SPOTTED: SK-II’s Beauty Boutique Launch at Robinsons Orchard

Tomorrow, on November 29th, is the launch of SK-II's latest beauty boutique at the newly opened Robinsons Orchard. The launch, which officially begins at 7pm, will be graced by celebrities George Young and Desmond Tan so fans of these dashing young men, see you there!

Or if you happen to be in town, do drop by and learn more about the boutique and perhaps get your skin evaluated by the Magic Ring as well? :D

P.S.: From 10am to 5pm tomorrow, spend $290 on SK-II products and you get a chance to guess which SK-II Festive Coffrets George and Desmond will pick for their loved ones. The answers will be revealed at 6.45pm and if you made the correct guesses, you might walk away with a full-sized SK-II product!

EVENT: Crabtree & Evelyn's 2013 Secret Garden Christmas Collection

Earlier this month, Crabtree & Evelyn held a private preview of their 2013 Secret Garden Christmas Collection. The whole place was transformed into the prettiest English garden, with the most gorgeous flowers. Walls were adorned with shelves of Crabtree & Evelyn products and they have been arranged ever so neatly according to collections.

The Secret Garden Christmas Collection is inspired by the wonder of an undiscovered English winter garden, epitomizing the essence of Crabtree & Evelyn. An array of gifts have been specially curated by the brand for loved ones of all ages and each is housed in limited edition keepsake boxes and bags.

Fans of Crabtree & Evelyn's Hand Therapy will take delight in the sampler sets of 3 and 12 tubes, 25g each. They make lovely gifts for family and friends... And yourself. You know, like place one in the office, one in the bathroom, one at your desk... Or one each in every bag that you own. Hehhh.

Here's Fel, looking as happy as a girl who has just been given candy. Also, she is one of my favourite people in my world, if you didn't know that already. :-D

And because I own so many hand creams, body washes and lotions, the highlights for me were the limited edition Christmas cookies, the gingerbread men especially! These cookies make perfect pairings with Earl Grey tea, Peppermint tea and Green tea, depending on your preference.

Love, Bonito top and Zara shorts.

Brought home 3 tins of Christmas cookies (But, of course!) and Mum immediately called dibs on the tins (But, of course.). Haha. Anyway, it was a really lovely evening spent. Thanks Cindy and Crabtree & Evelyn for the invitation! And thank you for reading! :-D

P.S.: To view the rest of the gifts from the Secret Garden Christmas Collection, click here.

EVENT: Clinique Christmas Carnival

photos on the right are from Clinique SG.

On the third Saturday of October, Fel and I made a trip down to Estée Lauder's office for Clinique Christmas Carnival. It was held at the prettiest pantry ever and we couldn't stop oh-ing and ah-ing and imagining what it would be like to work there. Ahhh...

Right, anyway. December is a time when many of us decide to hop into a plane and jet off to a place where no worries exist. Except that the climates may wreck havoc on our skin. Eeps. But fear not, because we have Clinique and the brand has very thoughtfully put together gift sets that cater to every climate! And to make things even sweeter, prices have been made friendly to our pockets. :D

Here are some of my picks. :D I really like travel-sized items because I mean, it's not very often that we finished the entire thing. And sometimes, we are just trying things out and may end up not liking them very much. So yay to little sets like the above!

P.S.: Check out the other Clinique gift sets here. (:

EVENT: Phyto's Phytocyane Bloggers' Event

Sometime in August, I attended the bloggers' event for Phyto's Phytocyane at Le Restaurant and Asian Tapas Bar. The brand's name is Greek for 'derived from plants' and it is at the forefront of combining active plant botanicals with science to develop formulae which will help restore hair back to its pristine and healthy condition.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't just the males who are in danger of losing excessive hair. We, women, are at risk too and statistics have shown that as many as 45% of us go through life without a full head of hair. Typically, we should lose about 50 strands daily, as part of the regular functioning of our scalp and hair's life cycle. Beyond that, hair loss is considered excessive. Women's hair loss is identified with increased thinning all over the scalp and it is especially noticeable at the hairline. Common causes include sudden hormonal changes, diet deficiency of iron and protein, stress, pollution, prolonged intake of strong medication, sudden weight loss and use of unsuitable hair care products.

And here is where the star of the event, Phytocyane, helps us. A revitalizing treatment for thinning hair, it consists of just 3 steps:

1. Prepare the scalp with essential oils.
2. Restore the scalp's balance by choosing a shampoo adapted to its nature.
3. Enhance hair beauty with a cream, treatment or spray.

