Trying out su:m37° Secret Essence & More

Hi hi

I have been using quite a collection of Korean skincare products in my skincare routine and here I would just share with you what they are, how I use them etc…hope you find this helpful!

Firstly we have a new comer to the SG beauty retail scene – su:m37° – which consists of naturally fermented cosmetics. This natural fermentation is a key part the brand technology, taking place in a lab in the Gwangwon-do lab in Korea.
Natural fermentation refers to the biological phenomenon where enzymes of microorganisms are used to produce, distribute, convert and switch ingredients for humans and ferment plants with microorganisms based on technology aimed to enhance the value of utility of the skin.

Their star product is the SECRET ESSENCE (think SKII Facial Treatment Essence level of iconic) – it is a fruit of natural fermentation technology – this essence aids daily revitalisation of the skin:: improving skin texture, hydration, tone, firmness and brilliance.

Another product from the brand which I am also using is White Award clear toner – this removes dead skin cells and brightens the skin with fermented ingredients.

The third product from su:m37 is the White Award bubble de mask, which is a three in one effect facial mask, it brightens, and also has deep pore cleansing and skin smoothing properties.

I did some work with the brand in the past recent weeks, so I thought I would share with you here too:

As you can see my Secret Essence is pretty well-used, and that’s because I have been using it quite often at night.  I usually apply 2-3 layers of the essence (just because) – and it is a very lightweight, refreshing essence.  It isn’t really a serum, but more of like a serum booster?  I use this after toner (again, a step which I only use when I am on a Korean routine, but I dun use a toner if I am using an overnight leave on mask or a facial oil for the night) – water-full skin refresher, which is quite nice, but honestly I am not sure what a toner is supposed to do.

I finish up the su:m37 routine with the water-full Water Gel cream (I have been loving gel creams lately, including the new Avene one) – and this routine is great for hydration and leaving  my skin quite glowy.

Currently, I am also rotating several other su:m37° products – their oxygen bubbling mask (very cleansing, and the foaming action feels quite good!).  I do enjoy their sun-block – the Sun-Away Cooling Watery Sun Block Ex – quite good for everyday and under foundations which usually do not have SPF.  Another worthy mention is their Dazzling base (kinda like a MAC strobe cream) which I sometimes mixed into my foundation.

I have also been given their water-full cc cushion but I have yet to give that a go. Will report back when I can.

I hope you find this entry helpful!  Thanks for reading!

 

Chanel Preview (AW2017)

Hi hi!

Earlier this week I was invited by the Chanel team to preview several of their new and upcoming beauty launches. The preview took place in their pressroom, and it was almost like I am sitting in a chic (and beige) Parisian apartment, complete with a wardrobe filled with Chanel fashion.

I didn’t take too many pictures as I was also occupied with catching up with the team and learning about the new releases and recollecting our fave pieces from past seasons many years ago.

At the end of the session, I also tried on their new iconic bag – Gabrielle – which sparked a bag lemming in my mind. I love the shape and overall casual chic vibe, the mixed metal hardware, the way the straps are meant to be worn, really resonated with my style aesthetics!

Here is a quick run down of the new beauty releases – do note I am just rattling off everything that I can recall, I do have the official press release and press images, which I might use to supplement this post if you are keen to see more. Here is just a more organic/ informal sharing.

1: new shade extensions (now 5 instead of 2) to their concealer range
2: new and revamped single eyeshadows (now in a round pan, and featuring gold logo emblem on the case)
3: new cream eyeshadows (more muted, less sparkly than their illusion ombre)
4: new brow pencils (retractable, and with a blade tip)
5: Jasmine face oil to mark 90 years of Chanel skincare
6: sneak preview of new perfume Gabrielle
7: blue serum the anti anti-aging serum
8: AW 2017 Fall makeup collection
9: Holiday 2017 makeup collection
10: new dual ended and dual fibre makeup brushes – travel friendly, retractable ones
11: new lip crayons (glossy finish, creamy more long lasting than the rouge stylo which are more balmy)

So as you can see, lots and lots of new products to go through and it was impossible for me to swatch and touch everything. I did however, picked a good range of products which I will definitely be testing out and report back soon.
I will feature these items time to time on the blog/ IG as I start to use them.

