049 - Essential Leave On Treatment (CC Oil & Night Care Milk)

Since my last post on Essential haircare in May, I have been using their Deep Cleansing Shampoo and Conditioner religiously because they are really good! My scalp no longer itch and my waist-long tresses are soft and flowy! Now apart from the usual haircare products, Essential has launched 2 new items; the Essential CC Oil and Essential Night Care Milk.

Essential CC Oil

The “CC” in the new Essential CC Oil stands for Cuticle Care. Working similarly to the CC cream in skincare, the CC Oil coats and protects the hair from the 5 usual hair stresses caused by environmental factors and personal habits. 

What are the 5 Hair Stresses?

While many of you may know that heat styling, perming and dyeing can damage your hair, you may not know that the external environmental factors and some of your everyday habits can put stress on your hair and impact its health and appearance.

1.  Heat damage/ friction from blow drying – the process of blow-drying removes moisture from the hair, both outside and inside the hair, leaving hair dry, brittle and susceptible for further damage.
   
   
   
2. Friction to the hair cuticles due to daily combing – combing through wet hair causes great hair damage as the hair follicle is at its most fragile state. Likewise, the friction caused by combing through dry hair can form hair knots which makes hair prone to unnecessary breakage.
   
   
   
3. Fraying of hair shaft due to dry and brittle hair – the ends of your hair are the oldest and driest parts. When the protective hair cuticle is destroyed at the end of the hair, the hair splits into two or more parts.
   
   
   
4. Hair breakage – besides daily heat styling, blow drying and brushing, other seemingly harmless actions like tying your hair into a tight ponytail or twirling your hair with your fingers exert excessive stress on your hair, resulting in hair breakage.
   
   
   
5. Dry hair that feels rough – exposure to the sun, wind or even air-conditioning can result in hair dryness. The hair cuticle that protects the hair is weakened and is unable to retain moisture within the cuticles of the hair.
   

The Essential CC Oil which is non-greasy and invisibly light, coats each strand of hair with a cuticle coat protection (contains hair supplement oil, similar to hair’s natural oil) to fight the 5 most common forms of hair stresses, leaving hair smooth and tangle-free all day!

 Directions of use:

• Use on towel-dried or damp hair
• Pump and appropriate amount onto palm
• Spread and apply evenly onto hair, concentrating on mid-length to the tip of hair
• Do not rinse off

Essential Night Care Milk

The Essential Night Care Milk protects your hair from pillow friction by leaving a protective coat around each hair strand and prevent misaligned cuticles when hair rubs against the pillowcase, leaving hair more manageable the next morning.

 What is Pillow Friction?

1. When you toss and turn at night, there is friction between your hair and the pillow, causing the cuticles to be misaligned.
2. Misaligned cuticles creates frizz, resulting in you having lion’s mane in the morning. RAWR lol.
3. Washing your hair will reset the mane, which is why many women have no choice but to wash and blow dry their hair in the morning before going to work.

Directions of Use:

• Use on towel-dried or damp hair, or before blow-drying
• Can also be used on dry hair
• Pump an appropriate amount onto palm
• Spread and apply evenly onto hair, concentrating on mid-length to tip of hair
• Do not rinse off

I really like using the Essential Night Care Milk because it is fuss-free and most importantly allows me to skip bathing in the morning before going to work! >.< More beauty sleep and I do not have to shiver from the cold each day I step out of the shower. Manageable hair (not easy to have manageable hair for my hair length. It tangles really easily!) through the day. So what’s there not to love about the Essential Night Care Milk? Hehe!

Check out my long mane! Although it not exactly silky smooth, it's still soft to the touch and does not tangle when I comb through it with my fingers! :)

So protect your hair and get your Essential CC Oil and Night Care Milk at S$11.90 each! :)

048 - Esemtan Wash Lotion and Skin Balm

Founded in 1889 by Rudolf schülke and Julius Mayr, Schülke and Mayr GmbH belongs to pioneers of modern hospital hygiene and preservation. Products under Schülke which are available in Singapore include the Esemtan Wash Lotion and Esemtan Skin Balm which I will be sharing more information with you today! :)

The Esemtan Wash Lotion features a balanced combination of fragrance and a gentle lather, and is effective in removing dirt and oil from skin. This soapless wash offers a complete washing experience that is universally usable from head to toe.

