Category Archives: Beauty

The Nail Library Christian Louboutin manicure review – a chic treat in Sheung Wan

christian louboutin scarabee III alta perla

There are some partnerships that are just meant to be. Fish and chips. Fred and Ginger. Rach and cupcakes. And now another match made in heaven has materialised… The Nail Library and Christian Louboutin.

Hot on the heels of Christian Louboutin’s nail polish line launch, the iconic French designer has picked nowhere other than The Nail Library for its first ever collaboration with another brand – yep that’s right, a world-exclusive range of Louboutin nail spa treatments, right here in Hong Kong. Polishaholics assemble!

the nail library louboutin hong kong

I’ve already told you how much I love The Nail Library – and with its New York cool ambience, top-class technicians and massive range of luxurious lacquer brands, how could any nail aficionado not love the place? Adding Louboutin to the party just makes it even better, with not only the whole range of Louboutin Beauté nail polish colours to pick from, but also a menu of specially designed Louboutin hand and feet treatments too.

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Chanel Mediterranee nail polish review

chanel mediterranee le vernis

There’s just something about Chanel nail polishes.

However many similarly coloured nail polishes you own… however little room you have for yet more nail polish… however many times you claim to be on a nail polish ban… Chanel nail polishes are just impossible to resist. Every. Single. Time.

Chanel Mediterranee is yet another example of a Chanel polish rendering me utterly helpless in its glossy gaze. As soon as it started appearing on U.S. beauty blogs, I knew I needed it – and once I went in-store, the shop assistant may as well have just opened my wallet and started helping herself!

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Christian Louboutin Lova nail polish review

christian louboutin lova

I think it tells you a lot about the type of person I am that when I saw the name of this Christian Louboutin nail polish was Lova, my first thought was “Mmm… pavlova”.

Of course, being a nail polish, Christian Louboutin’s Lova contains zero meringues and is definitely not edible – but it is kind of delicious in its own way. [Disclaimer alert: an entirely visual way and rachttlg.com takes no responsibility for anyone that tries to eat their nail polish!]

Lova is a straight-up medium indigo shade; part blue, part purple, all awesome. In the bottle, Lova might be even yummier – a soft wisteria-iris purple that sings of spring. It’s somehow much darker on the nail but nowhere near as dark as the other indigo in my stash, Zoya Pinta, because it somehow still manages to be a bright clean colour-pop too.

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The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong Spa by ESPA – Shell Power Treatment & Organic Salad Bar lunch buffet review

ritz carlton hong kong spa power shell treatment

I recently wrote an article about the Top 5 Spa Dining & Pampering Packages in Hong Kong – and ended up with a massive case of spa FOMO as a result.

Happily, The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong took pity on me and invited me to trial a luxurious spa day with them – an organic salad bar Go Green Lunch at The Lounge & Bar followed by a Shell Power Treatment at The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA.

ritz carlton hong kong organic salad bar

When I told my friends I was having a salad for lunch, there may have been some sniggers – as you may have gathered from my penchant for afternoon teas, salad ain’t really my style! But let’s be honest, the last thing you want when you’re lying on your massage bed is a bad case of bloated food baby and even old salad sceptic me was converted by The Ritz-Carlton’s buffet; it was delicious, healthy, filling (but still light!) and extremely good value at only $228 for unlimited visits. Given the salads at City’super or Simply Life knock on the door of triple figures for only a tenth of the quality and volume, this is a pretty great deal – especially once you factor in some fabulous views over the harbour. Hell, they’ll even expertly toss your salad for you in the deal too.

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Innisfree Rose & Rose Hip Eco Finger Mask review – need a helping hand?

innisfree eco finger mask rose

As regular readers of this blog will know, I suffer from extremely dry hands – a problem that’s mostly kept at bay thanks to the world’s best hand creams. Even so, my thirsty paws can’t resist an extra bit of TLC every now and again, so I thought I’d give Innisfree’s Rose & Rose Hip Eco Finger Mask a try.

Korean beauty brands are like the Willy Wonkas of the sheet mask world, making a veritable pick n’ mix of options for your face, eyes, lips, hands and feet – yep, they’ve pretty much got your whole biology class covered!

innsifree rose finger mask

What makes the Innisfree Eco Finger Mask a bit different from the usual sheet hand masks is that this one is literally only for your fingers – so rather than covering your whole mitts glove-style, you get ten individual thimble-esque pads full of moisturising goodness. This was great news for me as that’s where my hands really suffer, with the pads of my index fingers, thumbs and cuticles often cracked and peeling (being a beauty blogger is really sexy stuff).

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Four Seasons Hong Kong Nail Bar – the most luxurious manicure in Hong Kong?

nail bar four seasons hong kong christina fitzgerald freedom dollhouse

When it comes to manicures, I’m more of a DIY girl (in case you hadn’t guessed from the previous 100 or so blogs); as for the rare occasions where I have brought in the professionals, I discovered my mani manna with The Nail Library and have rarely strayed from them since.

