LIFESTYLE@LXG: Karryl discovers the secret to hydrated skin!

Take good care of your skin and hydrate. If you have good skin, everything else will fall into place ~ Liya Kebede

We all know that good hydration is key to clear, glowing skin. But finding the right moisturiser for your skin can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you are dealing with a skin identity crisis. I’ve always thought that I have oily skin, based on the fact that my face could soak up an entire blotting sheet by mid-day. 

Until a year ago, however, a skin analysis revealed something else – as if being an oil field isn’t bad enough, my skin is also severely dehydrated. 

While this may sound contradictory, dehydrated oily skin (yes, there’s actually a term for it!) is actually fairly common, according to the consultant.

That said, finding the right juice for my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde skin remains a work in progress, as many of the products I’ve tried are either too drying, not hydrating enough, or way too rich. But this seems set to change after I got my hands on a bottle of EHA’s Hydra Serum. To be honest, I was initially skeptical of what the serum could do. While I love its water-like texture and quick absorbency, I wasn’t so certain if it delivered enough hydration to my skin. 

Nonetheless I decided to give it some time to see if the product could live up to its claims. 

Apart from using it twice a day as instructed, I also indulged in a weekly DIY beauty routine using compressed sheet masks soaked in the serum for a more intense hydration boost.

A month later, and here’s my verdict – I absolutely love, love, love EHA’s Hydra Serum! I might not have the perfect skin (at least not yet), but the difference is remarkable. 

Not only does my skin look clearer and plumped up, it stays matte longer and feels incredibly healthy. Priced at $120 for a 30ml bottle, EHA Hydra Serum may be a little pricey, but I say it’s totally worth the investment!

EHA brand products are made in Japan and are available exclusively at EHA Skincare which is located #03-28 Shaw Centre in Orchard. The staff are very helpful and will guide you in finding the right product for your skin type and condition. 

LADY@LXG: OH MY GAAWD! Win ONE YEAR'S supply of HASK Hair Products!!!

Want to take part and win yourself a goodie bag with ONE WHOLE AMAZING YEAR'S supply of HASK hair products?

The first 3 readers to follow us and answer this question correctly will win the prize. Its as simple as that.

“Who is HASK’s brand ambassador?”  

If you are not sure, check my review here. 

Good luck everyone and I can guarantee that three lucky folk are going to have a a whole year of good hair days! 

FILM@LXG: Suicide Squad or So-So Squad?

Suicide Squad... what a load of old cobblers! 

Story and editing a total mess. To call it a mind-numbing mash-up of music videos and tired clichés would be an understatement.

The rumours were true... David Ayers' original cut was supposed to be much darker and more linear. After the huge response to the first trailer, WB got cold feet, ditched the original version and got the company who cut the trailer, Trailer Park, to recut the entire story... As a result it looks like a long series of trailers or pop videos... What do you expect from a company who've only ever cut trailers, as their name suggests?

One or two gags. But most of what you see in the trailers isn't even in the movie!!! Such a wasted opportunity. But the kill-score is what will nevertheless make this movie a hit....

This was a serious injustice to it's comic book origins. Without giving anything away, there are cameos. 

But edited in such a rushed way that you feel neither the impact or excitement. 

And quite honestly if you look / listen carefully some of their scenes look as if they've cut in between what would have been much longer (and I feel much needed) monologues.

FILM@LXG: We are loving Stranger Things on Netflix

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Stranger Things‬ is one of the unexpected hits of the year so far... 

A horror/mystery that pays homage to the style of Spielberg and immerses itself in everything that was cool about the '80's, including the retro opening titles and accompanying music.

Also the best ensemble of child actors in a long while. This was a real pleasure for us at LXG to binge-watch... and we are really looking forward to Season 2.

If you haven't watched this yet, you should. Its a gripping series thats making waves online. Better yet, you can like us, binge watch the entire series, commercial free, on Netflix. 

LIFESTYLE@LXG: Sherri recommends that you fly to Taipei and stay in a 4-star hotel for 3D2N with just $650!

Budget traveller alert: Did you know that you can fly to Taipei and stay in a 4-star hotel for just $650?

Where would you go for a 3D2N getaway if you have only a meager budget of $650 for BOTH the air ticket and lodgings? The neighbouring Malaysia, Thailand or maybe Indonesia? Now you can add Taipei to your budget travel destination list.

Taipei City is partnering with China Airlines, new attractions and local vendors to launch a 3D2N two-to-go Fun Taipei ‘Free and Easy’ package.  For just S$650 (all In, inclusive of taxes) per person, travellers will travel by China Airlines AND stay in a four-star boutique hotel in popular downtown hotspot at Ximending! Cool deal right?

Taipei city even came up with 4 carefully curated must-do lists targeted at Singaporeans to help you make the most of your 3D2N trip, so no planning needed! Just follow the recommended itinerary and you can’t go wrong.  

The 4 mission routes include shopping, food, relaxation and cultural/creativity trails to cater to Singaporeans who are looking to shop/eat till they drop, just chill or are culture history buffs. There are 12 pit stops on each of the 4 lists.  No harm mixing things up a little to get the most of the short getaway too. Singaporeans with OCDs can choose to extend their holidays and finish all 4 routes to leave no stone unturned! The 4 mission routes targeted at Singaporeans for you to choose from.

Travelers get to take home a lucky pack complete with the four mission routes and a scratch card to win prizes with every purchase of this Fun Taipei Free and Easy package.

