THIS AUTUMN bring fragrance and beauty to your home with a revolutionary little lamp created by Maurice Berger back in 1898.

Originally designed as a system of diffusion by catalysis to purify the air in hospitals, the fragrance lamp was soon being applied for private use, giving birth to the Lampe Berger Company. Today the brand, which is based in Paris, has nine branches in Bangkok and offers 51 fresh fragrances.

Nontakarn Dapparungsi Ng, the brand’s managing director for Thailand, recently introduced “Sweet Romance”, a collection of four new home fragrances – Floral Passion, Miss Violet, Mystery Patchouli, and Amber Powder.

Taking inspiration from nature, the collection not only removes odours while purifying the indoor air, but brings a touch of chic to every room.

“We would like to highlight the subtleties of femininity as well as sweetness and strength. Aroma affects our emotions and mental state and having a Berger lamp in the bedroom or living room helps makes your home feel fresher.

“The delicate floral fragrance of Floral Passion gives fruity top notes starting from peach and followed by jasmine, peony, and orris. They’re enhanced with base notes of praline, musk, and cedar. This is good for sleeping, as is Miss Violet, which has a fruity hint of vanilla-scented raspberry,” she says.

A more sensual composition, Mystery Patchouli gives off a calming scent beginning with subtle rose and blackcurrant, accompanied by soft and warm harmonies of sandalwood and balms, and finishing with a touch of captivating amber and patchouli.

Amber Powder suits larger rooms, welcoming guests with rose, lily of the valley and vanilla and finishing with a touch of amber and patchouli.

Unlike other home diffusers, sprays, or candles, Lampe Berger gives off no fumes and is free from harmful chemicals like benzene, styrene, naphthalene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde during diffusion. The ingredients contained in each Lampe Berger home fragrance are 100-per-cent natural and subject to strictly specific standards.

The lamps are simple to use too: just fill it to two-thirds full, insert the burner and allow 20 minutes for first use. Then light the burner, wait for two minutes, blow out the flame and replace the mounting on the burner to purify and perfume the air. This takes around 20 minutes for eight square metres. To stop it, take the mounting off and put the extinguisher back on the burner.

AMERICAN TATTOO ARTIST, model and entrepreneur Kat Von D made her name around the world with the hit TV reality shows “Miami Ink” and “LA Ink”. Both now off the air, she’s now making even bigger ripples with her cosmetic line Kat Von D Beauty and recently popped over to Thailand to promote the brand, which is marketed in the Land of Smiles as elsewhere by Sephora.

Fusing old Hollywood glamour with modern rock n’roll, the products have won several editorial awards and both lipstick and eyeliner are favourites with celebrities wanting to make a statement.

She talked to XP about her cool look and edgy cosmetics.

WHAT IS KAT VON D BEAUTY ABOUT?

I think it stands out from the brands on the market today. That’s not only due to colour selection – though we do have a very broad spectrum when it come to the lipstick – but the art that is behind it. As founder I’m involved in the whole process. I do everything from the design of the component to the artwork for the packaging, to lip testing the shade formula and the art direction on social media. It’s exciting. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR FAVOURITE LOOK?

I love the simple Kat eyeliner and a bold lip colour and I think it’s great that the make up line lets you do anything you want. You don’t have to look like me or emulate my style. You can approach makeup anyway you like and do whatever you want.

WHICH PRODUCT IS THE MUST-HAVE KVD?

The “Tattoo Eye Liner” for sure. It’s the eyeliner that I wear everyday, the formula is great. I think Thai women will love it too especially as the weather is so hot and humid here. The formula is waterproof. It’s easy to apply and it stays on.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOMEN NEED IN TERMS|OF COSMETICS?

The main message behind my brand isn’t that beauty is obtained with makeup. Makeup is just there to have fun and express yourself if you want to highlight the special feature you love most. But I think true beauty doesn’t require any makeup to feel good.

YOU SAY THAT THE ART IS BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT. DID YOU STUDY ART?

