Category Archives: Beauty

Reward Dad with Crabtree & Evelyn Men’s Collection

June 9, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hi Lovelies! <3

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend, although we definitely don’t need a special day to remind us to treat our Dad, it’s good to take this occasion to tell your Dad “Thank You”. After all, it’s only right after all the times he’s changed the fused light bulb and caught the bug that’s flying or running rampantly in your room, right? 🙂

Well, thanks to Crabtree & Evelyn Men’s Collection, we don’t have to fret what we can buy for Dad this year! After all, we’ve been getting pens, hankerchiefs, ties for the past few years and perhaps it’s time for a change this year. 🙂

Long-standing favourites in the Crabtree & Evelyn^® Men’s Collection, Nomad^® and Sandalwood have been re-launched for 2014 with new names and packaging. Nomad^®is now Moroccan Myrrh and Sandalwood, previously unavailable in Singapore, has been renamed Indian Sandalwood to highlight the featured ingredient provenance in line with the third Men’s Collection, West Indian Lime.

These collections are inspired by classic perfumery ingredients sourced from around the world and chosen for their distinctive scents. Each fragrance is infused into an array of bath, body and grooming items that are packed with additional benefits to ensure superior cleansing, moisturising and styling.

This is an awesome promotion going on, and you can always trust Crabtree & Evelyn for quality body pampering goodies and presentable (read: you don’t need to find a wrapper to wrap them up) packaging. If you have any siblings, it’ll work out to $40 or less per person. 😉

Moroccan Myrrh is a sexy and refreshing manly scent, Indian Sandalwood smells like luxurious old spice and my personal favourite is West Indian Lime cause it’s citrusy and something I’d most likely use except I don’t have a beard to shave. Ha. Nonetheless what I like won’t necessarily be what my Dad or your Dad likes! 😛

Crabtree & Evelyn® Store Locations

Takashimaya S.C, Ngee Ann City #B1-36/36A Paragon #B1-26
Raffles City Shopping Centre #B1-29
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands #B2-17A Suntec City Mall #01-320
Bugis Junction #01-14
VivoCity #01-00
Parkway Parade #01-07
Tampines Mall #01-31A
Junction 8 #01-42A
Jem® #01-60
The Star Vista #01-03

Thanks Crabtree & Evelyn Singapore for the press kit and goodies for my Dad! 😉
I’m sure glad Mum got her set previously! Heh.

Thank you for reading. <3

Ena

Beauty

b.liv’s don’t get mad, get matte! Mask Review

June 8, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hey hey! <3

Today I’m gonna share my review of b.liv’s don’t get mad, get matte! mask 😉

This is a Clarifying Mask with Active Charcoal Mask Sheet (Refreshing Type)
This has oil control + clarifying + hydrating functions.

This mask promises to be a skin-saver that lifts away impurities and excess sebum, leaving the skin clear, balanced and fabulously glowing.

The unique active charcoal mask sheet touts to act like a magnet to draw out deep dwelling pore cloggers so you can experience hours of TLC that your skin deserves.

Key Active Ingredients & benefits includes:
Retinyl Palmitate: Regulate sebum secretion and stimulate skin regeneration
Zinc Sulfate: Combat excess sebum & Control Surface shine while clarifying the complexion
Willow Bark Extract: Exfoliants to lift away impurities

How to use:
1. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes
2. Gently massage the remaining essence for 30 seconds
3. Leave it for another 30 seconds for complete absoprtion

This is how the mask looks like!

My review:
The mask is sturdy and of a thicker cotton material compared to others I’ve used before. It’s packed with liquid goodness and there was some tingling sensation on my skin during the 15 minutes that I had one on, which I accrue it to the active ingredients in the mask and that it’s lifting away impurities on my skin. After removal, my face is moist and full of the residual essence and I massaged it into my skin as recommended for 30 seconds. After which, my face is matt and oil free as the mask promised! I would definitely recommend this for people – ladies and gents alike – who have oily skin, use this in the morning before heading out. 😉

Get yours here, 1 box of 7pcs for $17.95
b.liv ships internationally and orders above US$40 enjoy free shipping.

For more products and info, visit:http://www.bliv.com/sg/

Thank you b.liv for the masks!

Thank you for reading <3

Ena

P.S. Please vote for me for Kose Sekkisei Cinderella Contest on the site here (http://sg.sekkisei-cinderella.com/finalist/ena.html)! <3

Current Kose Giveaway
For a period of 2 weeks from 1-15 June 2014:
1. Vote for me on the site here (http://sg.sekkisei-cinderella.com/finalist/ena.html)
2. Like and Share this giveaway http://bit.ly/EnaKoseFBGiveaway on Facebook. (Make sure its public so I can see you’ve shared.)
3. Submit your details on this google form:bit.ly/EnaKose
to stand a chance to win a set of Kosé Sekkisei products including Clear Whitening Mask ($35) and Sun Protect Essence Milk ($46), total worth $81.
T&C applies, refer to end of post here.

Beauty

Launch of PCA Smart Skin Solutions at Marina Bay Sands

June 7, 2014 Ena Teo 3 Comments

Hi lovelies! <3

A while back I was invited to attend the launch of PCA Smart Skin Solutions at Marina Bay Sands ballroom.

For the uninitiated, let me fill you in more about PCA Skin, taken from there site here http://www.pcaskin.com/about:

Founded as Physician’s Choice of Arizona, Inc. by an aesthetician working with a handful of physicians, we have evolved into Physicians Care Alliance, LLC, a global organization serving over 5,000 medical practices in the United States, with products sold in over 70 countries around the globe. Throughout our history, we have consistently been referred to as PCA SKIN, a company dedicated to the science of healthy skin.

PCA SKIN has been and continues to be a trusted industry leader in the development of gentle, yet highly effective professional treatments and daily care products for over two decades. With a team dedicated to serving others, our vision is to improve people’s lives; we do so on a daily basis by partnering with physicians and clinicians to provide a proven process combining aesthetics and science for healthy, beautiful skin. We set the bar high when it comes to innovative skin care, being acknowledged in prominent medical textbooks as the originator of advanced blended chemical peel formulations.