NEW Shiseido Inkstroke Eyeliner (Info & Swatches)

Shiseido’s exciting new Inkstroke Eyeliner series is inspired by the Japanese art of calligraphy

The inkstroke eyeliner pays tribute to the grace and artistry of the time-honored practice of calligraphy, offering ultra precise application, smooth texture and deep color tones.

Paired with a unique gel based formula, this product glides on and delivers color impact and adds definition to the eyes.

The eyeliners are soft and creamy and come in flattering shades. They are long lasting and has a sweat and sebum resistant formula. The packaging includes an easy to use, fine tipped eyeliner brush with a cap for beauty on the go.

Comes in 6 shades, which are flattering eye colors.

Shikkoku Black BK901
Deep and lustrous black

Empitsu Grey GY902
Dark gray, like graphite

Kon-ai Blue BL603
Indigo blue

Shinrin Green GR604
Forest green

Nasubi Purple VI605
Eggplant dark purple

Kuromitsu Brown BR606
Rich warm brown

Also new, the Inkstroke Eyeliner Brush sits easily on the lip of the pot, and allows for perfect control with the amount of ink added to the fine-tipped brush.

NEW Shiseido Paperlight Cream Eye Color (Info & Swatches)

Matte, translucent creme eye color, inspired by Japanese washi paper

Washi paper has a unique and exquisite translucence that comes from the layering of mulberry fibre.

New Shiseido Paperlight Cream Eye Color is smooth and delicate – light touch just like washi paper.

These cream eye color come with a translucent yet matte finish, like traditional Japanese washi paper.

Besides the matte yet translucent finish, they have a smooth texture that adheres well to the skin, and does not crease, thanks to the flexible network structure. They also have a long lasting effect which does not fade.

Comes in 8 shades, inspired by the natural Japanese landscape.

Nobara Pink PK201
Sweet and bright pink, cool undertone

Namiki Bright Green GR302
Vivid bright green

Yamabuki Yellow YE303
Bright yellow

Shobu Purple VI304
Purple iris

Hisui Green GR705
Bright soft green with a touch of blue

Asagi Blue BL706
Dewy and bold, soft blue

Sango Coral OR707
Warm soft coral

Usuzumi Beige Grey GY908
Natural beige gray

3 Reasons Why You Should Try an Organic Facial Treatment

Hi!

There are times when it is worthwhile to try something different, and in this case, a facial treatment that specialises in the use of only organic products combined with machinery to deliver the best results to rescue tired dull skin. And yesterday I got the chance to try out the Ultra Facial Treatment at Pure Tincture (located at 68 Tras St). Pure Tincture has been around for over 10 years, previously at Aldephi before moving over to its current location in the CBD area. The place is tucked in the midst of offices, bars and restaurants, and besides offering treatments they also stock a selection of specially sourced organic beauty products from around the world. But more on that later. Here are three reasons why I enjoyed my experience and you should try a facial at Pure Tincture.

1: The Treatment is fully customised according to your skin needs. I told Helen, who is the founder of Pure Tincture, that I am always looking to enhance the glow and hydration level of my complexion. She proceed to select a range of products from various brands that they carry and got started. Being a product junkie, I felt like I had the chance to test out several products throughout the course of this treatment, and some of them really stood out to me. Allow me to share a few with you:

– Soap & Paper Factory – I am thoroughly attracted to this brand! Helen used one of their massage oils on my neck and shoulders during the session, and I just want to smell like that all the time! The oil she used is the Sakura Blossom massage oil.

– PAI Skincare – Helen used the Pai Camellia and Rose Hydrating Cleanser on me to remove the light makeup I had on my face. It felt really soothing, and, yes, you guessed it, smelled awesome too.

– PAI intensive conditioning mask – this is a salon professional use only product which was used as a second mask. It is a balmy creamy face mask which seemed to soak my skin in all its nourishing goodness.

– OSEA white algae mask – The first mask used is a more of a glow enhancing deep cleansing step which detoxed my skin.

2: Helen’s knowledge and passion for organic beauty is really impressive and admirable. She shared with me how she sources for organic brands and incorporates them into her facials. I love the fact that she really believes in what she uses for her treatments and only uses products created by companies that are genuinely passionate about their ingredients and doing good instead of focusing just commercial benefits.