Honestly speaking, when I first received the Esemtan Wash Lotion, I did not think much of its uses because the packaging did not really appeal to me. It looks like some sort of solution which doctors and pharmacies use for prescriptions.

Call it a coincidence or not, but I did have some bad skin conditions before I received this product for review. I had these small red patches of rough and dry skin on my arm and back and the patch on my back was so bad and obvious that I did not dare to wear any clothes which will reveal that part of my skin.

After using the Esemtan Wash Lotion for two weeks, my skin condition improved and the red patches gradually disappeared! Now I have a smooth and flawless back again! The wash lotion is pH neutral and can be used not just on the body, but on the hair and face too. With Allantoin, it reduces skin irritation and supports skin's natural moisture. Last but not least, its mild and refreshing fragrance and coloring with good skin tolerability makes it suitable for all skin types, including baby and elderly skin.

Apart from the Esemtan Wash Lotion, the Esemtan Skin Balm works great for the skin too! It provides ample moisturizing benefits to the skin with its mildly fragrant and rapidly absorbed moisturising cream for hand and body care. The skin balm has been dermatologically tested, permeates deeply and absorbs rapidly into skin, provides moisturising benefits and reduces itchiness.

How to use:

Apply and rub it gently to the back of one hand and spread it, first from one back to the other back of the hand and then also to the palms of the hands.

Recommended to use daily, morning and evening after each wash. :)

The skin balm is so moisturising that I brought the entire 500ml bottle to my office so I can use it daily. LOL. And that is exactly what I need because my office is so cold that my skin is drying out really quickly.

So if you have dry skin and need a good solution to it, why not try out the Esemtan Wash Lotion and Esemtan Skin Balm? :)

Where to Find:
Guardian, Unity, Watsons, Independent pharmacy (Pink beauty, Beauty essential), NHG

Retail Price:
Esemtan Wash Lotion - $19.75/500ml, $35.30/1L
Esemtan Skin Balm - $20/500ml

047 - David Loh Surgery Aesthetic Clinic

Omg omg omg! I did something which I never thought I would do. Ok, actually it is something I have ever thought of doing, but never expected myself to really do it. And the thought of doing it would not have crossed my mind because it's not permanent, it's expensive and I am trying really hard to save my money for better use, like paying for my house.

But hey! I got the chance to do it for free and I thought to myself "Why not?" After all, it is not going to stay permanently and so if it's really bad it's only here to stay for at most a year.

So yeah, a month ago I did something to my face. Not something major like going under the knife for double eyelids or something although I wish I have nicer eyelids so I do not have to always paste double eyelid stickers. So, 我没有动刀可是我动针 >.< I did fillers on my nose and my cheeks. This was decided after consultation with Dr Phoon Yi Shan at David Loh Surgery, an established aesthetic clinic since 2002.

Frankly speaking, I was really nervous during the consultation because it's my face we are talking about and it doesn't help with all the "what-ifs" coming to my mind. But Dr Phoon was really nice and friendly. She first asked if there was any area which I was dissatisfied with before she went on to take a closer look and gave recommendations. I thought it was really good and professional for her to do so because she will know the patient's wants, and patient can really think through what he/ she wants to be done on the face and patient will not be easily wavered and obliged to do according to what the doctor recommends.

So I told Dr Phoon that I would like some enhancements on my nose and cheeks because I don't really have an obvious nose bridge and my face is quite flat when viewed from the side. So I would like to have these areas more defined so as to sharpen my features. And so she agreed with my views and thought other than the fillers on my nose and cheeks, I could do with a little botox on my jaws too! Just to make my chubby face look smaller! Hehe!

So now let's have the pictures do the talking!

While undergoing the procedure.