PCA SKIN treatments and products are available exclusively through licensed skin health professionals that have been trained and certified by PCA SKIN in their use. PCA SKIN certification is sought after by medical professionals across the nation. The knowledge gained from our exceptional education enables professionals to build successful practices and achieve the most effective results from PCA SKIN daily care products and professional treatments.

Here we are at the panel of discussion by L-R: Douglas Abel, CEO of PCA Skin, Ivana S. Veljkovi, R&D Manager of PCA Skin and CEO of Zoë Nissi Pte Ltd, PCA Skin’s exclusive distributor in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Zoë Nissi Pte Ltd is a Singapore based company and dedicated in distributing quality and innovative physicians dispensed skin health products. Yes, it means that the skincare products distributed by Zoe Nissi are only available at doctor’s clinics and not available over the counter. More details of where to locate these clinics at the end of the post.

There was an excellent buffet spread at the event thanks to MBS, I must have been busy indulging that I forgot to take photos! >.<

After the panel of discussion, we headed over to the launch area where we attended an introduction of the PCA Skin brand and a very thorough talk of Dr Ivana explaining the types of skincare products by PCA Skin.

Without further ado, here are the products gifted to the media for review!

Some of PCA Skin’s star products, L-R:
1. Facial Wash for normal skin type, also suitable for body wash
2. Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45
3. ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum

PCA Skin Facial Wash
This gentle latic acid formulation includes a novel cleansing blend that effectively removes environmental impurities and makeup while leaving the skin hydrated, soothed and pH balanced. Recommended for normal skin on the face and body.

Ingredients included:
Lactic Acid: a alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in milk and sugars, it moisturizes the skin.
Aloe Vera Leaf Juice: purifying ingredient best known for its softening and soothing benefits.
Allantoin: antioxidant that soothes the skin
Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract – calms and soothes the skin
Directions for use: Apply a dime sized amount to damp skin and massage into a light foaming lather. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Follow with toner, serums and sunblock in the daytime and moisturiser in the evening.

Review
First of all there is a strong traditional chinese medicine scent to this facial wash, which I accrue to the Willow Bark Extract. I have to say that the scent alone would put me off from using this facial foam for the long term, but as the Chinese idiom goes, 良药苦口, bitter medicine is good for health. As the benefits of the willow bark extract calms and soothes the skin. I just really wish that they could have added in some natural fragrant ingredients to mask the scent though. I first lather the facial wash in my hands and then apply and massage all over my skin. It is a gentle wash and it leaves my skin with just a light tinge of tautness. I would recommend this for people who have sensitive skin and require a wash that is gentle, calming, soothing and free from artificial ingredients.

Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45
This broad spectrum sunscreen provides UVA/UVB protection with the technology of ultra sheer zinc oxide and a blend of additional sunscreen ingredients. It also contains the important antioxidants silybin, also known as milk thistle, and caffaine. Its unique quick absorbing and light finish makes Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45 ideal for patients with oily or breakout-prone skin and those who dislike the feel of traditional sunscreen products.

Ingredients includes:
Zinc Oxide (0.9%): provides broad spectrum UV protection by reflecting, scattering and absorbing UV rays.
Octinoxate (7.5%): absrobs and filters UV rays.
Caffeine: supports anti oxidant* activity
Silybin: an antioxidant*
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E): is a fat soluble antioxidant vitamin and emollient ingredient.

*Antioxidants protect skin by limiting the production of free radicals, which can damage skin cells. Antioxidants in skin care products can do a lot for the health and appearance of your skin, including reducing the signs of aging. From calming inflamed skin to tightening and toning, antioxidants offer great benefits from natural sources. See more info. here.

Directions for use: smooth on skin after cleansing. Allow to absorb 30 minutes prior to daytime exposure. Reapply after two hours of sun exposure and repeat every two hours as needed. It is recommended for daily use.

Review:
As I am writing this review I realize that I have very strong opinions on the scents for all the 3 products for review. For this sunblock, there is a strong sunblock scent reminiscent of heavy duty Banana Boat types of sunblock. I can’t identify where the scent comes from, but I’m guessing it is one or the combination of active ingredients Zinc Oxide and Octinoxate that gives sunblocks that sunblock scent. So once I smell it, I think of swimming pools and sunny beaches – well, you know the places I go to when I need sunblocks.

Once again, gonna let the photos speak for themselves:

A little goes a long way. This is how the sunblock looks like. White and semi-liquid.
After application, a whitish tinge.
After thorough application, it leaves the skin with a white layer, which is super reminiscent of the sunblocks I used to use when I was younger, those days when I go swimming every single day for June holidays! I would recommend this for days when you’re just heading out without make up and of course to the pool or beach where we usually don’t put on make up! On normal days I recommend using this on your hands and legs where its exposed to the sun. Not so recommended for daily application before make up as it tends to be slightly greasy for its heavy duty nature. Well unless, you know you’re heading out to a sunny place and you need that extra coverage. Then yes, go ahead and protect yourself before the scorching sun dries up the sunblock and your skin!

ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum
This treatment formulation synergistically hydrates, smoothes and firms aging skin. It contains ingredients that minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Key ingredients:
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline) – works to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinklling.
Sodium Hyaluronate – has the ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water; plays an important role in skin hydration.
Squalene: is a naturally occurring oil found in such foods as olives and wheat germ. It helps to keep the skin moist.
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax: helps to moisturize and smooth the skin.
Directions for use: after cleansing and toning, smooth one to two pumps onto area of wrinkling and laxity, concentrating on the lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth.

Review:
No doubt, this is my favourite product of the three. I have been using this for the past week, I love the zesty orange scent and it’s a light liquid, very hydrating and boast of minimizing wrinkles. I have been using it on my forehead and my hands. You’ll see the photos below. I have already been raving about this to my sisters after using it and I am planning to pass to my mum after using it.

Lightweight liquid. See the difference on my hands before and after application.

My hand is visibly refreshed and hydrated.

Close up to show you that the fine lines are really plumped as promised by the write up! Excellent!!!