I’ve been drawing since I was little. I got involved in the tattoo world when I was 14. Tattoo art is something that has always been prominent in my life. And it translates to the makeup line itself. When I’m laying out the product, I hand-draw on paper before I hand over to my team. And yes, I love art, especially the grandmasters. I am a big fan of Caravaggio, Michelangelo and Rembrandt. For contouring, I often look to Caravaggio who is very famous for shade and light, to understand how to obtain the texture, the dimension. For me, that’s what contouring is all about. If you want to highlight something on your face, you soften the edges with the light part of the palette or use dark shades for the background. A lot of art translates into make up.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO DO |THE COSMETIC LINE?

Sephora approached me about the makeup line in 2008 and something clicked. I’m not professional makeup artist by any means, I’m just a huge fan of makeup. It’s truly an art form. I think it’s very exciting to create. But I don’t see it a transition because I still do tattoos, draw, paint, and play music.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUICK TIPS?

My eye shape is not a perfect for eyeliner and that prompted me to compile a list of tips and tricks to achieve specific looks on my website. The Tattoo Eyeliner is very easy to apply. I call it the dummy eyeliner because even if you are a beginner, you will intuitively use it like a pen. We don’t really chase trends; in fact, we usually do the opposite. We stay true to what works for us. Our aim is to pioneer looks and stay on the market for a very long time. We want to make people look good and have confidence in themselves. Take our “Lock-It Foundation”. It provides full coverage but is really light to wear. It feels comfortable. If you want to cover up a tattoo or acne scar, you can.

SURACHAI CHETCHOTISAK, the chief executive at media-and-entertainment firm RS, has famously gone into the skincare business with LifeStar, and plans to list his new affiliate on the stock exchange next year.

LifeStar has done extremely well through “call-sell”, which means “teleshopping”, which means buying your stuff by phoning in orders to a TV show. Last year alone it made Bt200 million this way, and the revenue target this year is Bt600 million.

The products – also sold at beauty shops, trade fairs and online – include beauty and personal care items such as the anti-ageing skincare formula Magique from Switzerland. You can get the firming treatment Gravitas with its innovative Starfish V-Activating complex, the Japanese skin-brightening lotion Noble White, the American-made acne cream Clear Expert, and Revive, another Swiss export, which prevents hair loss.

It’s obvious that Surachai is being quite purposeful in his undertakings, and LifeStar is no exception. In a wide-ranging chat with The Nation, he says he’s always open-minded about people and opportunities and has a sharp eye for both – along with a passion to win.

TELL US HOW YOUR MOVE INTO |PERSONAL-CARE PRODUCTS CAME ABOUT.

It started almost four years ago, when I noticed that most of the advertisements on our flagship digital-TV station Channel 8 and our satellite-based free-to-air Channel 2 involved beauty and personal care products.

It’s a tremendous market and it’s growing continuously every year, even despite the overall economic slump. Locally it’s worth almost Bt80 billion, in fact. The industry appeals to modern consumers’ lifestyles, and that’s where we began with our marketing strategy. I really enjoy being involved in the business!

In 2014 we contacted skincare laboratories overseas to make sure we had the right and most effective formulas, and then we found the top factory in Thailand to create our line. And finally we got into the market in 2015, initially only through call-sell.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT PRODUCTS MADE IN THAILAND RATHER THAN THE MORE ESTABLISHED SOURCES IN FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, JAPAN OR EVEN SOUTH KOREA?

Not at all – the formula and the effectiveness of the product are what matter. And we fully trust in our quality control.

THE BEAUTY BUSINESS IS A LONG WAY |FROM WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING |FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS.

Building brands is our strength. LifeStar has its own teams providing management and expertise. What RS and I do is input our marketing experience, using our media channels to promote the brand.

The challenge of running a successful business these days isn’t in competing with the other businesses, but rather in how you develop customer loyalty and adapt quickly to their changing preferences. Shoppers are very well informed and, due to modern technology, they’re apt to change their minds quickly. Many businesses die because they’re unable to adapt or adjust fast enough and the customers just leave. You can be comfortable in your market position, but if you don’t keep developing, you’ll lose.

WHICH BUSINESS HAS THE BETTER |FUTURE – ENTERTAINMENT OR |HEALTH AND BEAUTY?

RS is still doing fine and is profitable with the media and entertainment sector, but we have to change often. LifeStar is just beginning, so it needs more attention.