3: There is more to an Organic Facial Treatment than just organic products and massage techniques.
Throughout the 1.5 hour treatment, I experienced the best of both technology and the skillful work carried out by Helen. The steaming machine helped open my pores before she did extraction mainly around my nose, and the LED light therapy towards the end of the treatment helped to boost the glow and took care of the uneven tone in my skin. There was also an eye treatment included, which involved the use of a RF machine to lift and tone my eye area – and this is one treatment that Helen said is always highly requested by her clients.
I also enjoyed the facial massage that she did using the PAI intensive conditioning mask, I think that step along with the LED glow treatment made my skin look extra extra soft and brightened today. She also used essential oils at the start of treatment (by lightly pressing on the accu points of my face I think) which really help me to settle into the treatment for the next 2 hours or so. And in addition to all the facial treatments going on, she also added shoulder, head and neck massage. These details are certainly thoughtful and ensure that you are totally relaxed.

Just to recap the steps of the entire treatment which I went through – you might not get the same exact products combination, but here’s an idea of what to expect for an Signature Facial Treatment:

– Double cleanse

– Special skin peel or ampule (I had a fruit acid peel done)

– Extraction (Helen trimmed my brow stray hairs too)

– Cryotherapy or eyes treatment (this is awesome!)

– Face massage (yes yes yes!)

– 2 special customized mask (one after the peel and one after the face massage)

– LED light immersion

They also do provide a menu of their facial treatments, but I do recommend that you have a chat with Helen about your skin concerns and she will know what to do from there. She has another therapist working there too, and I am very thankful that I had the pleasure of spending the 120 minutes with her as we chatted about organic skincare, her work and even our health-care routines (yoga, running, clean-ish eating…).

Overall, I think this has been a really refreshing experience. I might not turn into a green beauty junkie or go all organic, but I do feel more aware of the benefits of using these products in my routine. I often get people asking me product/ treatment recommendations for sensitive skin, and I think you just might find the right treatments and products at Pure Tincture.

Find out more here Pure Tincture

I hope that my sharing has been helpful and thank you for reading!!

Pictures below, some products that caught my eyes and that were used during my treatment, and a post treatment pic.

Why I have not blogged

Hi hi!

My last entry was 5 months ago.

This is not a decision which I consciously made.  Things just took over, and I just didn’t feel the urge to post anything.

There won’t be any pictures in this entry, it is just a spur of the moment urge to update.  I probably shouldn’t be spending anytime here, but sometimes distractions are necessary.

A few reasons why I have not been blogging – I won’t say that I have STOPPED or QUIT, I just simply did not post anything. I don’t think I will ever quit nor shut down the blog.

1. My computer (my macbook pro) is really old and laggy and using it to process photos and write is really a chore.
2. I have such a horrible backlog situation that I don’t know where to start.
3. I have not been using a lot of different makeup products to share.  And I hate to post entries where I only show you flatlays or swatches on my hands without really using them.  Along with that, I have stopped attending or responding to many makeup brands that invite me to preview their collections. I figure there are a lot more other ‘influencers’ and beauty bloggers who can do a more timely and better job than I.   You find that I am only sticking to my fave brands that I have worked with for years and year, because I am genuinely interested in everything they do.  Like NARS and Chanel, and the few skincare brands which I love.
4. I am busy.  Work, new house, family stuff have all taken my mind away from blogging lately.  I feel like I am constantly catching up everywhere, and when I have moments to myself, I just want to get some yoga done, have a meal by myself, or just breathe and do nothing.

 

What is going to happen in the rest of the year:

1. I am going to buy a new computer, hopefully by June.  But I also feel like buying a Goyard bag. Hmm.
2. Now that I have my own place, and my own beauty room, perhaps it might be more organised and easier for me to start blogging again.  Provided I get my new computer.  We will see how that goes.
3. I am almost fully moved into my new place.  As you can see from my instagram – it is all I am thinking of these days.  The renovation was smooth sailing, and I am so happy with the results.  I didn’t hire any designer, I choose everything, and I planned everything myself.  This is a major milestone, and I am super excited.
4. Regardless, I hope to start updating again in June when I am more settled.  It’s been a rough past month shuffling out of boxes, moving stuff, clearing out my old space. But I am almost there.
5. I did a couple rounds of a ‘thermage-like’ treatment, and I think it is pretty awesome – even more so if you have more visible concerns than me. I think I need to share about this, but I just need to get into the right frame of mind to do so.
6. I also micro-bladed my brows a couple of days ago.  The amount of time saved in doing my face in the  morning – PRICELESS.