To obtain the PCA Skin products reviewed above, check out the full list of Zoe Nissi distribution clinics here: http://www.zoenissi.sg/location.html

A big thank you to PCA Skin, Zoe Nissi Singapore for the invitation!

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Mary Kay Smokey Eye Makeup Workshop

June 7, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hi Loveiies! <3 <3 <3

I hope you’re having a blast of a Saturday!

As you should know by now, April & May has been really busy and here I am still blogging about all the events and workshops I’ve attended! 😀

On the same day that I attended the Cervical Cancer awareness talk for bloggers, the very morning I attended Mary Kay’s Smokey Eye makeup workshop with my friend. Christabelle & friends!

As usual, photos time!

Here Julianna the make up trainer is demonstrating how it’s done. 🙂

My bare face and testing out the Time-wise eye serum skincare before putting on the make up.

Almost done~

So pretty eh!

The smokey eye palette.

I was using Star Lash eyelashes!

Here’s my full look! Using the Mary Kay smokey eye (above) palette for my eyes, bb cream(korean formulation) & lipstick. Using Starlash lashes, available online here.

Together with Christabelle. <3

With all the beautiful ladies & trainers Julianna and Mary Kay consultatant Wendy!

I bought this botanical effects scrub cause I enjoyed it so much during the last session, and gifted it to my mum for Mother’s Day! 🙂

For enquiries for Mary Kay’s workshops, contact Wendy Yip at 9638 1039.

Thanks to Wendy for the invite!

Thank you for reading~

Ena

P.S. Please vote for me for Kose Sekkisei Cinderella Contest on the site here (http://sg.sekkisei-cinderella.com/finalist/ena.html)! <3
If you’re a fan of Kose Singapore FB, you have to unlike and like them for the vote button to pop up again!

Beauty

Your Perfect Shade Workshop with Elizabeth Arden featuring Summer Escape Colour Collection 2014

June 6, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Hi lovelies! <3 <3 <3

A while back, I attended “Your Perfect Shade” Workshop with Elizabeth Arden featuring Australian Make Up artists, Stephan Gaskett.
It’s always a pleasure attending Elizabeth Arden’s workshops and product launches, it isn’t just the wonderful skincare and beauty products that boasts of the latest R&D technology, delicious food or generous goodie bags, it’s the gracious company of fellow beauty bloggers and the humorous Elizabeth Arden team that I enjoy the most. 🙂

The event was held at Mandarin Gallery Grange Ballroom and there was a spread of Elizabeth Arden’s new make up products for us to test and swatch! 😀

New products include:

Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup SPF 15PA++ ($70)
Flawless Finish Correcting and Highlighting Perfector ($40)
Spring Collection 2014 – Summer Escape (Assorted Prices)

Beauty iridescent creamy pots of eyeshadow colours perfect for summer with its nautical inspiration! <3

Pure Finish Cream Eyeshadow in Overboard (Blue), Anchors Away (Brown) and Sand Dollar (Peach)

Get your summer sunkissed look with these bronzers without ever having to step out in the sun! :p

Pure Finish Summer Escape Bronzing Powder in Deep Glow (darker) and Warm Glow.

Beautiful Colour Gloss Stick, L-R: Coral Reef 01, Pink Sky 02 & Sunrise 03

I particularly like Coral Reef 01 and Sunrise 03 (Pink)!

More Elizabeth Eyeshadow colours!

Food & Dessert spread ~~~

I LOVE QUICHES. <3

Elizabeth Arden even brought in a full make up tester counter !

The new star product, Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup SPF 15PA++.
The actual product comes in the pretty & classy gold coloured dispenser, the black ones are testers.

It’s a fact, girls can never have enough lip sticks and lip glosses.
And you might know that I am forever obsessed with bright pink lippies! Pink Vibrations 28 ($35) is just perfect! It’s from the Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick range, see below:

Before the workshop, Angeline Lim-de-Silva, Elizabeth Arden’s Regional Training Manager presented to us the Summer Escape Collection.

I’m sure you want to see the pretty collection it all its glory, so here it is, you’re welcome. 😉

Animated gift credits to EvCurlGurl.
The entire set. <3 <3 <3

I think the cover design is serious pretty. <3

Next up, we have Stephan Gaskett showing us on model Joey, how to use the products to create a Summer look!

The completed look! A naturally sun kissed summer look.

Here’s my “before” look and I was coincidentally also sporting a blue eyeshadow look.

Bare-face, let’s begin!

These are the products I used for my look. 🙂 <3

More close ups of these eyeshadow beauties.

And here we have a peak at the bloggers busy at work! 😀

Here’s my made up look! The blue eyeshadow is lighter in colour, creamier and of course my skin looks fresher with a coat of the
Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup SPF 15PA++ (S$70) ! It’s touted to be a lightweight, luminous foundation and proven to minimize pores. I think it provides really great coverage and a smooth finishing! My shade’s in Natural 05. Flawless Finish Correcting and Highlighting Perfector ($40) I used it to conceal my dark circles and highlight the area below my brows. Works like a charm. And yes do I love the Beautiful Color Gloss Stick in Sunrise (Pink)! I personally think that the look is sophisticated, allowing one to step out from the office and right onto some summer beach or pool party. Yeah~

I am very happy with my look. 😀
I always believe that to look good, one needs to have good skincare, makeup products & confidence. 🙂
I personally think we should invest in the best skincare and foundation that we can afford, and of course the confidence comes free, and often it comes easily when you’ve got good skin. You can trust me on that, as I use to have teenage acne troubles!

What’s an event, if not for the memories that we take back with us?

Here with model face of the evening, Joey.
With Stephen Gaskett, check out his instagram on @SGaskettMakeup 😉

With lovely belles, June, Patricia & Yvette, who also won the best look of the evening! 🙂
Follow me on Instagram @ena_teo for actual time updates! 😀

I know you want to get the products!
For a list of Elizabeth Arden Singapore counters visit their site here.

Thanks Elizabeth Arden Singapore for the workshop invite. <3

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Beauty

Glitter Nails with Naughty Nails

June 5, 2014 Ena Teo 2 Comments

Hi lovelies! <3 <3 <3

Last week I was invited down to Naughty Nails salon and I was very happy as their invite came very timely before my Kose photoshoot.