Whatever business I’ve done, my passion is always to win. Some people say, “Do what you love doing”, but for me that’s secondary. My passion to win is stronger than my interest in loving what I do. When I want to win, my focus will be on the goal – I live with it and finally I’ll love it. If you have that passion, whatever obstacles you encounter along the way, you’ll get over them because in the end you want to win.

I’m 54 years old. My dreams have already come true. I’ve had everything I want since I was in my early 40s. You might think, “Okay, enough, I’m done”, but I’m not that kind of person. I still enjoy my work a lot and certainly, when I see an opportunity, I can’t help but grab it.

And I notice things, so when I see how significant the growth in the health and beauty business is, even among young people just selling products on Instragram, I ask, “Why can’t I do that?”

At the moment I have no goal in life because I enjoy every moment I’m working. In the next three or four months you’ll be surprised with the new business directions at RS.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES RS EMPLOY |AND HOW DO YOU KEEP THE STAFF |FEELING UNITED IN THEIR EFFORTS?

We have about 1,000 employees, and I believe they’re all capable of doing many things well.

My management structure at RS is very flat. The staff is evaluated based on the outcome of their work. There’s no politics. I want them to be able to change and act fast and to be confident in me. Every change we make is for the better. There’s always job security – the purpose of the changes is never about laying-off employees. I don’t expect anyone to work all day and all night, but to work happily and to be efficient.

The perception of RS is that it has the capability to create businesses through marketing. We don’t want to be stamped as a media-and-music entertainment company or a beauty company, but rather as a company can be a diverse as well as successful. That’s my vision.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU |ENCOUNTER AN OBSTACLE?

I fix it! For example, I see in my head the way LifeStar will be successful, so I just have to get it there.

DO YOU RELY ON ADVISERS?

Everyone on my team is my adviser. How else would a 54-year-old know what 23-year-olds are thinking if he doesn’t listen to them? I’m very open-minded.

LIFESTAR HAS SINGER MARSHA WATTANAPANICH AS A BRAND AMBASSADOR, AND YET SHE USED TO BE ATTACHED TO AN RS COMPETITOR, GMM GRAMMY.

LifeStar and I choose Marsha |and Ruangsak “James” Loychusak [formerly signed to RS] as our brand ambassadors simply because |they’re the most suitable people to present the products. There’s nothing else to it.

ONE OF THE world’s |best-known holistic skincare brands, Aesop from Australia recently arrived in Thailand with the launch of its first counter at upmarket mall Siam Paragon.

Established in Melbourne almost 30 years ago, the brand offers a range of products designed for even the most sensitive skin, with such ingredients as parsley seed playing a dominant role.

Aesop’s chief executive Michael O’Keeffe stopped off in Bangkok for the launch of the counter and told XP that he considers Thailand an important new country for the brand.

“Producing exceptional products is at the very heart of Aesop. We don’t just focus on product functionality like anti-ageing and whitening but also on how we present our skincare range. We are different from other brands in that we have never sought celebrity endorsement. We prefer to let our products speak for themselves,” he says.

And this they do more than adequately, marrying science and nature to formulate a range of skin, hair, and body care treatments that combine plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients and packing them into bottles designed to keep the UV light out and protect the product as much as possible.

“We talk to people in terms of the holistic lifestyle – how they eat, sleep, drink and exercise. We don’t believe that what is in the jar can solve all problems even when it is prepared with neither silicon nor paraben, and has no synthetic perfume,” says O’Keeffe.

“Diet and overall health are also important.”

Oxidation occurs every day as part of our metabolic functioning and plays a vital role in overall health. However, the process of oxidation also unleashes free radicals, which can damage healthy cells. Free radicals occur in greater numbers after the skin is exposed to UVA and UVB rays, pollution, or when the skin experiences minor trauma. Smoking, stress and lack of sleep add to the problem.

The answer lies in anti-oxidants, which are found in a variety of foods and bring health benefits by neutralising free radicals. Regular helpings of foods such as olive oil, citrus fruits and coffee are recommended for everyday wellbeing. Topical application of anti-oxidants is also encouraged to fortify the skin. Vitamins A, C and E are easily absorbed by the skin and assist in repairing and protecting surface cells.

The water-soluble topical vitamin C derivative, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, helps to reduce formation of free radicals.