 

Hope everyone is doing well, and thanks for reading!

 

GRWM: Chanel SS 2017 Makeup Collection

Hi hi!!  Happy new year! First entry in 2017 will be a round up of my top picks from the new Chanel SS 2017 Makeup Collection.  The collection is now available in SG, and prices are as follows:

COCO CODE blush (LE) – SG103

LES 4 OMBRES 278 CODES SUBTILS (LE) – SG90

ROUGE COCO SHINE 128 NOIR MODERNE – SG49

LE VERNIS 546 ROUGE RED – SG39

LE VERNIS 556 BEIGE BEIGE – SG39

The collection is made up of a range of very wearable and classic colours – soft reds, neutral olives and browns, and classic beige and noir red.  The immediate thing which jumped out at me, is of course the Coco Code blush – it contains four quadrants of a pearlised pinky bone shade, satin matte bronze shade, soft matte red shade, and a soft metallic pale gold shade.  I have swatched each quadrant separately, but in my overall look, I just lightly tap each shade (instead of swirling over everything) and applied as a blush.  I then only use the bronzer shade to warm up my complexion, and only the pinky bone shade as a soft cheek highlighter.

Next, there are two quads in this collection, and I picked the one which has the khaki/ olive shade. The quad has decent payoff, but there is some powdery kick off when I swatched and pick up colour.. but the kick off (or should I say fall out) is miminal when I am actually applying the colour to my eyes. I had used the brown shade all over my eyelids, and blending out the edges.  I then used the pinky shimmery shade only on the middle of my lids for a more dimensional ‘spotlight’ pop.  I used the olive shade as an eyeliner, mainly on the lower eyelids and also on the outer corners of my upper lash line.  The only shade I didn’t use is the pale gold shade – though I would have probably used it on the inner corner of my eyelids.  A nice pretty quad, but nothing too striking if you already own many of Chanel’s khaki-olive eyeshadows.

The two nail polishes are gorgeous – Beige Beige is a peachy warm nude, and the formula is totally non streaky, and applies so smoothly.  It is a cream finish shade, and I applied two thin coats for a smooth even finish.  Love this shade. Rouge Red is a classic warm red.  It has a ‘soft’ look to it – very opaque with two thin coats, but it is not that kind of intense warm red like coromandel.. if you own too many red nail colours like I do, I hope you know what I mean! 🙂

Lastly, I have a rouge coco shine – Noir Moderne – which is a deep berry shade.  Some Rouge Coco Shine can be pretty intense for a coco shine, but this one is quite sheer, and it is like a MLBB berry shade.  I love this, and I miss how balmy and hydrating the Coco Shines are.  Wore this out for NYE, and I was happily reapplying it without having to use a mirror.  It is that effortless and awesome.

I know these are my top picks.. but if you have to shortlist these pieces further, I would definitely say the Coco Code blush, the lippie, and the Beige Beige nailpolish are must haves!

Here are some product close ups: 

I know I didn’t swatch and take pictures of the nailpolish here, but if you follow me on Instagram, I will pop them on there when I wear the colours again!

Swatches: 

After Swatching!!  

I know some people are like, how to touch and use this beautifully embossing?  I used my fingers to swipe across each quadrant, but realistically you would use a brush, and everything was restored back to ‘normal’ after I have used my brush to pick up the product.  Of course the lettering would wear off when you use this often enough, which is still okay, I have way more intricately embossed Chanel powders which I really can’t bear to use too much of!  This is still quite ‘use-able’.  Hehe.  Besides, it has decent colour payoff, and if you don’t end up using it (and just keeping it as a collectible) that would be such a pity.

Close up pictures

Overall Look

All products used:

Chanel Les Beiges liquid foundation, Nars radiant creamy concealer under my eyes, set with Shu Uemura Lightbulb loose powder

Cheeks – bronzer, blush – Coco Code

Lips – Rouge Coco Shine Noir Moderne

Eyes – Codes Subtils quad, colour placement as described above

 

Hope you find this entry helpful, and thanks for reading!