The first item on the list was fillers for the cheeks. So, my cheeks were iced and numbed with anesthetic before a blunt needle was used to inject the fillers. Sounds pretty scary, but the pain was really quite alright. The not-so-bearable pain was when I took the jab for anesthetic on my nose. The needle went right through my nose starting from my nose tip. And that was really ouch. But after that, no more pain except for a little force required for the molding of the nose shape. 

Botox was the left for the last and I hardly felt a thing. Now that's a relief!

Some before and after pictures! Please pardon my bad skin condition that day! >.<

Now you can see how flat my cheeks really were and how that bit of fillers helped to lift my whole face! But of course you may first notice the difference in my nose, that it's much higher with a more defined nose bridge! You can see a faint red mark on my jaw because that's where the botox was being injected.

Here's a picture I took straight after touching up with make up. Lucky for me, there were no bruises. The nose may look kinda exaggerated for a start, but after a week or so the fillers will slowly settle in and will look more natural.

One with the young and pretty Dr Phoon Yi Shan. For more information on the treatments and procedures, please check out their website here.

Some more pictures I took to compare how the fillers on my face look over a period of time.

One day after procedure.

Three days after procedure.

One month after procedure.

Love their philosophy of aiming to help one look better, but not different. And they really do what they preach. =)

046 - Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel‏

Sponsored Post

So, the sun is glaring down at you and you can’t hide. So how can you embrace the sunny day and protect your skin at the same time? Presenting to you the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel!

In a 2014 Benchmark Survey commissioned by Kao Singapore revealed a surprising find – that only 30% of women between the age of 12 and 49 years old use a sunscreen daily. The top reason why women prefer not to apply a sunscreen is the sticky and greasy feeling most sunscreens tend to leave behind. I must admit I really hate this feeling too, so much that I always got the urge to wash off whatever is on my face! >.<

But fret not! Biore's latest addition to its new range of sunscreen  products, the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel, which provides the highest level of UV protection (SPF50+/PA++++) from head to toe! Thanks to Bioré’s unique Aqua Rich technology, it comes in the same light and watery texture of Bioré’s popular UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, loved by women for its cool and refreshing feel upon application.

The Aqua Rich Watery Gel contains the breakthrough Aqua Micro Capsule a water capsule which breaks upon application on skin to release the UV protection agent while giving skin a cool and refreshed feeling.

Unlike most sunscreens that have a higher SPF value which tends to compromise on the product texture, Bioré’s Aqua Rich Watery series retains its lightweight feel and at the same time provide maximum UV protection.

The Aqua Rich Watery Gel is also infused with hyaluronic acid and citrus extract to keep skin hydrated and healthy.

See the watery texture? It really flows like water!

After spreading it, you can see that it absorbs really quickly!

A couple of seconds more and it's completely absorbed. You can hardly see or feel it, but you can be sure that you're well-protected from the scorching sun! :)

Now the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel has become my daily essential product, because of its quick absorption, there's no prolonging in making myself up in the morning. Even on weekends, I will apply some because UV rays are everywhere. So, protect protect protect!!!

Be afraid of the sun no more! Go get your own Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel at S$18.90/ 90ml. It can be found at all  leading pharmacies, super & hyper markets, departmental stores, beauty stores and selected minimarts. :)

045 - Laurier Ultra Gentle

Recently, I have been seeing this trending video on Youtube which shows how things would be like if guys had periods. The video is so funny, but yet so true. So painfully true!

I am sure every girl would agree that we will never want to go through this monthly week-long period if we have a choice! It is such a torturing process! Apart from the really bad menstrual cramps, the fear of leakage and staining clothes, there's this discomfort on the skin which sometimes causes skin irritation. In fact, 7 out of 10 women have experienced skin irritations eg. itchiness, stuffiness and redness during periods. Such discomforts occur as skin around intimate area become more sensitive during the time of the month. :(

The new Laurier Ultra Gentle is the first dermatologically tested napkin in Singapore, clinically proven to relieve skin irritations. 

