The Frankincense collection is wrapped in three sets, among them the “Frankincense Intense Original Age Defence Collection” a dream for anyone experiencing the first signs of ageing. Clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, the set features concentrate, eye cream and cream all imbued with fragrant frankincense.

Buzzing around for Christmas

This year, spread the joy with natural products from the US brand, Burt’s Bees. The “Give Nature’s Best to Everyone on Your List” campaign boasts eight exquisite gift sets, all of them pure and simple and free from harmful synthetic ingredients. Spoil yourself too with the “Burt’s Bees Treat Yourself Trio” set featuring Coconut & Pear Lip Balm Coconut Foot Cream and Milk and Honey Body Lotion.

Sephora sensations

To welcome the holiday season, Sephora Collection presents “Once Upon a Night in a Magical and Fairy Land”, which takes you on a journey of imagination and presents a selection of princess-like items. The colours are designed to suit the festive season, with bright hues and glittery texture befitting winter. In addition to makeup, Sephora also presents personal care products for top-to-toe beauty in limited-edition sets that include “Once Upon a Palette”, a must-have beauty palette this season for day-to-night look, “Once Upon a Mask”, a set of eight popular facial masks in an adorable box, the “Mini Brush Set”, a set of three makeup brushes for your face and eyes designed just for this holiday season and “The Bath Crystals”, a four-piece bath salt set.

Getting festive with a glow

Believe in a brighter tomorrow with Jurlique’s range of “Glowing Christmas Sets” that capture the glow of fresh promise with botanical extracts that nourish and revitalise skin. The “Herbal Recovery Essentials” is signature gift set designed for youthful radiance and features four key travel-size products suited to all skin types. Each contains powerful natural ingredients such as yarrow, which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and marshmallow and viola tricolor extracts to promote hydration, protection and firmness while Cedar bud’s smoothing properties restore suppleness and elasticity for a smoother, brighter skin.

All the colours of Korea

Korean leading beauty brand, Sulwhasoo, is launching the 2018 Holiday Limited Edition “Celebration of Festive Five”. Inspired by Asian philosophy and wisdom, the gift set incorporates five colours of fireworks in the night sky utilising the traditional Korean five colours known as Obangsaek to deliver Sulwhasoo’s seasonal mood of The sets comprise the brand’s bestselling signature products as well as “First Care Activating Serum EX” and “Perfecting Cushion EX” and come in five luxurious scents Forest Morning, Gentle Blossom, |First Peace, Capturing Moment, |and Inner Fullness.

MISS PHILIPPINES, Catriona Elisa Gray, already had a lot to her credit long before she entered the Miss Universe pageant – and won the crown yesterday morning.

A woman of remarkable beauty and exceptional charisma, Gray, 24, has delivered her homeland the best possible Christmas gift.

In the final round held at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Miss South Africa Tanaryn Green was crowned first runner-up and Miss Venezuela Sthefany Guterrez as second runner-up.

Ninety-four contestants from around the world participated in the competition, now in its 67th year. This was an historic occasion, with a transgender woman competing for the first time in a pageant that has as its theme “Woman’s Empowerment”.

The judges were all successful women in their fields, including Miss Universe 1988, Thailand’s Porntip “Bui” Simon.

Gray is an art lover and holds a master’s certificate in music theory, with ambitions to become a professional singer. Just three weeks ago she released her debut single, “In This Together”, in partnership with her organisation, Young Focus, aiming to promote unity among diverse cultures. That, she said, is the goal she wants to pursue as Miss Universe.

CONGRATULATIONS! HOW DOES IT FEEL?

It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I guess that will come tonight when I see my family. But in the meantime, I’d like to say thank you to all the media, |the fans, and to all my Miss Universe sisters also. I’m just so thankful for the experience in Thailand, to the organisation and to the |organiser TPN who looked after me so well.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO DO?