Here’s photos from the session, check it out:

First my nails had to be sanded from my previous hard gel treatment (from another salon). It was a lottt of work. >.<

Here’s how they look like after being sanded down, I decided I wanted to keep the remaining hard gel on, so that we didn’t have to sand it all the way down to my nails. 😀

Didn’t get to take photos of the soft gel painting process as my hands were occupied. 😛 More photos of the completed look below!

Here’s how the salon looks like, able to cater to two customers, have to make appointments before going down so you don’t have to wait or be disappointed that there’s no slot. 😉

The place is easy to locate if you exit from Braddell MRT.

Here with Jocelyn, the lady boss who invited me down and Jenny the manicurist. 🙂

Check out my pretty glitter soft gel nails with the colours of the sea!!!
I opted for a simple and elegant design. ^^
Super love how my nails sparkle!!!

So pretty <3 <3 <3

More pics, with a change of background, haha ^^

Look Ma, I can touch the skies! :p

Here’s my post Kose shoot look with the nails!
P.S. Pls vote for me here if you haven’t and take part in a giveaway here to win Kose products from yours truly! 😉

Alright, I’m sure you want to know the details!

Their Soft Gel nail package is priced at $45, able to last min. 3 weeks (or however long your nails take to grow out, really).
The added gradient colour would cost an additional $10 and additional adds on will be charged accordingly too.

Address:
Blk 116, Toa Payoh Lorong 2, #01-116 S(310116)
About 3 min walk from Braddell MRT
Call or SMS them at 8622 1198 to book your appointment! 🙂

Check out their promotion above!

Visit their site here: http://naughtynails.wix.com/nails

Really love their nail polish-card, I mean, name card! 😉

Thanks to Jocelyn for this Clear Nail anti-fungus treatment!

I have a weird unfounded clotted area on my toe nail and she gave this to me to treat it! <3
It’s $49, if you have a similar problem better treat it or face the possibility of your nail dropping out. >.<
You can also buy it or pre order from her, Call or SMS at 8622 1198

Thank you to Jocelyn for the invite !

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Kose Sekkisei Cinderella Contest Audition & Updates

June 1, 2014 Ena Teo 13 Comments

Hi lovelies! <3 <3 <3

By now I’m sure you’re aware that I’m one of the 6 finalists in running to be
Kosé Sekkisei Cinderella for Singapore.

I want to specially dedicate a post to share with you all the audition process and the month long process thus far! 🙂

Prizes for the champion for the Kosé Sekkisei Cinderella Contest
includes SGD$6,000 cash &
an invitation to the Sekkisei 30th Anniversary Birthday Party to be held in Japan in spring 2015 (next year).

There will be special prizes:
Ms Popular & Kosé Judges Special Prize where the winners win a year’s supply of Sekkisei products.

I’ve previously shared the reason why I wanted to take part in the contest on my instagram and my contest Facebook page.
It’s also featured on the contest dedicated site, a screenshot here:

And that’s the reason I am blogging about my journey, to share with my readers about Kosé products, the journey of this contest, beauty tips and my personal thoughts. This is in line with my blogging philosophy; to share about my personal experiences and hopefully it brings a smile to your face and inspires you to pursue your own interests and make wonderful memories of your own! 🙂

This is the contest schedule, we’re just done with May’s Facebook postings and June’s public voting has just began! More on that later. Results will be out in July, exciting times and it’ll also be my birth month! 🙂

Now let’s rewind back to the audition evening:

I first came to know about the Kosé Sekkisei Cinderella Contest on Facebook in passing and it was only when I attended the Kosé workshop with June that she encouraged me to take part and so I did!

On the evening of audition, there were about 20 shortlisted ladies present. We were spilt into groups of 6-7 and each batch took turns to go into a room with a panel of Japanese and local Kosé representatives who asked us questions and we had to reply them one by one. They asked questions like why did we take part in this competition (my answer above) and what is our idea of a Cinderella. If you’re curious, my idea of a Cinderella is someone who is kind and gentle. I am definitely not a perfect Cinderella, but I do aspire to be a kind and gentle lady! 🙂

Some of the refreshments served for the audition evening, including special Japanese snacks brought by the representatives from Japan.

After some consideration, the panel of judges decided on the 6 finalists and we were given a briefing on what to expect and also took photos for our contest Facebook page profile, with a tiara no less! ^^

Here with one of the Kosé staff who was also our host for the evening, who speaks fluent Mandarin, Japanese and basic English. I am always in awe of multi-lingual people!

Everyone who came down for the audition went home with a Kosé Sekkisei goodie bag, and of course the 6 finalists got a complete set of Kose Sekkisei skincare regime to use, review and share on our contest Facebook page:Truth: Kosé Sekkisei Cinderella Contest is influencing me to be a big fan of the deep sea blue. <3

I’m reposting from my Instagram how I’ve been using Kosé Sekkisei products for my morning and night routine:

Kosé Sekkisei Morning Skincare & Beauty Routine

1. White Liquid Wash, 140ml, $46
I use 1 pump, lather on my hands for a foamy and gentle facial cleansing.

After cleansing, I use 2. Emulsion, 140ml, $82
A small dose is sufficient moisturizer my entire face.

3. Sun Protect Essence Gel in 50+SPF PA++++, 80g, $50
is a milky gel that applies smoothly and keeps my face protected against the damaging sun rays.
On days when I don’t want foundation (on days when I don’t have to attend to any appointments or events), I end my skincare at this step.

4. White BB cream, 30g, $39
Is my current go to BB cream. It’s lightweight yet provides a good coverage for a dewy look on camera. 🙂

With these 4 skincare and beauty products, my skin is pampered, protected and I’m good to go!

This is how I look after 2 weeks of using the products, photos with no filter.

My current Kosé Sekkisei Morning Skincare & Beauty Regime Summary as posted on my Instagram.

Now onto my Kosé Sekkisei Night Skincare & Beauty Regime

This is how I look like 3 weeks, photos without filter, after using Kosé Sekkisei products, with Kosé White BB cream, after a full day!
YES, can you see the dewy glow that the White BB cream gives? Well, of course there’s a bit of my perspiration at work, nonetheless this is the reason why the White BB cream is my go-to BB cream, I like that it is lightweight and has a smooth and dewy finish.