Win a free trip to Taipei daily at Travel Revolution

Fun Taipei will be promoting the all-new 3D2N Free and Easy package at Travel Revolution held at Marina Bay Sands Convention Hall Basement 2 Hall F this weekend. The travel fair is open to the public. Those who visit the Fun Taipei booth at the Travel Revolution fair can participate in a virtual climb of the Taipei 101 using the smart phone and stand a chance to win China Airlines return air tickets to Taipei daily.

Fear not if you are too busy to make the trip to the fair, this 3D2N package will on sale at various travel agencies till end of 2016!!!

For more information on FUN TAIPEI, please visit http://www.travel.taipei

Namewee the “language teacher”

Fun Taipei ambassador, Malaysian singer songwriter Namewee (黄明志) attended the press conference for the launch of his latest promotional video for FUN TAIPEI and the 3D2N free and easy package. Through the video, he gave a very comprehensive guide to Taiwan terminologies through the latest promotional clip for Fun Taipei.

He said he helped conceptualised the video and drew inspiration from the different ways Taiwanese and Singaporeans/Malaysians express themselves.

Namewee’s guide to speaking like a local in Taipei

Meaning/英语: Drinks (generic term)

Singapore expressions 新马用语: shui 水

Taiwanese expression台湾用语: yin liao 饮料

Meaning 英文: straw (for drinking)

Singapore expressions 新马用语: xi shui cao （吸水草／水草）

Taiwanese expression台湾用语: xi guan （吸管）

Meaning/英语: wow/fantastic

Singapore expressions新马用语: steady/ gou li （够力）

Taiwanese expression台湾用语: chao hai （超嗨）

Meaning/英语: To sing karaoke

Singapore expressions新马用语: chang K （唱K）

Taiwanese expression台湾用语: K ge （K歌）/ye chang （夜唱）

Meaning/英语: Draw money from ATM

Singapore expressions新马用语: an qian （按钱）

Taiwanese expression台湾用语: ti kuan （提款）

To learn more about our contributor Sherri, visit her personal blog here.

LADY@LXG: Nothing beats a good hair day, except maybe winning a billion dollars.

There is truly nothing more satisfying, not to mention confidence-boosting, than great looking and great smelling hair, which is why I was literally over the moon when HASK finally made it to Singapore! 

If you haven't already heard of HASK, and are not skimming through my post to see where the heck you can get your HASK fix from (Guardian stores - you are welcome), you need to seriously get yourself out from under that rock because you have missed out on the hottest haircare product in Hollywood! 

This range smells minty and gives body and volume to thin or limp hair

HASK is literally the hottest haircare product in the market. Not only are they not tested on animals (very important to me) and are free of SLS (its the chemical that is used in industrial floor cleaners and just about anything that foams and froths), the entire range smells so heavenly, you just want to drink the damn thing, let alone wash your hair with it. Normally, my scalp can be quite a bit of a diva, getting all itchy and dandruffy if I use shampoos that cost less than $45 a bottle, so I was so happy when it didn't throw a hissy fit when I used my first HASK product (Monoi Coconut - divine smelling and so hydrating). 

I especially love how every single product under its range, be it coconut, almond, charcoal, etc., leaves my hair smelling so wonderful that I can't help but flick it around in the train, just to give everyone a sniff. 

Lady@LXG Kristen Chen with HASK brand Ambassador Sukki Singapora

And who better to be the HASK brand ambassador here in Singapore but the country's only burlesque performer, the very beautiful Sukki Singapora.

And how does she maintain her hair, which at the launch was in a number of vibrant shades? Well Sukki swears by the HASK Kalahari range.

HASK Shampoos and Conditioners are affordably priced at $16.90 and their hair mask sachets (a godsend for dry, dehydrated hair) and glossing oil vials (think super-awesome smelling, gorgeously shiny but absolutely no greasy hair) are priced at only SGD $4.90, so what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself some HASK today! 

HASK is exclusively available at all Guardian stores and is my new favourite haircare brand ever! 

LADY@LXG: The Lady discovers the most amazing face powder ever created!

"Always, always powder your T-zone and the lines going from your nose down around your mouth, so you don't look like a bulldog. When those areas are shiny, its awful" 

-- Gisele Bundchen 

There is truly nothing more satisfying that to find something that is so perfect that it puts everything else - of the same category- to shame. Well this euphoria is what I felt when I discovered Ingirl Stinn's High Definition loose mineral powder at EHA Skincare. 

Now its important to note that I am not the foundation or two-way cake sort of person. Although to be perfectly honest, I did spend much of my hard earned money in my youth, trying in vain to discover the perfect foundation for my uneven-textured skin (those of you with blemished or scarred skin, will be able to relate, after all, not even the best foundation will glide smoothly on a pocked surface - sadly the necessary beauty science doesn't yet exist), so imagine my gleeful joy when I came across Ingirl Stinn! 

While not many here in Singapore are familiar with this Taiwanese, professional mineral makeup cult brand, it is terribly popular in its country of origin and for good reason too mind you. The staff at EHA Skincare insisted that it would make my skin look amazing. 

So, trusting them and swearing to come back to wreak vengeance should they have been lying to me, I bought a tub of the High Definition translucent loose powder to try out and OH-MY-GAWD I am sold!

The powder is super, super fine and makes my less than even skin look pore-less and smooth. Even better, it keeps my skin looking matte the whole day through!! 

They also have a pressed powder version, which comes in a beautiful rose-shaped compact, that my colleague Shannon tried recently and loved, but unlike Shannon who has perfect skin, the pressed version looks like I have product on my face - whereas the loose powder version just makes my skin look flawless!! 

If you have less than perfect skin, please do try this product out 'cos its truly amazing and you will thank me. 

The loose powder retails at $55 and is available in Singapore exclusively at EHA Skincare at Shaw Centre level 3 in Orchard!