I’d like to see my family and eat green mango with spicy chilli sauce and drink some Thai milk tea. That’s my special treat every time I come to Thailand.

SOUNDS GOOD! WHAT THEN?

I’d definitely love to expand my platform regarding education about HIV/Aids in the Philippines. It’s something I feel passionate about, not least because a few years ago I lost a friend due to complications from HIV. So I’d like to spread awareness.

Other than that, I want to insist on the need for education for young children who don’t have access to quality education.

I’ve worked with the organisation Love Yourself PH and I’ve been a volunteer as a teacher’s |assistant for students of the NGO Young Focus for more than three years, starting before I even thought of entering the pageant. |So I’m very proud that the |committee sees that.

Being Miss Universe is definitely going to keep me grounded and |humble.

YOU’RE OFF TO NEW YORK NEXT. HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Thrilled! There are so many Broadway shows I’d like to see and it would be wonderful to experience autumn and winter, because we don’t have that in the Philippines.

I hope I also get the opportunity to go to Indonesia and Europe, because I’ve never been. But I know that, wherever I go, I’ll have friends.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CONTEST IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT?

I think Miss Universe is a wonderful platform for promoting diversity and empowerment. It brings together women who represent their countries. They have stories to tell. They have passions and careers. We’re here together to voice what what touches our hearts. I think Miss Universe is an amazing |platform and we empower each other.

WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU ENCOUNTER ON YOUR WAY TO BECOMING MISS UNIVERSE?

There are of course many expectations for Miss Philippines. I relied on my inspiration, my fans and my supporters. I’d like to thank them because I wouldn’t be here without them.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS?

I think being prepared. I really think success relies on preparedness and opportunity. So if you’re prepared for an opportunity that comes along and you’re able to give it your all, it will lead you to success.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENING GOWN AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT.

Mount Mayon in my hometown in the Philippines was the inspiration. It’s known for the perfect cone shape of the volcano. I chose red because, when I was 13, my mother told me she’d dreamed I won Miss Universe in a red dress. When I saw her earlier, she remembered that dream.

HOW ABOUT YOUR NATIONAL COSTUME, WHICH WEIGHED A HEFTY 50 KILOGRAMS?

I chose it because I wanted to show different aspects of our |culture as well as the different islands of the Philippines. Initially I was supposed to carry it on my shoulder, but once the lights and everything were installed I couldn’t, so that’s why we put it on a wheel.

But I’m so proud of the national costume because I received so much praise for it. It makes me so proud that people can learn about my culture this way.

VIDEO OF YOUR SLOW TURNS IN THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS WENT VIRAL ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA.

So many people asked me about it. I just turn slowly! When you spin fast, you get a bit of momentum and the dress adds to that. When we were talking about how we could be different, my mentor and team came up with a signature move – to move slowly.

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE FINAL?

The medical-marijuana issue is definitely relevant to my country. It’s an active topic. As I said, I’ve read the studies on marijuana and obviously it needs to be further researched. Regulations must be put in place too before pursuing it further.

WHAT WAS THE MAIN OBSTACLE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME DURING THE CONTEST?

Keeping my spirits high and also always being pleasant, no matter how much pressure from external factors I was feeling, from those around you and in the social media. It can all be overwhelming.

I just kept asking myself, “Why am I here? Why I am in this position? Who are the people around me?”

The first and second runners up were Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green and Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutierrez respectively. Miss Thailand Sopida Kanchanarin was among the top 10 finalists.

Each of the top three finalists go through to the “Final Words” contest, answering the question “What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe?”

“I’ve worked a lot in the slums in Manila and life there is poor and very sad but I always taught myself to look for the beauty in it – to look at the beauty in the faces of the children and to be grateful. As Miss Universe I want to show the silver lining in these situations and assert where I can give something, where I can provide something as the spokesperson. And then I think if I can teach people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and children have a smile on their faces,” Gray answered.