Its key efficacies are:

- Ultimate Comfort
Unique airy soft wavy surface reduces skin contact, minimizing friction and skin irritations    

- Extra Breathable

Airflow is channeled and promoted by the wavy surface, thus relieving stuffiness, moisture and itchiness 

- Quick Lock & Dry system 
Super absorbent layer locks in fluid quickly, reducing wetness on the napkin surface, leaving you drier and sticky-free.

- Advanced technology 
Developed with Japan's Advanced Skin Science Technology

- Premium quality, Made in Japan

- Suitable for all skin types especially sensitive skin 

I am amazed by the touch and feel of the Laurier Ultra Gentle on my first use because it feels so soft, almost like a piece of cloth on your skin so there's minimum rubbing and that reduces skin irritation. The other brands which I have tried are stiffer and definitely not as gentle on the skin as Laurier Ultra Gentle. So I'm definitely stocking up for my next use! Just to share, they have new lengths for both day (25cm)and night (40cm) use! :)

The Laurier Ultra Gentle can be purchased as major supermarkets/ hypermarkets, pharmacies and personal care stores. The retail prices are as follows:

Day (25cm): $5.60/ 15s
Night (40cm): $4.95/ 7s

044 - Palmer’s White & Even Dark Spot Corrector

Now a huge fan of Palmer’s after introducing two of their products, I’m back with 2 more amazing products they have in store for us!

What is the number 1 sign of ageing?

Recent studies show that above wrinkles and loss of firmness, discoloration is the #1 perceivable sign of ageing amongst women. Obvious reasons are because even skin tones will appear more attractive and healthy, and also judged to be younger in age too!

So what causes hyperpigmentation and how can we treat it?

One of the most common reasons is UV exposure and other factors include acne scarring, severe dryness and hormonal changes. They appear in the form of age spots, freckles, melasma etc. The areas which the sun hits the most are in the dangerous zones and we have to take extra care of them and by that I don’t mean just the face. Hands, neck and shoulders are equally important too!

The Palmer’s White & Even range is formulated with an advanced blend of potent yet gentle ingredients that reduces hyperpigmentation and has unique skin tone correcting formulations. The range is free of parabens, phthalates, sulphates, harsh dyes, synthetic dyes and fragrances and is appropriate for all skin types. Yay!

When used daily, Palmer’s White & Even products lightens surface skin cells producing more uniform skin tone within 3-5 days and also acts on the deeper skin layers to inhibit over-production of melanin. Even skin tone develops as skin cells rise to the surface. In as little as 4 weeks, you will be able to see an overall improvement on the discoloration and dark spots! Some points to note:

- Continued exposure to sun will work against the effects of the products, so sunscreen protection is VERY IMPORTANT.

- Discontinued use of Eventone will allow the over-production of melanin to resume and dark spots will return.

The Palmer’s White & Even Dark Spot Corrector is very lightweight and there is no burden on my skin after application. It is not oily (very important to me) and absorbs well on the skin quickly, leaving me with no troubles on my morning makeup routine. =) Apart from this,  I even more so love the Palmer’s  White & Even Dark Circle Correcting Eye Treatment. As seen from the picture, this treatment gel has this shimmery, glittery thing in it and this brightens up the eye area instantly even without makeup! With this, I only need a weeny bit of concealer on my undereye area and I’m good to go! =)

The full Palmer’s White & Even range can be found at the following retail stores:
Watsons, Guardian, BHG, Robinsons, John Little, Essentials Pharmacy, Nishino Pharmacy, all leading pharmacies, departmental and cosmetics stores

Retail Price:
Palmer’s White & Even Dark Spot Corrector - $29.90/30ml
Palmer’s  White & Even Dark Circle Correcting Eye Treatment - $22.90/15ml

043 - Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover

Remember last year when I introduced the Biore Micellar Cleansing Water? I'm already on my 3rd bottle for that and still loving it because it is so gentle and keeps my face moisturized while cleansing off my make up. You can read more about the previous post here.