1. Cleansing Cream, 140g, $44
in cherry size. I use a cotton pad to pick the cream up and I love how cooling and gentle this cream is on my skin.

2. Facial Liquid Wash(140ml, $46) in the shower, same as the day.

3. Clear Whitening Mask, 76ml, $35
Apply an even layer over face, avoiding the eyes, hair line and lips. It dries taut within 20 min and removes cleanly, along with pore hairs so that my face is shiny & smooth!

You have to apply a fair thick layer, it feels like I used up 1/10 of the bottle.

Remove the mask gently from the bottom first and then side, and try to remove from both sides of the face together with the nose being the last touch point, so that the mask removes the dirt and hair more effectively.

4. Lotion (100ml, $41). Apply using Kose’s cotton mask and leave on for 15 min. Leaving my skin hydrated.

Kose’s 100% Cotton Lotion Mask

Tip: Use the bottle cap of the lotion as a mini container.

Fill it up with the cotton in it.

Fill to the brim.

Till the cotton is fully absorbed with the Lotion goodness <3

Leave in on your face for 15 min. Pat down gently.

5. Night cream, 40g, $82
use in pearl size, I love how hydrating this is and it has a refreshing aqua scent.

6. Eye cream, 20ml, $82
use in rice grain size for each eye. I apply along with an eye massage, great for resting the eye.

I love how my skin is hydrated and fairer after this regime! No filter and yes, it’s a nice blush and rosy cheeks I have there. HEH.

The full Kosé Sekkisei Night Skincare and Beauty Regime Summary as posted on my instagram, @ena_teo.

I’m gonna repost the before and after photos, side by side for your comparison here:

So, what do you think? My skin has gotten fairer, smoother and more radiant huh? ^^

The 6 of us finalists also had a photoshoot recently, with Tricia who’s the blogger mentor for this contest. Some of the behind the scenes photos of that day:

Kosé skincare and Esprique make up for the day~

Getting my hair done

Photos of our fittings at Tricia’s Vainpot Boutique.

Visit Tricia’s online boutique vaingloriousyou.livejournal.com for her fab dresses! I’ve got my eyes on one of her Mary Katrantzou inspired designs. 🙂

Accessories in hues of blue…

Here’s the one matching my dress. From Lovisa if I’m not mistaken!

Getting my hair and makeup retouched just before the individual shots:

Giving my best mega-watt smile 😀

With the other lovely finalists, Gina, Michelle, Elizabeth and Chloe, missing Cheryl while it was her photoshoot turn!

With Tricia! <3

And UKay, the photographer of the day.

With Chloe, Michelle, Gina and Cheryl.

With all the finalists and the Kosé marketing team! 🙂

All of us finalists had dinner together and it’s a blessing to be taking part together in this contest with all these lovely ladies! <3
It’s been a rewarding journey thus far to be able to meet with all these lovely Kose Sekkisei Cinderella Contest team, Tricia herself, her team and Cinderella finalists. 🙂

With the the make up team, Cleo, Cindy and MUA whom I didnt get the name, sorry!

Post-shoot photo. 😀

Couldn’t bear to remove the make up without some selfies to remember the look by, so here goes!:

Please vote for me on my Kosé Sekkisei Contest page here. Arigato! <3

When you vote, you’ll get an exclusive coupon code to enjoy Sekkisei Lotion 100ml at $25 worth $41! 🙂

Last but not the least, I’m having a mini Kosé giveaway worth $80!

When I was attending the workshop, I bought these products to try, little did I know that I would later be selected as one of the 6 finalists and sponsored the same products (and more). Therefore I would like one of my lucky readers to win this set of Kosé Sekkisei star products which I’ve been enjoying:

Kosé Sekkisei Clear Whitening Mask 76g, $35 and Sun Protect Essence Milk 57g, $46.
They’ll come in these pretty blue and silver boxes! & I’ll be sending these to the winner via mail.

~Giveaway~

For a period of 2 weeks:
1. Vote for me on the site here (http://sg.sekkisei-cinderella.com/finalist/ena.html)
2. Like and Share this giveaway http://bit.ly/EnaKoseFBGiveaway on Facebook. (Make sure its public so I can see you’ve shared.)
3. Submit your details on this google form:bit.ly/EnaKose
to stand a chance to win a set of Kosé Sekkisei products including Clear Whitening Mask ($35) and Sun Protect Essence Milk ($46), total worth $81.

T&C:
– Contest runs for 15 days, from 1-15 June.
– Winner will be randomly chosen using excel sheet and announced after on my Enabalista FB page (https://www.facebook.com/enabalista).
– Contest opens internationally.
– Winner will have to reply to my FB message or email within 3 days with his/her address and I will send it over within 1 week.

In the event that I win the contest/crown title come July when the results are out, I will also be randomly picking 1 more local winner(based in Singapore) from this same giveaway list and the very lucky winner will win a handwritten note by me & $500++ worth of Kosé Sekkisei products, yes the very same set above!

Hope you enjoyed this post~ 😉

Thanks to Kosé Sekkisei Cinderella Team for the sponsorship and support to all of us finalists thus far.

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Beauty

TheFaceShop introduces The SMIM Fermentation Concentrate Range @ Cotton ECP

May 31, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Hi lovelies! <3 <3 <3

A while back I attended TheFaceShop’s blogger launch for The SMIM Fermentation Concentrate Range at Cotton Restaurant at East Coast Park.