 

 

Update: Farewell 2016

What a year it has been! I like to ramble and update from time to time, especially at the end of another crazy year. Currently I am typing this on my phone before I go to bed, and let’s see how much I can go on before my fingers cramped up or my eyes fall asleep.

2016 started with aplomb on the work front with major changes, and I am not one to go into details about it, this has never been the platform to do so, and I am not about to start. I just find myself having less and less time to devote any time and energy to updating this blog, trying new products, and even updating my instagram. I think I used to post daily on the gram but these days I prefer to only post when I have the mood for it, and I don’t really like to post a bunch of blogger mail that everyone else is posting around the same time anyway. Ultimately, I don’t want to post anything just for the sake of making an impression. It is kind of like “if you have nothing nice to say, then don’t” and that’s the truth. Not everyday is always so inspirational and groundbreaking as far as makeup/ beauty is concerned. I use the same few products on my face to go to work etc but why should I fake stage together a thematically selected, artfully placed bunch of products just to post online when IRL, the reality nothing like it? The idea of social influence these days has become more like a display of ‘how much free stuff The Influencer is given so you should buy it too’ rather than ‘what I am really using and loving, and you should try it too’. It has become a transaction between the influencer and the brand, rather than the influencer and his/ her audience. And the truth is, the real consumers are not those who lurk on social media 24/7, liking and commenting on all your pretty pics. They are the people who have a real connection with you beyond social media. But….like I said, times have changed, so, let’s move on!

I remember sharing about my eyelid surgery in my Dec ramble from last year. It’s been a year since my surgery, and I am still super happy with the results. Sometimes I even forgot that I had them done! As I mentioned before, my only regret is not doing it earlier. Am I going to get more work done? I won’t rule out anything that will enhance my face (nothing drastic) but I am thinking some stuff to soothe over those fine lines between my brows – note to self – why frown so much? Haha! And maybe some brow lift? These are just some temporary nips and jabs…and no harm in trying yah? I will definitely share my experience IF and WHEN I pluck up enough courage (and funds) to do it.

Speaking of funds, I bought my own place this year!!! Omg! It’s like…I have married myself. In Singapore where I live, the idea of buying a place is the way for a guy to propose marriage to a girl. Home ownership in SG favours the young couple looking to set up their nest and start a family, but not the single person who is looking to establish his/her own home. When I found out that I could not buy brand new public housing – the resale market is the way to go – things escalated quickly. Once the thought of having my own place got stuck in my head (back in July!) I started fantasizing about where, how, what…I was lucky in my brief search and instant decision making process. I met good people along the way who helped me to get the purchase done smoothly. Within a period of four months – from the day I viewed my future place – to the day I collected my keys and became a real HOME OWNER, the whole journey took only four months. People may take longer than four YEARS to do this, meanwhile they save up whatever they could. But not me. I came, I saw, I paid, I bought. Gosh. This is kind of crazy. But also strangely empowering. I actually have my OWN PLACE now! It is currently vacant, with beautiful pink marble flooring, and needs some renovation work. I am hoping I can get the work done by end of March…though I am in no hurry to move out or move in. And I probably have to survive on just air and water after I have done up the place. With my single person income, I have to do stuff that normally two people can share the burden together to complete. I am not sure if I am sealing my fate as a singleton with this “achievement” but I think it has certainly make ‘having a man’ seem like an accessory rather than “complete my life”. Ouch? Maybe I am too harsh to think this way, but I am still a romantic at heart. If the right person comes along, then so be it – I will welcome this person into my already fulfilling contented life and my new house, if he is deserving (lol, what arrogance!!) But I am not really hoping nor pinning. Some other stuff have also happened lately that shaken my belief in the idea of forever love/ second chance – not that I so naive to be easily shaken, but when you least expect things to crumble and they just do without any warning, that’s pretty scary. By the way, is it tacky to share my wishlist for home gifts? I mean? How is that done? How do people do it? I am reminded of that episode in SATC when Carrie mentioned how many times she has bought her friends wedding gifts, baby gifts but she being single won’t have the opportunity to receive any gifts of that sort. My house-warming whatever is probably the only major event for these people to get ….. lol okay. This is getting crass. But you know what I mean.

I mean, if you don’t take care of yourself, who will?