Today, I am going to introduce another make-up remover from Biore; the Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover. I have tried it for a week and I'm totally loving it!

The Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover is an improved product from its previous version with the following features:

- Smoother jelly-like texture: Gentle on skin and rinses off easily and quickly without any harsh tugging or pulling action on skin
- High cleansing ability: Dissolves and lifts off all traces of makeup effortlessly.
- 40% more moisturising essence: Nourishes and hydrates skin for a dewy moisturised finish.
- Lightweight formula: Leaves skin feeling refreshed, with no sticky or greasy after-feel. 

Let's try it!

1. Pump an appropriate amount (2-3 pumps) onto hands and spread evenly over face and eye area.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Massage gently to dissolve makeup.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Rinse thoroughly with water. It is not necessary to remove cleansing liquid with cotton pad or tissue.
   
   
   
   
   
4. For best results, apply on dry face and hands. Do not use facial cotton pad or tissue. 

So glad that I am able to try out this Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover! The makeup remover has a really nice smell and can easily remove heavy makeup with just a few glides! No tugging on skin and no stripping off moisture from the skin too! Now I can alternate between using the Biore Micellar Cleansing Water and Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover to remove my light and heavy makeup! =D

My Before and After pictures!

 

Yay to clean and dewy skin! 

You can get yours now at all leading supermarkets, personal care stores and western pharmacies & departmental stores at $24.90 (230ml)! No consideration needed because it is suitable for all skin types! =P

 

042 - Skin Shape Club LHE Facial Program

Beautiful, healthy looking skin radiates health and well-being, youth and vitality. But sometimes, nature needs a little help to bring our inner beauty out.

I have been introduced to Skin Shape Club by Sample Store, to try out the Skin Shaper Facial which uses the light and heat energy to help achieve younger and healthier looking skin. This facial program is designed by medical and derma experts from overseas and locals using trademark registered LHE technology for skin rejuvenation, collagen renewal (yay!) and acne clearance. With 3in1 skincare treatment, you can walk out of the Skin Shape Club looking better and more confident!

I am given 4 sessions of the LHE Photorejuvenation Treatment at Skin Shape Club, which is located conveniently at Orchard Central. Ladies working nearby can easily go for the 30-minute treatment during lunch break. =)

I was attended by the pretty and sweet Jasmine on my first session and I was led to a small but cosy room to have my particulars filled up and had my body mass and weight measured too! I do not know how they do it, but I was told that my body age is only 17! So my body age and how I look actually tally! >.< Hehe.

I was brought into the treatment room thereafter where I was to change into a robe and I had my things locked with the keys safely tied to my wrist. =) Also, if you're scared of being cold (like me), don't worry coz the bed has a warmer beneath it! You can lay there comfortably and have a good nap!

So the treatment started with my face being thoroughly cleansed and exfoliated to remove impurities and dead skin cells for better penetration of the light heat energy. The LHE applicator was placed onto the skin where pulses of light will be administered. There will be a warm sensation as the gentle pulses of light and heat energy penetrate deep into the skin. Overall it was a comfortable treatment with no pain, except that the warm sensation is stronger near the eye area as the skin in this area is more sensitive.

When the treatment was done, I was then led to the lounge area where I had some health snacks prepared for me. I was pleasantly surprised with this and the salad tasted super yummy!

I had my second session of the treatment the following week as it was recommended to complete the 4 sessions with 4-7days interval for best results. This time round I was attended to by Audrey, a quiet and sweet girl too. She saw that I had a bad flu and prepared a vitamin C drink for me instead of the usual tea when preparing my health snack. Little actions like this really warms the heart! =D

My third and fourth session alternated with Jasmine and Audrey, each time making me feel so comfortable that I had a hard time leaving the comfy bed. Not to mention the health snacks which I look forward to after every treatment too!

Below are the photos taken after my first session and fourth session. Both taken under the same strong white light. Both photos are taken with the same camera and no edits done. My skin is significantly less dull and area beneath my eyes appear to be lighter too!

Go check out Skin Shape Club's Facebook page for more information on current promotions! =)