As usual, I’ll let the photos do the talking before I review the product! 😉

As I was slightly early for the event, I took a stroll along the East Coast beach.
I KID. The truth is, I was lost and I walked in the wrong direction, so I sorta took a detour before I reached Cotton restaurant. Nonetheless, I learn to enjoy the detour. 😉

And look, what a sweet picture this is, a couple having what seems like dinner. Not a bad view and date I must say. 😉

The clouds, the view, the breeze… reminds me of why I enjoy heading to ECP with my friends. 😀

Finally! I found Cotton. Looking pretty cosy even from the outside…Here’s the view from the area we were seated. It’s really quite a big restaurant, and I heard from Alethia that they serve pretty good brunches! More about the food later. 😉

The brand executive of TheFaceShop sharing about the SMIM Fermentation Concentrate Range.
Yes, that’s Sheena on the right. 😉

The SMIM Fermentation Concentrate Range (not in order of the photo, but in the order of usage):
Information courtesy of TheFaceShop Press Release

1. SMIM Fermentation Total Treatment, $66.90
With 85% of pure yeast extract and naturally fermented kefir grains, this treatment is the ultimate ally for women for intensely regenerated and repaired skin for optimal youth and glowing radiance. This ‘Miracle of Youth’ acts as a power booster to enhance the synergy of products used in subsequent steps to promote texture refinement, firming, wrinkle resilience, sebum balancing and radiance.

2. SMIM Fermentation Toner, $53.90
An anty-aging toner consisting of undiluted kefir grain fermentation crystals and pure yeast extract, this gelish watery texture toner penetrates deeply in your skin, providing optimal hydration and elasticity. It contains Tundra Chaga mushroom substance that strengthens your skin’s defense power to help accelerate skin repair for healthy, hydrated and radiant skin.

3. SMIM Fermentation Essence, $59.90
An all in one anti-aging essence that contains a high concentration of fine particles of fermented Tibetian mushroom extracts and concentrated yeast extract., this lightweight essence aims to provide intense firming, radiance and regeneration to your skin. Light to the touch, this essence will melt into your skin and leave it with an satin radiance and luxurious touch.

4. SMIM Fermentation Emulsion, $53.90
The Emulsion provides an intensive firming and wrinkle repair. With a perfect blend of micro kefir grain fermentation crystals and natural fermentation yeast liquid, this essence helps to achieve a youthful radiant glow and an even skin tone. The undiluted fermented yeast solution and Tibetan mushroom extracts render soft flexibilty to the skin and elasticity for refined skin texture. Lightweight emulsion melts into the skin for silky hydrated comfort.

Pretty Suzy of Miss A and also touted the new “Korea’s Little Sister” is the Face of the SMIM Fermentation Concentrate Range.

We were each gifted a bottle of the SMIM Fermentation Total Treatment. 🙂

During the session, we tried using this product and the hand that had this product applied, I could visibly tell and experience that it quickly absorbed the subsequent water sprayed on, while the other hand had the water droplets sitting on the skin. Lol!

More of my review later. 🙂

Now onto dinner at Cotton @ ECP!

This is a very yummy tuna salad.Roasted chicken and beef. The beef was very tender, I usually don’t fancy beef due to its overly chewy texture but they served it up very well. The mushroom gravy for the chicken was especially yummy.

These tiny sized chicken wings are a hot favourite amongst the bloggers. I’m not a big fan of chicken wings, but I know these are perfect for parties! Plus, the chilly sauce is very yummy too. The skin is crispy and the meat isn’t dry. If you’re a chicken wings fan, I recommend this. 🙂

After dinner, we had a cross word search activity! Fastest blogger wins a big pack of TheFaceShop hamper.

Nope, I didn’t win cause I wasn’t fast enough! LOL.

With Yvonne, who won the game! 😉

Some selfies of the night~

Thanks to TheFaceShop, I’ve just started using this product after cleansing and before putting any other skincare. The recommendation is to use it with a cotton pad, because the product will remove the dead skin cells and only with the cotton pad can the dead skin cells be picked up. So I’ve used it and I did find the cotton pad just slightly yellower than normal so I reckon the removal of dead skin cells is legit! There is a little sweet scent, not sure how to describe it except for sweet, and it’s texture is much like a toner, very lightweight. The full effect of this product is supposed to take effect in 14 days.

If you’d like to know a more detailed review, you can refer to Sheena’s 14 day beauty diary / journey on CozyCot, where you can also redeem a 2 weeks trial bottle here (which I think is the mini bottle that I also have, see above) you should also check out Sheena’s blog here. 😉

Last but not the least, a promotion specially for my readers!

Plus, TheFaceShop is offering Free Makeovers this weekend (see below). What are you waiting for?

Thank you TheFaceShop for the event invite~

Thank you for reading <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

MyLuvMe.com & Hyo Yeon The First Treatment Essence Review

May 29, 2014 Ena Teo 2 Comments

Hi Lovelies! <3 <3 <3

Today I’m very glad to be sharing about an online beauty shop, MyLuvMe.com! 😉

MyLuvMe.com focuses on supplying beauty products from skin care, hair care, body care, to make-up and color cosmetics, to health food, as well as beauty tools and accessories to consumers. All brands that are selling under myLuvMe.com are 100% guaranteed genuine and supplied directly from their authorized distributors. Along with offering international delivery all around the globe, they also provide free return within 14 days. Cool, huh?

Let’s check out the site together, shall we? ^^

Home page, the top bar promises free return within 14 days, authenticity guarantee, free international delivery upon 2nd purchased item. COOL.

Go ahead, check out all these acclaimed beauty brands! I spot a few of my faves, Kose, Dior, Estee Lauder… ^^

It seems that they have a featured brand every week and promotions going on for the featured brand… So you just gotta check back every week! 😛

These are their new arrivals, featuring Lancome, Estee Lauder, Dermalogica, Eve Lom.

Hot items include bliss, what seems like a slimming machine, La Prairie cream, Glam Glow Bright Mud Eye Treatment (being seeing a few raves on blog and social media!) and Valmont (haven’t heard or seen this brand before!).

PLUS they have a customer review segment, so awesome. I LOVE a site where I get to read customer’s review of the products before I buy, just so I know I’m buying a product that is well loved, hehe! I’m also the kind of person that goes to a restaurant and orders the food with the “Popular!” “Chef’s Recommendation!” stamps next to the food item on the menu when I am ordering… 😀

Thanks to MyLuvMe.com and Welcos, they sent me a Hyo Yeon The First Treatment Essence for review and here’s my review!

Before my review, just a little more about Welcos, the company and the brand Hyo Yeon.

