In Conversation With Gothamista

From General Manager at Hermès China to Founder of her own brick-and-mortar store to a leading skin expert, Renée Chow (more commonly known as Gothamista) has a lot of experience under her belt. There's no doubt the self-proclaimed ‘Professional Treasure Hunter’ has landed on the perfect job for her – curating gems, understanding the needs of others, and sharing findings with her audience. This season, Renée is introducing a host of new skincare brands and her holy grail products to Lane Crawford. Whatever your skin goal, there’s bound to be an uncovered jewel that’s just what you need to kickstart your journey.

The skincare queen sits down with us to spill the tea on everything from her best beauty advice to common skincare myths she’d like to clear up. Read on for some much needed skinspiration!

LC: Can you walk us through your journey, what has led you to where you are today, and the lessons you’ve learnt along the way?

RC: I’m grateful for the different opportunities I’ve had, and the exposure I got from a young age. I was driven towards experiencing and learning more in areas in which I had an interest in rather than climbing a corporate ladder in just one field. So, my career evolved as I did. My experience as a buyer was a fun and important foundation for what I’m doing today. I was essentially a professional shopper and trained to understand what people want even if it’s not my own personal taste. I just never expected that being a content creator is how my career would evolve, that I would be filming and editing videos and then that people would be watching those videos! But I have been curating for decades, I like to call it treasure hunting. People also want to understand why something is good or better for them, from their own peers. I especially love finding formulas that I think are under-the-radar, treasures and bringing them out to the forefront.

LC: Your name "Gothamista" stems from your love for New York City. How has this shaped your approach to skincare?

RC: Being a city girl defines and affects all my choices, from what I prioritize to my aesthetic preferences. I think the chaos of city life that can be both exciting but also stressful, and it creates a need for simplicity. This is one of the reasons skincare is important to me, my skincare routines are for my soul. They are a wellness ritual for the start and end of a busy day that are almost meditative. A moment carved out where I’m focused on the act of caring for myself. It’s very therapeutic.

"I always say that skincare is my makeup. I think beauty comes from a healthy and strong foundation!"

LC: How has your skin journey evolved over the years?

RC: I’ve gotten very good at listening to my own “skintuition” through years of old-fashioned trial and error. I was more open to experimenting with different formulas before and when you have sensitive skin as I do, you learn very quickly what does and doesn’t work. I used to think the more concentrated the formula, the better. Something I learned not to be true, the hard way with lots of irritation and redness. I now use a gentle, but steady approach for the best results. Consistency is more important than strength. At this point, I can tell what my skin needs and nourish it with the formulas that I know work for me.

LC: This season, you are introducing a host of new skincare brands to Lane Crawford. How did you come up with this edit?

RC: The skincare environment has evolved tremendously in recent years to being more transparent and educational. Nowadays, people want skincare formulas that are evidence-based and clinically tested to work. This edit is all about achieving skincare goals with concentrated formulas that have ingredients that are effective.

LC: What does your personal skincare routine look like?

RC: My morning routine is about protection and my evening routine is about repair. In the day, the most important part of my routine is my Vitamin C serum, as it’s the most powerful antioxidant to protect my skin, and sunscreen. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and sunscreen are a dynamic duo for protection. Used together, they will offer even more skin protection against extrinsic skin aging factors, or environmentally induced skin aging than when used alone.

At night, I use Vitamin A (retinoid) which is the most effective ingredient at reducing the signs of aging from wrinkles, skin texture, appearance of pores, evening skin tone and firmness.

LC: What are some common misconceptions about skincare and well-ageing that you'd like to clear up?

RC: I mentioned earlier that my approach to skincare is that consistency is more important than strength. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes marketing can lead us to believe that the more of an active ingredient there is in a formula, the better it will work. That’s not true and can lead to a lot of skin issues from irritation and inflammation. I grew up at a time when skincare was supposed to “burn” to know it is working. I believe the opposite to be true, that skincare should be comfort. If a formula makes my skin feel like it’s “burning” that’s a sure sign to me it’s too strong.

Another misconception is that our skincare routine should be the same all the time, every day. Our skin condition can vary from day to day depending on many factors such as weather, diet, stress and sleep. There are days my skin doesn’t need much at all and others where I need more, I just listen to my “skintuition.”

LC: Finally, what's a failproof tip everyone should follow?

RC: The best skincare formula for you is the one that you will use consistently.

Receive a complimentary Gothamista Beauty Standards Deluxe Kit (valued at HK$1,512) upon HK$1,000 purchase of Gothamista Beauty Standards edit online. Kit includes: