Alexis Bittar

Sparkle Factor Alexis Bittar is the CEO and Creative Designer of the eponymous jewellery company, known for his signature Lucite bangles, hand-painted and carved beauties, and high-fashion runway collaborations, with the likes of Michael Kors and Jason Wu. The Brooklyn-based Bittar dealt with a drug addiction early in his life, and post cleaning up, in 1990, started designing Lucite earrings, which he peddled on Prince Street in SoHo, becoming an instant hit.

He opened his first boutique on Broome Street in New York in 2004 and then, there was no looking back for him. His pieces have been spotted on notable celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Obama.

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Although Bittar has long ventured into fine jewellery and has a wide range of gorgeous jewellery in precious metals embedded with custom-cut gemstones, he is still best known for crafting stunners in Lucite, the material he started with. Whether statement or fine, every piece of his jewellery is rebelliously striking. editor’s pick If I were told to go through a ‘ jewellery detox’ and I could save only three bejewelled pieces, I would buy Alexis Bittar jewels and live with them all my life. I would wear a statement jewel, precious or Lucite notwithstanding, every day. What enthralls me about Bittar’s designs is the fearless marriage of Art Nouveau details with Punk concepts, and his unique material combinations. Right now, I am obsessing over his Swan collection. Editor's pick LIGHT AS AIR What do you get when you combine the goodness of marine extracts and the texture of foam? The Thalgo Foaming Marine cleanser, of course. The light foaming lotion packs in red algae, grapefruit extract, invigorating flavonoids and anti-free radical Vitamin C. It cleanses the skin and removes all traces of dirt, makeup and impurities and is especially beneficial for oily and acne-prone skin. The light foamy texture gently purifies the skin without robbing its natural moisture. Get ready to say hello to squeaky clean, soft, supple, and hydrated skin this season!

Price: `1,700 THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Give wings to your lashes. The L'Oréal Paris Butterfly Mascara, one of the brand’s most exciting mascara innovations has a revolutionary Butterfly Brush with an asymmetrical lash line shape. It extends and lifts the outer corner lashes like nothing else to create a perfectly winged-out effect. The unique Cocoon Fibers of the brush wrap the lashes in a soft, deliciously dark veil to create spectacular lashes that flutter. The mascara also amplifies volume and drama by offering up to six times the volume of your normal lashes, leaving every lash extended. That’s just what we’ve been waiting for to complete the wing eyeliner look! JUSTADROP !

Avène's new Eluage Antiwrinkle Concentrate fights the signs of ageing with just a drop of the product. The depletion of collagen fibres and hyaluronic acid is one of the key factors in maintaining your skin's firmness. But as your skin grows older, the production of hyaluronic acid slows considerably, leading to dehydrated, sagging and wrinkled skin. The Hyaluronic Acid Fragments in the patented Eluage formula boost cell metabolism, enhance luminousity and increase production of hyaluronic acid. The eveninguse-only concentrate fills up wrinkles and deep furrows from the inside. With best results showing on women who are 35 and above, Eluage makes the skin visibly firmer, smoother and better hydrated.

Price: `1,200 Calling all lipstick addicts The new season means new clothes… and new shades of lipsticks on your dresser! Taking inspiration from fall’s vibrant foliage, Clinique’s Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick is out with eight new shades to play up your lips. Available in Suede, Crimson, Mandarin, Peony, Petal, Magenta,Beauty, and Plum, the new hues deliver rich colour intensity while maintaining a long-lasting, matte finish while offering comfortable, non-drying wear. But what we love most about this legendary lipstick is that there is no feathering or bleeding even after wearing it for hours! Price: `1,600 Vine Addiction Caudalie is an award-winning French skincare brand, best known for its anti-ageing treatments. Its natural, paraben-free skincare range is powered by the potent benefits of grape leaves, seeds, vines and fruit. Caudalie’s story began in 1993, when Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas met a polyphenols specialist, Professor Joseph Vercauteren, during harvest season at the heart of the vineyards in their family estate in Bordeaux, France. Vercauteren showed them that grape extracts are more effective than vitamin E against free-radicals. Two years later, in 1995, Mathilde and Bertrand launched Caudalie with a range of three products containing stabilised grape-seed polyphenols with anti-ageing properties, using and patenting stabilised polyphenols in cosmetics for the first time. In 1996, Caudalie set up its own research team, attaining two more patents: resveratrol and viniferine. Vercauteren stayed on as the scientific advisor of Caudalie’s research centre. The brand is committed to using maximum natural ingredients that respect the environment. In 2006, they removed paraben from all their products.

1. Divine Legs A tinted lotion for party-ready, nourished, glowing legs. Approximately `2,600 for 100 ml 2. Vinosource S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum Fast absorbing formula for soft, nourished skin. Approximately `2,910 for 30 ml 3. Premier Cru The Cream An all-in-one antiaging treatment featuring Resveratrol, Viniferine and grape-seed Polyphenols. Approximately `9,500 for 50 ml 4. Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream A rehydrating solution featuring Viniferine that calms skin and targets imperfections. Approximately `3,800 for 40 ml This month’s beauty obsession… Editor's pick editor’s pick Caudalie One jet-lagged, skin-weary morning, a day before a very important event I was travelling for, I broke up with my trusted night cream. It just didn’t seem to be working, given the increased needs of my skin, now swinging towards the wrong side of the 30s! So I set out to find an emergency fix. Trouble was, I am a huge beauty cynic. On massive recommendation yet apprehensively, I picked up Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir. By the end of my trip, I was so intoxicated by this double-timing product that I made sure I picked up some more before I got back home. Need I say more!