Welcos is a Korean company that is all about a “Total Beauty Solution” manufacturing their own products and using natural ingredients mostly if not all grown in Korea. You can check them out on http://www.welcos.com/.

Their current model ambassador is Seo Hyun Jin:

Check out their 5 beauty brands: Hyo Yeon, Puretem, Eco ennea, Kemuel and Lian. I feel a bit like a beauty geek right now, but I really enjoy reading up and knowing about beauty brands and their mother companies. It’s just, nice to know where a product comes from and what the brand stands for, don’t you agree? 🙂

Coming back to the brand I’m reviewing: Hyo Yeon

They use special ingredient: Lotus Stem Cell.

The product feature is it’s 92.98% Pomegranate Lacotbacillus Extract which works to enhance the skin’s condition to its best level, keeping it healthy, protecting it and boosting the skin’s original health. Recommended to use after cleansing face, apply to face with cotton, wiping or dabbing to allow skin to absorb.

This is how the Hyo Yeon First Treatment Essence looks like, watery with slightly thick consistency, like syrup.

After the Hyo Yeon FTE is absorbed into my skin. My skin is more hydrated and supple and slightly brighter.

I did a test, to see if water would be absorbed faster into this hand after applying FTE.

VS my right hand, which I didn’t apply FTE. The verdict is that the rate of absorption was not the crucial point, but rather, the one with Hyo Yeon’s FTE gave my skin a more supple and firmer look, the lines were less obvious and is also smoother to the touch. Pretty awesome!

My review after using it for 2+ weeks is that I enjoy using this product. I use it in my first step of skin care, after cleansing. I will use this product generously on my face ensuring that all my face, neck and arms area are covered with this product. All without cotton, as I think it’s a waste to use it with the cotton as most of the product will end up on the cotton instead of my face. Then I will apply on my toner, moisturizer and make up.

I can tell you that my arms were having slight rashes due to the odd weather in Singapore blowing hot and cold. And all I did was simply to apply this FTE to my arms (both day and night) and a little of my normal lotion at night and the rashes would disappear soon and stop itching almost immediately. What I would highlight is that this product has a slight oriental ingredient scent, reminiscent of ginseng, I can’t read Korean, so I cannot confirm if there really is ginseng, however it is very light and should not put you off from using it unless… you have phobia of ginseng, lol. I would definitely recommend this product to all FTE fans and Hyo Yeon’s 200ml bottle is only S$41 on MyLuvMe.com as it’s currently on sale. U.p. is $58. Awesome much!
Buy it here. Check out other Welcos products here.

That’s all I have for now. Hope you enjoyed this post!

Thank you MyLuvMe.com &Welcos.

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle

5 Hair Care Tips with Calvin Gan to #GetSassooned

May 21, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Today I’d like to share 5 tips to pamper your hair!
Watch and learn as hair stylist Calvin Gan treats Oon Shu An’s hair in this video:

1. Prep It
First, shampoo. An essential first step in keeping hair gently cleansed and moisturized from root to tips.

2. Work It
Use premium care conditioners to deeply nourish and thoroughly condition every strand.

3. Protect It
Using Vidal Sassoon’s Intensive Hair Mask, smoothens cuticle texture, prevents hair follicle from drying out.

4. Treat It
Treat it with Vidal Sassoon’s concentrated Amino Salon Essence formula.

5. Perfect It
Finally, perfect that style with Magic Style Activator for Curls, keeping hair frizz free and gives curled hair a soft, bouncy, natural finish that stays on for the entire day.

For the uninitiated, Vidal Sassoon is a brand that hails from the UK:
At the height of the mod 1960s, the original salon genius Vidal Sassoon revolutionised the hairdressing industry with his precise, unapologetically modern geometric cuts and chic, swingy bobs. Driven by an insatiable curiosity to understand and bring forward the future, he blended influences from the worlds of fashion and design, to create a signature style which changed the face of female beauty.

Local actress Joanne Peh is Singapore’s first Vidal Sassoon’s ambassador and
she was given the Vidal Sassoon treatment, where she traded her silky locks for a trendy bob:

I think it’s a bold, experimental and fashionable look and it gives Joanne Peh an edgy feel, especially after seeing her for years in her shoulder length hair. Check out the full xinmsn feature here and her video feature on youtube here. 😉

Vidal Sassoon products are available at Watsons & Guardian stores in Singapore.

Thanks to Vidal Sassoon for the press release.

Thank you for reading!

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

A Bio-Derma H2O for Every Occasion

May 10, 2014 Ena Teo 4 Comments

Long before I was sent this press kit for review, I’ve heard countless beauty Youtubers, make up bloggers & instagrammers (yes, there’s officially such a term) raving about the Bio Derma H2O!

However at that point in time / for the whole of last year, I was using another milk based make up removers (bought 2 at a sale) and was also gifted several, or gift with purchase and didn’t have the occasion to try Bio Derma. So just imagine my delight when I was asked if I would like to review this product and it couldn’t be more timely as my current go to make up remover just finished.

The Bio Derma H2O family, from top Left, clockwise:
1. Bioderma Hydrabio H2O for dull, dehydrated skin
Special feature / Patent wonder:
The miracle worker here is the Aquaporin® Patent which ‘teaches hydration’ so that the skin reconstitutes its own resources to restore its original hydrating abilities. It contains an apple seed extract that stimulates skin’s natural hydrating capabilities and Vitamin PP that locks in water within the skin layers. In a clinical study, Hydrabio H2O increased 25% of skin’s hydration. $29.90 for 250ml

2. Bioderma Sensibio H2O, for sensitive and all skin types.
Much raved, star product.

The patented natural complex is a combination of ingredients consisting of saccharides, sugar and golden seaweed extracts.
This is proven to strengthen the skin’s resilience and have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and moisturising properties. $15.90 for 100ml, $29.90 for 250ml, and $39.90 for 500ml

