LIFESTYLE@LXG: Chen Chen tries the Thalasso facial at Immortelle Atelier!

Many people always stare at me in disbelief when I tell them my beauty routine consists only of cleansing and moisturizing. Period. Yes, that’s how lazy I am when it comes my skin care. I find it chore to even slap on sunscreen before heading out, let alone go for a facial.

So when my girlfriend raved to me about this really fabulous facial she’d had I just brushed it aside. Until I checked myself out in the mirror one day and had the shock of my life – tiny bumps lined my forehead, my cheeks were dehydrated and I looked like l’ve been punched in the eyes. Horrified by this discovery I called  my girlfriend up and made her book me an appointment with her facialist, pronto.

And thats how I found myself at Immortelle Aterlier, two days later.

The salon, although small and cozy, pays great attention to ensuring that customers get only the best. The bed linen is super luxe and so is the robe. The attention to detail is impressive!

After a detailed skin assessment, my beauty therapist recommended two treatments for me – the Thalasso Facial and Meridian Eyecare Treatment.

The first is designed to rejuvenate tired skin and comprises of an active ingredient specifically tailored for my skin type. It is then followed by a micro-algae mask that helps to rebalance and delivers long-lasting hydration deep into the skin. The latter incorporates the “Guasha” method (a form of traditional Chinese therapy), and uses a smooth bone to apply pressure and relax the eye area. Total bliss!! You MUST try their eye treatment and the best part?its only $48 by itself! 

I must say that the treatments felt really luxurious and pampering! My therapist's masterful massage strokes put me in a totally relaxed, almost meditative state, and I loved the rich and soothing scents of the Maria Galland products used.

More importantly, my skin felt much smoother and hydrated, and I no longer look like Kungfu Panda!

To try out the treatments for yourself, visit Immortelle Atelier at 101 Thomson Road, United Square Shopping Mall #02-08B. Tel: 6259 9001

For more information, visit their website www.immortelleatelier.com or join their Facebook page for the latest news and promotions.

LIFESTYLE@LXG: Natural Healings opens its first branch in Chinatown!

 

"Many of us take better care of our automobiles than we do our own bodies… yet the auto has replaceable parts".

- B.J. Palmer

By opening their third outlet at China Town Point Natural Healings hopes to introduce Chiropractic treatment - something that has always been perceived as a very western form of alternative treatment - to the people of Chinatown, the home of traditional Chinese medicine.

The wellness centre aims to bring its unique brand of pain relief and preventive treatments to a wide cross-section of Singaporeans. By integrating chiropractic and physiotherapy, the treatment plan targets to help patients achieve relief from chronic pain and illness, sports and work-related injuries, as well as pain caused due to illness and aging.

This is achieved by combining hands-on therapy utilizing state-of-the-art equipment with specialized stretching exercises using modern gymnasium equipment and facilities. Completely needle-free, this is a great solution for all you needle-phobes out there suffering in silence.

Natural Healings caters to everyone in the family – from the youngest to the oldest, with specifically designed treatments that focus on both pain management and injury prevention.

Their new Chinatown branch is located at 133 New Bridge Road, #B1-38, China Point. To make an appointment or find out more, call them on 6225 2202.

LADY@LXG: On a quest for the perfect brows with ALLURE Beauty

" I find that nothing frames a face so beautifully, or gives an instantaneous lift quite like perfectly shaped brows" - Anastasia 

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I had no eyebrows and looked like an alien, so my father, in an Eureka moment, decided to shave my non-existent brows, resulting in a fine, downy growth of hair - and that, dear reader, is how I got my eyebrows. 

But as I grew older and realized how important our eyebrows are in framing our face, my fine downy brows were just not enough. Although beautifully shaped and arched, thanks to weekly threading appointments, my skills with a brow pencil were quite clumsy and primitive and it took me ages to draw each morning. Needless to say, this left me quite frustrated and irritable, not the best mood to be in just before a long commute in a cramped train! 

Then several years ago I was invited down to Allure Beauty for a media trial and two hours later, I left with the most spectacular brows in human history!

Since then, I have insisted on having my brows done only by the trained professionals at Allure. Although some may consider it a bit pricey, I think its a sum worth paying for quality brows, which will last you up to two whole years. This is unlike other places which may charge less, but the brows just don’t go the distance in terms of shape, how long it lasts and how much detail is put into every strand of hair that is painstakingly drawn amidst your own natural hair. 

