Current lineup of products (May 2013)

Since I haven’t been blogging for like, forever, there has been many changes to my skincare and makeup routine. So I thought I should give a quick update here.

Skincare:

1. Mandom Oil Clear Facial Acne Foam (link here)
   

   Cheap & good!

2. St Ives apricot scrub for blemish skin
   

   Possibly the best scrub I’ve ever used

3. Bifesta Cleansing Express
   

   Cannot live without this! I always have at least 2 bottles on backup

4. Clean & Clear Fast Clearing spot gel
   

   On my 2nd tube now! Works well for small pimples

5. Etude House AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot
   

   Both my sister & I love this . It brings up the head for huge ugly pimples and heals it fast.
   We’re on our 3rd bottle now… you say good or not?

    

6. Skin Food Egg White Pore Pack (for nose, chin and forehead)
   

   OMG super super super super love this!!

7. Differin gel
   

   I use this alternate nights to keep the skincells renewing regularly.

8. Laneige Water Sleeping Pack
   

   A must for dehydrated skins! If you’re constantly in airconditioned environments, you gotta have it!

 

Manicures & Pedicures over the past few months

I initially wanted to do individual posts for each mani & pedi but thinking over, I wouldn’t have much to say, so here’s a truckload of photos instead!

I call them my skittle toes… but I think I probably shouldn’t have layered glitter over.

I <3 this design… very Cath Kidston and I love the teal colour!

A purple glitter gradient manicure I did before my Alaska trip… It lasted almost 3 weeks and was going strong with no signs of chipping!

Alien toes. Mad love the neon green! LOL

My current manicure… abit too girly for me, don’t you think?

All nail sessions were done at Elva Beauty Palace (non-sponsored! I have a paid package with them) Tel 6774 3556

 

 

Sally Hansen Gem Crush (Showgirl Chic)

Sally Hansen Gem Crush (Showgirl Chic)

Do be sure to get the new flat brush as it’s much easier to use and control than the previous brush. Coverage was good (above was 2 coats), and ultra bling. But it eats up topcoat like a cookie monster! As with all glitters, it was a pain to remove!

Review: Super White Skin Lab

I was invited down for a trial facial by Jean Yip to experience their new product offering at Super White Skin Lab. Ok, I have to admit, the shop’s name is beyond tacky. It’s like bad English! But anyway, it’s a new facial salon concept by Jean Yip and they just opened its 1st outlet in VivoCity in March.

The interior design of the place is black draping  with clean lines and chandeliers. “EXPENSIVE PLACE” is what it is. They do not have rooms, but rather, chairs separated by the same heavy black curtains.

Waiting for facial to start

SWSL’s concept of facial is way different from the usual facials we’ve experienced. Here, they boast a technology of using nano water to allow the whitening ingredients to penetrate deeper into your skin. There are 4 different ampoules which are suited for different skintypes which the therapist will add to the water before the nano steam is applied. Also, nano steam will not leave your skin dripping wet as it has fine particles which will not condense on your skin.

The machine that sprays nano-sized goodness onto your skin

Their facial steps are: cleansing> nano water steam> acupoint pressure facial massage> facial mask> moisturizer+sunblock. Altogether, it takes around 45-60 mins. Also, the therapist will mix and match products suitable for your skin. The different ranges use ingredients such as Chinese medicinal herbs, fruit enzymes, and proven chemicals for whitening.

I didn’t really like the facial experience there. I believe most of us go for facials, not only for the skin benefits, but also the relaxation it provides. Over at SWSL, they do facials sitting upright when steaming, or on a reclined chair when cleansing and rinsing off. Also, because they do not have enclosed rooms, I was in wide view of my surroundings and I didn’t like that.

If you require extraction, please do not come here. If you would like your eyebrows trimmed at the same time, please do not come here. If you want a good relaxing facial and shoulder massage, please do not come here.

If you like new technology, do give them a try. This nano steam technology sounds interesting, but the skeptical in me would like to give it more time before I bite the bullet of $138 per session. Especially when I require more ‘work’ to my face.

Gelish manicure #4

I’m addicted to Gelish…. LOL

Review: Etude House Real Art Cleansing Mild Soap

I have always gone for products that are quality over packaging. However, this time, I was intrigued by the lovely packaging that Etude House had. I bought this while on holiday in Seoul last April, and it came in a set of cleansing soap and cleansing oil. The cleansing oil was rubbish so I disposed of it after using 1/4 of it. Yea, it was that bad that I didn’t even want to pass it to someone else. However, the cleansing soap was lovely to use.

It was a basic cleansing liquid that cleansed my face well without leaving it dry and tight.It was clear and runny and only needed a pump to lather up sufficiently. That being said, I didn’t feel that it would be strong enough to clean off the day’s dirt, grime and makeup so I only used this in the morning. My skin was always smooth after using this. And since only a pump is needed each time, the 200ml bottle lasted me from ~Nov 2011 to May 2012.