However, when I heard that the Four Seasons Hong Kong was opening their very own Nail Bar, my polish-loving ears pricked up. The Four Seasons is easily one of the best hotels in Hong Kong and definitely one of my personal favourites; everything they do, they do to perfection. So if they were trying their hands (perfectly polished, natch) at a Nail Bar, chances are it was going to be done right.

nail bar four seasons hong kong

If you’re talking first impressions, then the Four Seasons’ Nail Bar definitely deserves a standing ovation. On walking in, you’re immediately greeted by a knockout view over Victoria Harbour through a sweeping wall of windows; in fact, Four Seasons even has sunglasses on hands for when the view gets too blinding – now that’s service! The space itself is small but far from squashed, and the whole place positively screams chic, sophisticated luxury – five plush leather chairs for treatments, gleaming marble surfaces and glowing nail polish bottles displayed in backlit alcoves like treasures in a jewellery box.

nail bar four seasons hong kong nail social afternoon tea

My media partner-in-crime Charmaine and I were booked in to trial The Nail Bar’s signature Luxury Manicure – a divine hour of hand heaven. In fact, since we had the room all to ourselves, the Four Seasons had laid on a special Nail Social for us, complete with afternoon tea and champers. Afternoon tea and nail polish? I’m not sure the day could have been more tailor-made for me unless they’d laid on a litter of cute puppies to cuddle as well. And don’t worry, even if you haven’t booked a Nail Social, the Four Seasons still lays on complimentary beverages for all guests; champagne, cocktails, whiskey, smoothies, wheatgrass shots, fresh juices, tea… you name it, they’ve got it!

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Models Own Slate Green nail polish review

models own slate green

I can’t remember what I heard about first: the existence of British nail polish brand Models Own… or the fact that they regularly have amazing 50% off sales on their website!

They recently had another such sale and of course, I immediately began to get itchy buying fingers. But for once, I managed to exercise some cosmetics control and instead decided to shop from my substantial stash instead – resulting in a quick mani using Models Own Slate Green.

The results? I really need to start shopping my stash more often! How on earth did I let this colour go undiscovered in the murky depths of my drawers for so long?

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Sense Of Touch Sai Ying Pun Spa review – good morning Vietnam!

sense of touch hong kong massage

UPDATE: Sense Of Touch Sai Ying Pun has now closed; don’t worry though, the awesome Sense Of Touch Tseung Kwan O is still very much open!

Soho – say whaaat? Poho – pah! These days, Hong Kong’s hottest area is strictly Westside, with more hipsters heading there than a gallery opening serving craft beers and burger sliders.

So far, most of the buzz has been around Western District’s new bars and restaurants, but now there’s something to make us beauty geeks sit up and take notice too – Sense Of Touch Sai Ying Pun.

I’m a big fan of Sense Of Touch, a homegrown spa chain that has now grown to eight locations in Hong Kong, as I think that they deliver quality and consistency across all the venues I’ve visited. The Sai Ying Pun Sense Of Touch is a little smaller than most of their other spas (i.e. the Tseung Kwan O branch) with only around five treatment rooms, but it’s still just as stylishly decked out as all its bigger sisters. I loved the colourful armchairs and Vietnamese-style white latticework screens in the foyer, where manicures, pedicures and foot massages take place. Meanwhile, the treatment rooms are simple and small – but they certainly don’t feel cramped or bare either.

sense of touch sai ying pun

I was booked in for Good Morning Vietnam – an exfoliation, steam shower and massage treatment that’s only available at Sense Of Touch Sai Ying Pun. Your 105 minutes of pure pampering bliss begins with an Elemis ginger and lime scrub, which is every bit as invigorating and defiantly un-abrasive as only the best scrubs can be.

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Shu Uemura Laque Supreme in Chu Chu Coral and Wild Rose review – baby got laque!

shu uemura laque supreme

The arrival of Shu Uemura’s latest lip product = this baby’s got laque!

Oh come on, you know I can never resist a good pun… and nor can I resist a good lippie. Shu Uemura’s Laque Supreme is a gorgeous halfway house between a lipstick and a lip gloss – but there certainly isn’t anything half-hearted about the final results!

Inspired by the high shine and rich colours of Japanese lacquerware, Laque Supreme essentially marries the consistency of a lip gloss with the intense pigmentation of a lipstick. But actually, it’s even better than that.

shu uemura laque supreme swatches wn02 cr01Top to bottom: Wild Rose/Wild Fuchsia (WN02), Chu Chu Coral (CR01)

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Benefit Roller Lash mascara review – curl power

benefit roller lash

Beauty confessions: I hate mascara.

I know, I know… mascara is like, everyone else’s desert island essential. But with crazy-sensitive eyes that tear up at the merest suggestion of the music from Up (the other day I even cried about how cute a dog on Instagram was), I very rarely wear the stuff. In general, I find mascara heavy, that it irritates my eyes, that it’s a pain to remove… and for all that, it doesn’t even make that much of a difference to how my face looks. [Note: I opt for lashings of eyeliner instead.]

benefit roller lash mascara brush

BUT if I did wear mascara often, then Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara would probably be high on my list.

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