Allure Beauty celebrated their 12^th anniversary this year with a newly revamped Allure Beauty Salon at West Mall. This outlet boasts 1,182 square foot space with eight individual beauty suites, ten beauty couches, two couple rooms, one eyebrow suite and four facial suites!  

 1 Bukit Batok Central Link, #04-10. West Mall. S(659713). Telephone +65 6898 2242.

LADY@LXG: I ‘heart’ my new Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510

I have finally (after more than 30 years) come to realize that there are no bad hair days, just bad hair tools! 

After having existed my entire life on this planet without ever having owned a hair dryer (much to my stylist’s dismay), I was handed a snazzy looking new model from Braun. To this day, I don’t know why Braun chose me of all people to test-drive their new dryer, especially since I hadn’t the foggiest clue as to how to use the thing. I suspect it was my post on Shiseido where I featured a ‘before and after’ photo of my hair, which was when I finally realized that I had spent the past three decades fooling myself that my hair looked awesome from every angle.

So after admiring my sleek new Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510 for a few days, I decided to visit my stylist who promptly dropped to his knees and thanked the heavens for this blessing (I honestly don’t know why I stick with him, what with all his overly dramatic gestures and sarcasm) and promptly gave me a “hair drying for dummies” tutorial.

Its been a month and I have dried my hair almost daily (if I am not leaving the confines of my house I just let it drip dry). The beautiful thing is so easy to use. It is lightweight, not too hot, has a funky green light that releases ions and keeps my hair shiny and pretty - and best of all, my hair actually looks groomed and sleek and does not turn up on one side and inwards on the other.

I seriously love my Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510. If I had more space in my house, I would build a display case for it and admire it upon waking every day. At the moment, I store it in it’s nice box in my cupboard together with my Ferragamo bag. 

I am big enough to admit that I was an idiot to not get a hair dryer sooner. But more importantly, I think its important to get the right dryer, as opposed to any old model you see in the store.

I love my Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510, not just because its so sexy, sleek and black and has a funky green ion light, but also because;

Unlike other heat stylers which increase the risk of static build up, my new Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510 helps eliminate this effect. It’s unique ion technology (the funky green light) acts like a natural moisturizer during drying, taming frizz and static and leaving one’s hair gorgeously shiny and smooth. Because every individual hair is unique, the Satin-Hair 5 dryer has 3 heat and 2 airflow settings that can be adjusted separately to match the needs and requirements of your hair type and styling preferences. The calibrated fan technology distributes the heat evenly so that your hair gets dried efficiently without drying out.  

The Cold Shot function (which I have yet to use) allows you to cool your hair and set your style in place. The cold shot also protects, preventing the heat from remaining in your hair longer than necessary. The heat may go, but the style will last longer.  

If you are looking for an awesome hair dryer, you have to get yourself the Braun Satin-Hair 5 dryer HD 510 which retails at just $99.

LADY@LXG: Mum's Radiesse and Botox makeover at EHA Clinic

“I once laughed at the vanity of women of thirty or forty who whitened their ruddy old skin with lead, but now I know such salves are not disguises for old crones who wish to catch a young husband. Instead they are only a mask we wear so that we can, for a little while, still recognize ourselves.”                            - Rebecca Johns, The Countess

Last year, as a surprise birthday gift to my mother, I treated her to some much needed facial fillers. You can read more about it here: Mum's Birthday treat with Radiesse. Although she is in her mid 60's, my mother (unlike me) has really lovely fair and relatively flawless skin. After much nagging, she is now even taking collagen supplements, which has greatly improved the texture of her skin, but age, neglect, gravity and genetics has left her with sagging jowls, pigmentation and wrinkles, which I felt compelled to eradicate with the help of modern aesthetic medicine.

Because she was really comfortable after her first filler experience last year with Dr. Tam from EHA Clinic, I decided to schedule her next session there as well. Personally, I think its important to find a doctor you like and trust and then stick to them. That way, they know your medical history and concerns and can help recommend treatments that suit you.

Immediately after the injections of filler and botox, my mum's skin looked noticeably smoother. Her crows feet and deep forehead wrinkles were instantly a thing of the past, while her marionette lines, which are normally quite prominent, were also greatly reduced. Based on her experience from her last filler (a little over a year ago) she said that her skin and face looked its best, around three-months after the injections. Thats because, thats around the time when Radiesse stimulates the body to create its own collagen.

After the procedure, she experienced slight bruising and swelling around the injection sites and mild discomfort once the effects of the numbing cream wore off. But the discomfort only lasted the first day. The treatment she said was mostly painless and all she had was topical numbing cream, so I am quite impressed. I think it has a lot to do with the doctor's skill, as I have heard horror stories of painful fillers from my friends, which is why I was careful about finding the right doctor and clinic for my mum.