Step 1: Prepare your scalp with Phytopolléine Botanical Scalp Treatment
The first step in this deep treatment, this 100% botanical formula prepares the scalp for the subsequent steps. It contains essential oils and corn germ oil to cleanse the scalp, balance sebum secretion and tone blood vessels. This results in a stimulated scalp that is on its way back to its normal condition.

Step 2: Restore your scalp with Phytocyane Densifying Treatment Shampoo
This revitalizing shampoo addresses temporary thinning caused by stress, fatigue, pregnancy, medication and seasonal changes. Ingredients like Ginkgo Biloba and Cinchona Bark support the scalp while Grapeseed Procyanidins combat free radicals and protect the hair bulb. Hair appears denser and fuller with each usage.

Step 3: Enhance hair and scalp beauty with Phytocyane Densifying Treatment Serum
This exclusive anti-hair loss fortifying treatment is specially formulated for women. It fights and prevents hair loss through 4 processes:

1. It regenerates and strengthens hair bulb with botanical active ingredients like Gingko Biloba, Viburnum Bark and Grapeseed Procyanidols. At the same time, it calms and provides anti-inflammatory action, boosts microcirculation while fighting free radicals to age proof the hair bulb environment.
2. It triggers hair growth using Vitamins B5 and B6 and Soy Proteins to enhance microcirculation, activate cell metabolism and keratin production.
3. It delays the onset of greying hair through the use of Tyrosine Derivative, a melanin precursor to maintain the melanin activity of the hair bulb.
4. It enhances the beauty of hair with Vitamins B5 and B6 and Silk Proteins that give hydration and volume, while imparting a natural shine.

Last but not least, there is the Phytophanère Dietary Supplement. Each capsule contains a reservoir of essential fatty acids (Borage Oil and Fish Oil.) and vitamins (Brewer's Yeast, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid and Pyridoxine.) for the hair, nails and skin, strengthening each and maintaining them at their optimal states.

Before the event, I had actually picked up 3 bottles of the shampoo at Watsons (I think they were going for $69.90 for 3.) and have since finished 2 bottles (I wash my hair 2-3 times a day. Hehhh.). Initially, I found it really difficult to lather but at the event, I realized that I needed to use half a cap's worth of it. And that solved the problem. Also, during washing, your hair will feel dry because the cuticles are raised. All you need to do is to smooth them down with a comb. (: There isn't a conditioner in this range as it isn't needed. But for me, I feel safer with one. Heh. So I do use one from another brand, just on the bottom half of my tresses.

I think that the shampoo did curb my hair loss a tad but the effect wasn't very obvious. Then again, such treatments require more than just 2 bottles for significant results. I'll be checking out the other products in the next two months and will report back soon!

Phyto is available at all Robinsons, John Little, Beauty by Nature stores and selected stores at Watsons, Guardian, BHG, Metro and Unity.

REVIEW: John Frieda's Full Repair Range

Back in July, I received John Frieda's Full Repair Range and tested it out for 2 months. This range is formulated with Omega-packed Inca Inchi Oil. Culled from the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon, this lightweight micro-oil pumps up hair body while repairing and protecting each strand with its high levels of fatty acids (Omega-3, 6 and 9!) from stresses caused by heat. It works best with the use of heat to create soft, shiny, full-bodied hair styles.

The shampoo left my hair feeling light and clean, without the strip-of-all-oils feeling that some shampoos tend to give. There were some days when I actually just stopped my hair routine here and my hair didn't feel the least bit dry. But it is advisable to always condition your hair (Recently, I read about a beauty editor who only uses conditioners on her hair. No shampoos. At all.). I applied it on the bottom half of my hair and it provided just the right amount of moisture needed. There was no oily residue after rinsing it off and my hair didn't feel like it was being weighed down. The deep conditioner is a hair mask which I used once or twice a week to enhance the effects of the shampoo and the conditioner.

Despite the fact that I blow-dried my hair every day during the 2 months and did the occasional straightening, my hair remained soft and the ends were healthy. I also noticed that my hair was slightly fuller, especially at the top (Which is usually as flat as a plateau.). However, one thing to note is that these products aren't free of silicones.

John Frieda's Full Repair Range is available at Guardian and Watsons outlets.

REVIEW: Belif's Tinted Moisturizer Waterdrop B.B.

During the recent summer sale at Napiers, I checked out some of my favourites from Belif along with a few strangers. And one stranger which quickly upgraded its status is the Tinted Moisturizer Waterdrop B.B.. Previously, I tried the original version and I loved it to bits (Read my review here.). I did make an order for it but I thought I try the version meant for dry skin too (Late nights, sigh. Thank you, school.).