Gray is the fourth Filipina to bring home the coveted title, joining Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, and Pia Wurtzbach who won in 1969, 1973, and 2015, respectively.

“Thank you for your support. I’m so proud to have won the best National Costume and to represent my country. This is the first year we have participated in the Miss Universe pageant and I’m so glad that we can make it this far,” On-anong said.

AS TAIWAN’S economy stagnates, claw crane arcades where customers lower a grabber to try to pick up a prize from a glass box are booming as affordable entertainment, while operators see them as a way to make a fast buck.

According to official figures, there is one claw crane outlet for every two convenience stores in Taiwan, with the number more than doubling last year to become the fourth largest tax income source in the entertainment industry.

Women play a claw crane machine in Taipei./AFP

The concept is simple – for as little as TW$10 (Bt10), customers manually lower a metal claw into a pile of prizes, which are usually soft toys, but can also include electronic gadgets and fashion accessories.

Some claw machines stand in the corner of neighbourhood grocery stores, while others sit in rows in brightly lit arcades spread out in residential and entertainment districts alike.

A whole culture has built up around the craze – enthusiasts give online tutorials on how to most effectively manoeuvre the claw while other websites are devoted to swapping toy prizes.

For Albee Chou, 34, playing the crane machine in her neighbourhood arcade in Taipei is a cheap way to find a gift for her daughter. A skilled player, she quickly picks up a few Hello Kitty storage boxes.

“It’s actually cheaper than buying from a shop. Plus, it’s more fun,” said Chou.

The toy claw evolved from “digger” machines in 1930s America. The early versions were purely mechanical in design and picked up candy.

A more sophisticated electric version quickly spread to Asia in the late 1970s and the last few years have seen a surge in popularity in Taiwan and South Korea.

With salaries failing to keep up with the cost of living in Taiwan, players see the machines as inexpensive entertainment while operators consider them an effective investment.

Vendors usually look for a good location and stock it with claw machines, which in turn are subleased to individual operators.

An elementary school student holds the prizes he won from a claw crane machine at a store in the Xizhi district in New Taipei City./AFP

Nick Chang, 31, leased two claw machines inside a recently opened arcade in a Taipei residential district.

Like most neighbourhood arcades, the 40 toy claws inside are sublet to various owners who then stock them with toys of their choice. Rental fees for each console range between TW$3000 in this arcade to TW$10,000 in busy entertainment districts.

Chang has stocked his claw machine with Japanese action figures.

“I don’t have to be in the shop 24 hours a day which means I can keep my full-time job,” says Chang who works as a magazine photographer.

He makes around TW$10,000 monthly profit per machine, which is more than most operators.

The average monthly revenue for a machine is only about TW$5000, but with Taiwan’s average monthly income including bonuses stuck at TW$50,000, many feel it is a decent return.

“I make more because I am constantly looking for cheaper sources for my toys and I have many returning customers,” Chang says.

Finding the right prize can be key – Ken Chuang, 38, has a claw machine inside the same arcade as Chang. Once he stocked it with underwear resembling Calvin Klein briefs, and found it emptied after two hours.

“Someone must have thought they were the real thing!” he laughs.

There are more than 100 Facebook pages in Taiwan dedicated to claw machines with tens of thousands of members who share their experiences and tips on the latest trends and swap merchandise.

The craze has even prompted Taiwan’s Central Bank to announce that it will issue more TW$10 coins in 2019 to meet demand sparked by the game.

Lo Chi-fu, a radio presenter who hosts a financial programme, says young people are particularly drawn to supplementing poor incomes and often club together with friends to lease a machine, though he feels the number of machines in Taiwan markets has reached saturation point.

But for some it’s simply about the buzz of playing.

Restaurant worker Steven Wu, in his twenties, has just spent six hours playing and admits he has spent “quite a lot”.

“It’s like winning the lottery,” he enthuses.

“The thrill when the prize falls into the chute.”