The photos below are of my mum directly after the treatment. 

If you would like to treat yourself or someone you love, do give Dr. Elias Tam at EHA Clinic a call. The doctor and his staff are very down to earth and helpful. Because it was our first experience with Botox, we had many questions and the doctor was very helpful and patient. We paid $400 for the botox and $1,500 for the Radiesse filler. The effects vary on each individual, but on average Radiesse can last up to a year, while botox will need to be touched up after around four to six months. For more information, call EHA Clinic on 6235 3325 or visit them at #15-01 Shaw Centre (Orchard). 

EHA Clinic is on Facebook! You can click on the link and join the page for daily beauty and skin care tips.

LADY@LXG: Taking hydration to a new level is NUXE Crème Fraîche® de Beauté

I now have a new favourite skin care range that I just can't live without. Its Nuxe's Crème Fraîche® de Beauté range. Yes the entire range. I kid you not. With its 24-hour boost of hydration and delightful botanical concoction of eight plant milks, this range is the perfect solution for those with dehydrated, combination or sensitive skin.

  (and for all your grammar Nazis out there, yes I used the word "range" three-times in the same sentence, get over it already).

But before we look at the line of products under this range, lets first understand what causes our skin to become sensitive. Sensitive skin is often caused when water stored in the dermis becomes scarce and its circulation from one layer to another is impeded and can no longer be held inside the epidermis. This causes the skin to become dehydrated from below. When this happens, skin becomes dry and uncomfortable and ages prematurely. To prevent this, I believe its important to select your skin care based on your skin condition as opposed to what works for your friend or what is currently on offer. Be selective, choose your skin care based on what YOU need! 

Sérum Crème Fraîche® de Beauté priced at $8,5  is my go to serum every morning and evening. Especially after laser treatment. The texture of this serum is unlike most  which tend to be more silky and oily. This serum is so light its almost like a watery lotion and absorbs upon contact with the skin.  A definite must-have for those of you with dry, dehydrated and thirsty sensitive skin.

Masque Crème Fraîche® de Beauté priced at an affordable $48, this cream masque will change the way you look at masques. Extremely light weight and delicately scented, I just apply a thin layer over clean skin - I personally use it over the serum - and in 10-minutes your parched skin is deeply hydrated and fine lines, dullness and overall flakiness is a thing of the past. The best part, you do not have to clean it off. Its not greasy and it absorbs instantly, leaving skin plumped and younger looking. I usually use this under make up before an evening out or over night twice a week.

Crème Fraîche® de Beauté Light priced at $65, this is what I am currently using twice a day. This super light, almost water like lotion hydrates but leaves skin matte and manageable and is perfect for sensitive and combination skin.

Crème Fraîche® de Beauté Enrichie priced at $45 (30 ML tube) this is perfect for those of you with very dry, sensitive skin. This rich buttery cream absorbs instantly and leaves skin plumped but not greasy. A definite must, in out humid climate.

NUXE products are available at all Robinsons, John Little, BHG (Bugis Junction, Lot 1, Clementi Mall, Tampines Mall & Bishan Junction 8), Metro (City Square Mall & Causeway Point), Unity (Great World City, Katong Mall, Holland Village, Ang Mo Kio Hub, Thomson Plaza & Clementi Mall), selected Watsons, and all Beauty by Nature stores. 

LIFESTYLE@LXG: La Roche-Posay launches Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid SPF 50+ PPD 42

The emblematic Anthelios “shaka shaka” bottle has a new, more modern and portable look! 

The new Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid formula has an optimized version of the brand’s patented filter system, Mexoplex®, which offers very high UVB-UVA protection even against long UVAs. The Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) has now been increased from 4 points to 42, offering even more protection to ensure the safety for those with
sensitive and sun-allergic skin.

Thanks to the right dose of new sensorial oils, the new Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid glides easily on application for uniform protection. With sebum neutralizing and instant absorbent action, you can expect a non-sticky, non-oily finish that feels like bare skin (goodbye sticky, icky sunscreens of the past!). The ultra-light fluid texture is suitable for all skin types but especially ideal for combination skin (hoorah for us at LXG!). The optimized filtering system also ensures no white marks! Formulated with soothing and anti-oxidant La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, this product is hypoallergenic, fragrance and paraben free.  

The new Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid SPF 50+ is priced at $46.90 and will be available at major pharmacies like Watsons, Guardian, Unity and selected hospital pharmacies from July 2014.