160). This high potency potion claims to be designed as a ‘super antioxidant specifically to support collagen production and help reduce future signs of ageing’. That’s for me!
Pure Tincture also carries Madara, a natural skincare range from Latvia. It’s a more basic product, but I just loved the way the moisturisers give this minty, refreshing feel on the skin once you slap it on. Other brands she carries – all non-comedogenic and natural - Balm Balm, SantaVerde, Pure Lochside, Nostalgia, etc.
Pure Tincture also does facials in its premises. Don’t expect the bells and whistles of Clarins-style treatments or a spa setting, but it’s super convenient for those working in the area. The set up is pretty basic – two little rooms at Helen’s unit un UOB Centre. But they are completely private, neat and pleasant with proper treatment beds – and what’s more, Helen will give you the facials and massage treatments herself, using cabin products by the brands she carries.
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1 Raffles Place
OUB Centre #04-22B
Tel: 6533 1723
Why do we absolutely need this? Its soft, ‘plant-like texture’ means we don’t need to fiddle with stiff, scratchy cheap blotting paper that looks more like baking paper; and for a touch of frou-frou, it’s a little ‘Geisha’ beauty legacy. Apparently, these ladies discovered that the handmade paper used by gold artisans to protect the metal as they hammered it into thin leaves, was great for taking oil off delicate skin. And so the rest is history, as they often say. 
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