The Tinted Moisturizer Waterdrop B.B. is said to naturally enhance the skin tone while it wraps the skin lightly with natural bursts of moisture. It contains Plantain, which is an agent for maintaining the skin's moisture balance. This gives the skin a soft and rosy glow without dryness, even after makeup. At the same time, it also protects the skin from harmful sun rays with its SPF20 PA++.

The tinted moisturizer comes in a 30ml squeeze tube, which is a little larger than palm-sized and fits into most bags. Sadly, it comes in only one shade which is a little too white. I combat this by dusting a light layer of Zao's Compact Powder in 302 Beige Orange. As for its texture, it is watery, glides across the skin like a dream and keeps it moisturized (No dry patches!). However, as like most tinted moisturizers, it isn't very long lasting and a touch-up is needed after about 4 hours. At the end of the day, when I clean it off, my skin is left feeling smooth and still moisturized. Hello, new best friend. :D

Belif's Tinted Moisturizer Waterdrop B.B. will be loved by those who are looking for a fuss-free, light weight moisturizer. I bought mine from Napiers' website here but you can also get it from their Singapore outlets at Wisma and Plaza Singapura at $33.

REVIEW: BelleWave's White-Neurogist Express Lightening Expert+

During one of my busiest week in October, I sneaked in a break by heading down to Bali Tangi, under Warisan Spa, for a little treat by BelleWave. Thanks so much for arranging this, Celia! :D

BelleWave is a Swiss skin care brand that aims to bring skin perfection through precision. It combines the precise nature of Swiss work culture, the pinpoint accuracy of U.S. technology and effective botanical ingredients to produce professional treatments and homecare products.

The little treat I was going for was BelleWave's ultimate skin whitening treatment, the White-Neurogist Express Lightening Expert+. It is an intensive 6-step treatment that corrects dull and uneven skin tones. At the same time, it also eradicates pigmentation and prevents new ones from surfacing. The treatment is powered by the following ingredients:

DiamondLite 60
It is a Nobel Prize discovery active that holds a similar structure to diamond. Containing up to 125 times more antioxidant power than Vitamin C, it brightens skin, suppresses melanin formation and controls cell-death.

3D-White Complex
It is a dynamic complex of 7 potent lightening actives that work to combat melanin synthesis before, during and after formation. The 3-dimensional pathway blocks pigmentation from the root source by inhibiting melanin synthesis pathways.

NeuroEase
A unique tri-peptide, it calms the skin to prevent and decrease melanin. It also helps in soothing irritation symptoms like redness and swellings. It also balances the skin sensitivity threshold.

YouthWhite
Comprising of a dynamic complex of Rabdosia Rubescens and Siegesbeckia Orientalis Extract, it counters oxidative stress on skin, which is the primary cause of skin aging (By as much as 4.5 years in 2 months!) and damage. It does so by reducing melanin and improving collagen production.

Here's the cozy room where I had my facial! Each room comes equipped with a basin and a mirror so that you can do your touch-ups conveniently.

The 6 steps took about 2 hours to complete. But first, my therapist did a thorough cleansing of my face. She used a makeup remover to remove my foundation. This was then followed up with a milk cleanser which cleaned off the makeup remover. And then, the BelleWave experience began and it was incredibly relaxing and soothing! I fell asleep at one point. Heh.

For those with sensitive skin, you may feel a little 'biting' when you have the Quartz Instant Radiance Peel. But not to worry, just let your therapist know and she will reduce the application time of 20 minutes. I do have sensitive skin and my face did turn red. But I did not experience any 'biting' and had it on for the full 20 minutes.

At Bali Tang, the NeuroEase Rebalancing Essence was applied with a tool that utilized ultrasound waves. This helped the essence penetrate deeper into the skin. For ladies who are pregnant, the essence will be applied with a series of massages. (:

And therapist was a total dear! She tidied up my eyebrows and even did some extractions for me. I had a lovely time conversing with her during the treatment. If I remembered it right, she has been in the industry for 7 years and counting.

from left to right: before and after

It was a little difficult to capture the effects of the treatment because of the lighting but it left my skin feeling incredibly smooth, radiant and moisturized. One noticeable difference was my dark circles. I have been sleeping past 2am for the past few weeks so you can imagine how terrible they were! But this treatment reduced the darkness significantly. :D

From now till November 20th, 2013, you can also experience the effectiveness of BelleWave's White-Neurogist Express Lightening Expert+ at a 1st trial offer of $48 (U.P. $397)! :D Applicable only for participating BelleWave-affiliated salons, please contact Celia at 6775 9026. She will provide you with the information regarding the salon locations and details to purchase the e-voucher for the treatment. (: All treatments should be done by November 27th, 2013.

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WARISAN SPA
138 Tampines Street 11
#01-140
Singapore 521138