On the fitness front, this has been the year of discovering and thoroughly enjoying yoga. While I am not becoming some contorting inverting flexible yogi, I can definitely see and feel that my body is stronger, perhaps a bit more graceful and I think I have a greater awareness of my own body and well-being. I still run, but yoga has taken over 80% of my whole fitness routine. I can do between 15-18 classes in a month, along with 5-6 runs. I enjoy going to a class on my own, and even more so with my gfs as well. This whole fitness thing is already firmly ingrained in my overall lifestyle, no matter how busy I am. I am committed to it on my own accord, not just because I am trying to lose weight or whatever, but it is just time that I prioritize FOR ME. So for those who are looking for motivation to start, to stick to something, my advice is:

1: Find something that you truly enjoy, especially if you can enjoy on your own. If you can find a buddy to come along, that’s a BONUS, but the motivation do work out must come from yourself. It may take some trial and error to find something that you look forward to and enjoy but don’t give up.

2: Enjoy this precious ‘me time’. Taking 1-2 hours each day for this self improvement is important. Work will always be there. That TV show can wait. But once you clock in the time you set, you will always feel good about it afterwards, no matter how you had to drag yourself out, or how much you dreaded it at first.

Not sure sure what else I can update, but I will post more home progress or sneak pics when I can… and also, recently I have started making use of IG stories to post my daily makeup/ daily skincare and also blogger mail paxkages which I don’t really want to spam all over the IG feed itself. IG stories function has come a long way since it started as a snapchat copycat not too long ago. If I want to show real time, real life beauty updates, it is more appropriate to use IG stories since the audience is already there and they don’t have to follow me on yet another social platform to see what I am up to.

I have more to rant/ share over this whole influencer/PR loyalty/ desperado ‘bloggers’ trend that I have seen happening, but I shall keep my mouth shut since these days I am so “out of it” that I don’t really even care anymore. Obviously things are very different from when I first started blogging 10 or 11 years ago… and people have to make a living and make everyone else happy, so who am I even to make a commentary about this? (Although you know I will comment anyway sometime down the road lol, when the right mood strikes).

I am not sure if I have any more time to post new content in the next couple of days, but the next few entries are likely to be

Chanel Spring 2017
K-beauty haul & first impressions
Every makeup chat?

I hope that 2017 will be an even better year for everyone, and I thank you for sticking around, understanding me and always reading my rambling posts.

Thanks for reading!!

The Sulwhasoo Facial: Four Reasons to Indulge

Hihi!  Today, I will share with you a facial treatment I just tried out at the new Sulwhasoo boutique at ION Orchard.  I experienced the 80 minute Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Treatment – one that consisted of jade massage, masks and their Ginseng Renewing Cream Ex range.  I can go into details of the whole treatment that left my face so firm and glowy, but let me just highlight the four main points that will make your time and money worthwhile.

ONE – The use of cold jade and hot stones

As you can see in the picture above, the treatment makes use of cold jade pieces and hot stones that activate and stimulate your accu-points for an invigorating and  rejuvenating effect. My therapist, Elyn, was so skilful with the jade rings, I think I fell asleep at one point.  With the hot stones (which aren’t directly applied to your skin, but the warmth is transferred to your face, neck and shoulders with her hands), I enjoyed the warmth and slight pressure applied. I found the juxtaposition of the cool jade and gentle heat very soothing.  There is also something very natural and organic about using just the therapist’s hands, and these stones and jade to do the treatment.  In fact, at one point, I can’t tell when she is using her hands, or the jade pieces.It is a different ‘school’ of treatment from other facials that employ the use of gadgets and machines to do the work (which you know I also enjoy  very much too).  It is a very tactile and olfactory experience – the good hands of the therapist enhance the product application and the scents (I choose First Peace, my FAVE) made everything so enjoyable.

TWO – The Space 

The ION store is rather harshly lit, I must say – if only the interior lighting is more cosy and ambient.  But once I stepped into the treatment cabin area, separated from the retail space by a large swinging door, a much more tranquil place welcomed me. There is a makeup area furnished with Sulwhasoo makeup cushions, lip balms, hair brush, marble and steel framed mirrors for you to do up your face & hair if need be post facial.  The treatment room itself is spacious, the bed is heated and set up in the middle of the room, the cupboard to keep your personal belongings is clearly labelled and well-designed (no cramped lockers that smell funny).  There is an area to do your foot scrub (I will get to that next) and the music played throughout is calming, right down to the subtle cricket sounds just barely discernible, making you feel like you are at some outdoor spa at one point in time.