I would love to repurchase it since it’s a simple cleansing liquid that does what it’s supposed to do, but I guess the Korean brands always have something new to offer. And I’ve still got 3 of those Holika Holika egg soaps to try… *oops, totally went crazy in Korea!*

Review: Skin & Lab vitamin creams

I bought these vitamin creams when I ran out of Bliv’s moisturizing gel (that reminds me, I need to blog about that soon!). I heard that Vitamin B is good for acne prone skin, so I decided to try it out. The creams were despatched from Korea and reached me within 10 days, quite fast considering it was year end and postal services were usually overloaded then.

Anyway, the creams were lovely to use, absorbing into the skin really quickly and they make my skin soft and matte! They are not oily and they work as promised! I bought the Vitamin B cream for my acne-prone skin, Vitamin K for sensitive patches around my eye and ears and also for dark circles, and Vitamin C for brightening! The creams smell of lavender and it’s so soothing on the senses to use, especially at the end of a long weary work day.

I like that the seller has a different promotion for the vitamin creams each month, often giving a full size gift with purchase of 3 creams. But it would be better, if they made it a “buy 2, get 1 free” or “buy 3 get 1 free” promotion. Just sayin’. I have since re-purchased another 2 more tubes, 1 Vitamin B and 1 Vitamin E since I tend to go through the Vitamin B cream rather quickly. The seller also gives a set of vitamin cream samples for each tube purchased, so I have 3×5 vitamin cream samples in the picture above. The samples were nice and handy to have as each sample contained sufficient cream for probably 2-3 usages.

Do look out for price promotions as Gmarket often have price drops for the day.

Review: Bliv Quench Me moisturizing gel

I actually loved this moisturizing gel while I had it, and promptly moved on to something else after I was done with it. I think life’s too short to just stick to one moisturizer. *all images in this post do not belong to me*

It says “A super lightweight gel moisturizer, Quench Me invigorates your skin with its moisture-retaining properties, keeping hydration locked in during daytime with no burden. Your complexion never looked more supple, recharged and healthy!” on the website, and it is good for oily skin girls who dislike sticky products. It moisturizes alright, but I soon felt that it wasn’t enough for me as I was in an air-conditioned environment day in and out. My nose would peel if I only used this and the blackhead gel.

The gel’s actually a faint blue and I’m not a fan of coloured products, so that’s 1 point off. Don’t see the point to have artificial colouring in my products if it’s not makeup.

But what I do like most about the product is its packaging. Most of b.liv’s products come in an air-tight pump bottle and that’s good to keep the product fresh. It also allows the user to control how much product to dispense and keeps your dresser clean and neat.

I was done with the moisturizer (45ml) in 3 months and now using a vitamin cream that I bought from Gmarket. I’m loving that much more than Quench Me!

Gelish manicure #3

This time, I wanted something natural but yet bling enough for CNY 2012. So my manicurist did a gradient design for me as I did my nails 2 weeks before CNY (smart choice because I was kept busy at work for 2 weeks!). I chose gold glitter tips for some wealth! LOL

*Manicure was 2 weeks old when above picture was taken, thus there was some growth

Review: Spa Vintage

Spa Vintage is a well-kept secret… it’s my favourite massage/spa salon with an exclusive location. The prices are not cheap (averaging about $100 for 2 hours massage, depending on which treatment you choose), but the therapists’ skills are top-notch. They are not middle-aged aunties who suddenly decided to change their jobs, nor are they pseudo-masseurs. They are adequately trained and have even taken up certification courses for different types of massage. I go there about once every 4-6 weeks, always doing my favourite green tea massage for 1.5 hours or 2 hours if I’m particularly tired. Above is the locker area, and you can also enjoy a warm foot bath before you start on your treatment.

After the foot bath, you will be led into your treatment room and while the single room is small, it is sufficient for the therapist to walk around without shifting the bed. Each room has its own air-conditioning unit so the temperature can be adjusted according to your preference. The beds are warm and towels are clean and plush. If you visit the place with a partner, you can also request for a couple room which comes with an attached shower area. The rooms have piped-in music and the walls are also fully boarded up, so you have your own personal space without having to listen to other customers’ conversations (one of my pet peeves during treatment is that some customers talk NON-STOP during treatments… how irritating!!)

My favourite treatment would be the green tea massage and deep tissue hot lava stone massage. The green tea massage uses green tea oil for moisturization and it uses a combination of Javanese, Balinese and Swedish massage techniques, together with hot lava stones for a relaxing and soothing massage. The deep tissue hot lava stone massage is hardcore stuff, I usually choose it if my muscles are extremely sore. Either way, I love having hot lava stones incorporated in my massage because the warm stones just relaxes my muscles so much, I could turn into jelly.

The therapists do not hardsell at all, and they are usually quiet during treatments (some therapists yak away… especially those in Malaysia… sigh). I’ve brought my parents and my sis to this secret place of mine, and all of them love it so much! I’ve been a regular since 2010 and the therapists there remember me and my dad! Great personalised service! I do not usually sign packages but these quaint little spa haven has an affordable package of only $500 (+ $150 free treatments), that I have since signed on at least twice. I usually finish 1 package in a year. They do not restrict you which kind of treatments you can do, but rather they go by the value of the treatment you choose to do during your session. They also have monthly promotions which allow customers to try different treatments if they wish to. Members enjoy 30% discount on one full body massage treatment (regular price) on their birthday month.