Back in Business
I was gutted when I heard that Brigitte, formerly of Shine Beauty, was packing up her Hollywood Road digs (she was in my office building!) and moving on to pastures new. But I needn’t have worried; she didn’t go far and has been busy launching a new multi-floor day spa called The Strand on Cochrane Street, which, in addition to spa treatments, also has a men’s and ladies’ hair salon and a space for private functions.

I popped in before work one morning when the spa was hosting a surprise birthday party for one of their clients in their multi-purpose lounge. (Seriously—who has the time to crack open a magnum of champagne and have a birthday party at 10am on a Wednesday? And how can I join the club?) I’d scheduled myself in for a 40-minute “Brilliant Back” backcial ($490)—that’s a facial for your back—with Brigitte, who despite being the director of beauty is mercifully still carrying out treatments with her magic hands.

Really, she is quite possibly the best facialist in Hong Kong that I’ve tried so far (The List’s editor-at-large Hollie agrees). The back treatment combines products from Murad and a mud masque from Naturelle D’Orient and is specially designed for those who suffer bacne because of Hong Kong’s humidity. After a fruit-acid exfoliation, a mud mask is applied to calm angry spots and clear out congested pores. The back treatment felt like a real treat, as it’s a place that’s often easy to neglect when you’re showering. It was effective too, and fingers crossed, I haven’t had a breakout since.
The Strand, 18 Cochrane St., Central
2850-7686

Penciling In
Normally, I’m warned away from sharing too much information about beauty products. HK Mag is all about doing things in Hong Kong rather than buying stuff, after all. But sometimes, when something really, really good comes along, I’m happy to bend the rules and talk about it. I’m newly addicted to Laura Mercier’s new Caviar Sticks—ultra-soft eye pencils that lie somewhere between an eyeliner and eyeshadow. The shadow goes on incredibly smoothly and you get a rich color without having to go over the same area over and over, making application incredibly speedy. And once the color is on, it’s set all day. Right now I keep mine (shade: Cocoa) in my handbag for emergency glam-ups. The best part? There’s no need for pencil sharpeners, so no more jabbing my corneas with the sharp bits of my old-school eye pencil.
$210 from various outlets, including Joyce Beauty, G/F, New World Tower, 18 Queen’s Rd. Central, 2869-5816.

Oops…
Another day, another letter from a reader.

This one, however, was a little different from normal. AW recognized me from my slightly blurry one-inch-square column picture! Fame at last! And where was I at the time? Having my hair done? Sitting in a bathrobe waiting for a spa treatment to begin? Stretching in an unseemly fashion at the gym?

Nope. I was busted on my hen night, swinging from the ceiling at Al’s Diner whilst dressed as “Sexy” Prince William (the theme was Royal Wedding, FYI). Thanks for the validation, AW. And thanks also for the reminder to conduct myself a little more discreetly in public in the future.

Email me at sfung@asia-city.com.hk.