THREE – the foot scrub before the facial treatment

And not just any soak in the tub affair.  It seems almost ritualistic. And it is not a generic tub with a tap attached nor one of those bubbling foot-soak contraption. The set-up consists of  the warm water AND GINSENG WATER (!!), the metal basic and the sticks that lay across the basin that you rest your foot on when you are done. The therapist will bathe your feet using a gentle scrub (that smelled so good and felt so amazing, that I, like many others before me, immediately asked if the scrub is for sale – answer–no, not in SG yet).  This is definitely one of the highlights of the whole experience!

FOUR – The Results

This is the kind of treatment that you would do a day or two before a big day, or whenever your skin is tired and needing some nourishment.  As you can see from my (crappy handphone selfie) pic, my skin is indeed glowy and smoother after all the products and massage – though to be honest, my skin has been pretty well maintained lately (I have been doing facials almost weekly prior to today’s treatment and you will read more about it soon).  My therapist, Elyn was in action almost all 80min of the treatment, from the foot scrub to the end of the session. Even while the second mask was on, she did not leave the room.  She was busy massaging my hands, and also my scalp. During the first mask, she was massaging my neck and shoulders using the white porcelain (I think?) pieces.  Needless to say, I left the spa all glowy and happy, went for my dinner gathering sans makeup except for my brows which I cannot do without.

All in all, a truly indulgent facial treatment – you can check out the other treatments that are available at the Sulwhasoo Spa – click here.

I hope you found my sharing helpful and thank you for reading!

GRWM: Chanel Holiday 2016 Collection

Hi hi!!

This entry features my top picks from the Chanel Holiday 2016 collection, which they have very generously sent me.  I wanted to pick products which I can use to create a look and also try out couple of new additions to their collection – such as the cream eyeliner.  And and and… I am quite happy to say that all my picks are really outstanding – in terms of the colour, and also the formula.

The hot pink blush – Hyperfresh –  is super pretty – it is a pink that leans warm and is quite pigmented.  Use a fluffy brush and lightly tap and blend into your skin.  Always stand a bit further away from the mirror to check if you need more colour.  I think this will suit all skintones.

The  cream eyeliner is smooth and ultra black.  Easy to glide on to my eyes, and I just used an angled liner brush to line my eyes. It sets quite fast, overall, easy to work with.  I like!

The Rouge Allure lipstick – Ultra Berry is a balanced combination of red and a deep berry.I have worn it more like a stain here, but the colour can be applied in the normal way to achieve full colour payoff.  I felt that a stain would give this smokey eyelook a more youthful casual vibe.

The eyeshadow palette is impressive – every shade is intensely pigmented, finely milled, and just stunning.  I am not usually a fan of these blackened silvery smokey colour scheme – but the quality alone makes this palette worth splurging on.

As for the last product, I have selected Liquid Mirror nailpolish – this goes on quite smooth, not quite ‘chome-like’ though. I wish this is a little lighter in tone though. And for such a reflective colour I would skip the topcoat so that the metallic finish would not be distorted.

 

Here are some product close ups, and also swatches of the eyeshadow palette –

 

And here is the final look – I have made the upperlids quite smokey intense, using both the deep blue shades, and a bit of the dark brown to blend out to the crease.  But just a teeny bit of the brown – it is really intense, and it is easy to go overboard – I did, and had to clean up quite a bit and start over. I added the silver shades to only my lower eyelids.

All Products used (All Chanel unless stated otherwise)

Face – Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation (shade 10), set with VitaLumiere Mineral Foundation (shade 20)

Eyes – Architectonic eyeshadow palette, Longwear Intense Cream Eyeliner (65 Hyperblack)

Lips – Rouge Allure 247 Ultra Berry

Cheeks – Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder (shade 30), Joues Contraste (360 Hyperfresh)

Brows – Son & Park Brow Gel (Ash Grey)

Swatches of the Le Vernis 540 Liquid Mirror on my instagram – here! 

 

What have you picked up from this collection? I hope my overview has been helpful, and thank you for reading!

Happy Holidays!