Aesop’s Parsley Seed Skin Care range provides especially potent doses of anti-oxidant-rich ingredients, in formulations suited to all skin types. Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream is a lightweight, citrus oil-infused moisturising cream for normal or combination skin.

This rapidly absorbed cream’s citrus-derived ingredients cool, tone and balance the skin and help in rehydration. For deep cleansing, the Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque, also containing anti-oxidants, is suited to most skin types. This clarifying clay formulation decongests and refreshes the skin while delivering optimal hydration. Its inclusion of Vitamin E ensures skin isn’t left stripped of moisture.

“Our long-term perspective calls for a slow and methodical approach to any new market. We hope to open two to three stores a year but we consider it more important to get the level of customer service up to the standard that we expect so that we are able to connect to customers,” O’Keeffe says,

“We are still relatively small but we are growing, in terms of both our digital and physical presence. We are a product-focused company and regularly launch new products for skin, hair and body in response to genuine needs expressed by our customers.”

IT IS as French as baguette, and as emblematic of the country’s southern Provence region as lavender fields and cicadas.

But a dispute over the “official” recipe for the region’s famed traditional soap, “savon de Marseille”, has producers in a froth.

With cheap Chinese and Turkish soaps flooding the market, manufacturers want Marseille soap to be granted a “geographical indication” (GI) so consumers can tell the difference between the real thing and cheap imports.

But a dispute over how “true Marseille soap” should be made has the producers themselves at each others throats.

In one camp are a dozen soapmakers from across the southeast of France led by the cosmetics giant Occitane who have formed the Association of Makers of Savon de Marseille (AFSM).

It was they who filed the bid in October to have the soap recognised as a GI, a designation which already protects many French wines and cheeses.

In the other corner are four die-hard traditionalists, master soapmakers from the Marseille area itself who want to bring the product back to its artisanal roots.

Their supporters in the Mediterranean city started a petition on change.org that now has more than 123,000 signatures to back their demand for a return to something closer to the original recipe, first officialised under the “Sun King” Louis XIV in 1688.

But relations between the two camps are so bad now that the French state is having to arbitrate the vexed question of the soap’s “official” make-up.

“Talks have broken down, our only communication now is through third parties,” says Serge Bruna of the more industrial AFSM.

While they are pushing for the norms for a “traditional savon de Marseille” to be based on vegetable oil and soda ash, they also want certain additives and perfumes to be allowed.

But this is heresy for the traditionalists who make their soaps from scratch in large cauldrons without recourse to ready-made ingredients produced elsewhere.

“We are the last to keep up the traditional know-how,” says Marie Bousquet-Fabre, great grand niece of the founder of the Marius Fabre soapworks. “We are true soapmakers. We start from the vegetable matter and oil and we transform them by heating them with the soda ash in our cauldrons.”

Marseille soap was originally made with seawater, olive oil and soda ash, but for decades olive oil has given way to palm and copra oil.

Even the traditionalists now use some palm or copra oil in their olive soaps.

Their lobby group, the UPSM, however, insists that true savon de Marseille can only be produced by artisanal makers in the Bouches-du-Rhone region around the city.

This has angered the rival AFSM whose members are spread over a large swathe of southern France.

AFSM stalwart Bruna claimed that the austere pale green and beige blocks of soap made by the traditionalists “are not what 90 per cent of consumers want”.

One of the biggest sellers in his Licorne brand’s shop in Marseille’s Old Port is a soap in the shape of a sardine. For many customers, the lavender oil added to the soap gives it “the essential odour of savon de Marseille”, he claims.

The French government, however, is taking its time over the decision partly because the Marseille soap will be the first manufactured item to be given the IG status – something that has up to now been reserved for food products.

It hopes it will lead the way for other French regional products like Basque berets, Limoges porcelain and knives from Laguiole getting the same classification.

With a public inquiry into the soap’s composition ending only next week, no official decision is expected until September.

But an adviser to minister of state Martine Pinville, who will make the final decision, says the dilemma for officials was “promoting quality” while opening the IG classification to a “a maximum number of people”.

Sebastien Malangeau says that the ministry is “ready to be as flexible as possible… but the most important criteria is the quality”.

If the label is just seen as “a marketing gimmick it will die”, he adds.