Semi-permanent beauty

FORGET the five-minute face. Recent research by US morning TV programme The Today Show and mass media corporation AOL found that the average woman spends 55 minutes on her appearance every day - or two weeks in a year.

But if a similar study were to be made on women here, those numbers may take a big dip. Today, minutes could be shaved off one's beauty routine thanks to a slew of lasting beauty treatments - from hair straightening sessions that don't leave tresses looking totally limp, to natural-looking brows that mimic Cara Delevingne's voluminous arches.

Homegrown semi-permanent make-up chain Erabelle has seen a 24 per cent increase in annual revenue from its eyebrow embroidery packages last year; while Strip, another local beauty chain initially known for its waxing services, notes that over 70 per cent of customers now opt for permanent Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal treatments. Half the customers at nail salon chain Manicurious also choose gel manicures over regular polishes. The earlier procedure lasts an average of two to three weeks, compared to mere days for old-school manis.