3. Bioderma ABCDerm H2O, for babies and delicate skin
ABCDerm H2O is a high-safety and high-tolerance dermo-paediatric cleanser dedicated to babies and children. Its gentle formula and delicate texture help preserve and restore the skin’s natural physiological balance while respecting its fragility. ABCDerm H2O envelops babies in a tender and protective cocoon. Formulated for babies, ABCDerm H2O follows a framework of ABCDerm Dermatological Safety Commitment that strictly responds to 4 principles: Safety, Efficacy, Tolerance & Traceability. Daily cleanser for diaper area, skin folds, face, eyes and hands. No residual oily film. Does not sting eyes. Hypoallergenic, paraben-free, soap-free, and alcohol-free. $15.90 for 100ml, $39.90 for 500ml

4. Bioderma Sebium H2O for oil-prone skin
Those who suffer from oil-prone skin or dilated pores. This H2O uses copper sulphate and zinc gulconate to purify and regulate sebum production without drying the skin.
A Fluidactiv® patent improves sebum quality and inhibits comedogenesis.
Daily cleanser, purifies the skin and regulates excess sebum. Colourant-free, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic. The blue tint from Sebium H2O stems from the natural colouring of copper sulphate. $15.90 for 100ml, $29.90 for 250ml, and $39.90 for 500ml

All Bio Derma H2O uses Micellar Water:

This stuff is amazing. I am blown away by how water can contain Micelles the softest cleansing agent to remove dirt and make up. But it does, and it works!

My review on Bioderma Sensibio H2O, for sensitive and all skin types

The water based cleanser is refreshing, fragrance free and feels like spring water/mountain alps water. So it is amazing to me how this water solution is able to cleanse my make up so well, as you know, normal water doesn’t clean off make up well. Must be the special Micellar solution. On days when I wear only sun block it is hardly remarkable. But on days when I wear foundation, it is remarkable how this unassuming water based cleanser takes off all the make up and dirt. I apply it on 3/4 of my square cotton pad and just wipe the make up off. I take 2 squares to completely clean my entire face, sometimes 3 when I have on thicker eye make up, just to be thorough. This make up remover is gentle, effective and remarkable. I have used it for appromimately 2-3weeks, and am 1/4 through the 250ml bottle. I surmise the bottle will last me 3 months.

In case you’re wondering, you can purchase Bio Derma from these outlets in Singapore:

Let me know if you’ve used or are currently using these products and your thoughts! 🙂

Thank you Chloe of the PR People and Bio Derma Singapore for the products.

Thank you for reading. <3

Ena

Beauty

Bio-Oil, The Multi-Purpose Oil

May 10, 2014 Ena Teo 2 Comments

In this post I’d like to share with you my review of Bio-Oil

10 Facts about Bio-Oil:

Bio-Oil is a specialist skincare oil that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone.
Originated and manufactured in South Africa, this problem-solution specialist skincare oil was launched in 1987 and has grown to become the global leader in this segment over the last 26 years. Globally, Bio-Oil has won more than 135 skincare awards, as well as becoming the No.1 selling scar and stretch mark product in 17 countries.
Bio-Oil is the product most recommended by doctors for scars and stretch marks in New Zealand and South Africa. It is also the product most recommended by pharmacists for scars and stretch marks in the UK, Australia and South Africa. Many doctors and pharmacists around the world recommend Bio-Oil as their first choice for scars and stretch marks.
Bio-Oil is also a great all-over scar healer, as well as helps even out your skin tone. If you are pregnant, or have recently had a baby, Bio-Oil is the product to prevent the formation and/or helps to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks.
It is also suitable for use on the face and body. The product is suitable for sensitive skin, is hypo-allergenic and non-acnegenic (does not cause acne).
Bio-Oil has a unique breakthrough ingredient PurCellin OilTM. PurCellin OilTM ensures that the active ingredients are rapidly absorbed into the skin, without leaving an oily residue.
Bio-Oil is a formulation of vitamins A & E, natural plant oils – Lavender, Calendula, Rosemary and Chamomile.
Bio-Oil is highly effective for numerous other skin concerns including ageing and dehydrated skin. Clinical trials and skin tests studies were conducted to provide important information on how well the product works.
The best way to use Bio-Oil: Massage into the skin twice daily for a minimum of 3 months.
Bio-Oil was launched in Singapore in September 2011. Based on Nielsen’s data, Bio-Oil is the No. 1 selling scar and stretch mark product in Singapore.

The specialist skincare product is available in 2 sizes, 60ml (SGD $15.50) and 125ml (SGD $25.90) in all leading pharmacies, personal care stores, selected hospitals and departmental stores

Information above extracted from the press release.

What’s PurCellin Oil?

A German cosmetic scientist called Dieter Beier, discovered PurCellin Oil after studying the preen gland oil of ducks. A manufactured version of the oil was made, this reduced the thickness of the oil, making it easily absorbed into the skin. info. here.

1. PurCellin Oil™ provides the optimum storage environment for vitamins and natural herbal ingredients, ensuring they maintain their maximum efficacy prior to application.

2. PurCellin Oil™ creates a thin, non-greasy, protective layer over the skin which helps prevent skin dryness and guards against moisture loss, whilst still allowing the skin to breathe and maintain its normal physiology.

3. PurCellin Oil™ reduces the viscosity of Bio-Oil making it light and non-greasy. This ensures that the vitamins and natural herbal ingredients are fully absorbed by the skin and do not simply remain on the skin surface.

In October 1993 the Institute of Experimental Dermatology in Germany undertook a study to ascertain whether PurCellin Oil™ could cause skin irritation. 31 women and 19 men were tested, of which 16 had either allergy-prone or sensitive skin. Undiluted PurCellin Oil™ was placed on each subject’s skin for a time span of 48-72 hours. None of the subjects recorded any form of skin irritation

Information extracted from here.

Here are 6 New Ways for the Bio-Oil:

My Review

I don’t have any particular scar I can test the efficacy of this Bio-Oil in reducing scars. However I have used it on a few occasions to test the product, on my hands and arms as it’s touted to be hydrating. I don’t dare venture to use it on my face as it has mineral oil, which is often linked to clogging pores. Although the product says that it does not clog pores and after using in on my hands, I am still not comfortable with the idea of using it on my face. >.<

It has a baby oil smell, much similar to Johnson & Johnson’s baby oil. It’s a scent I like, as it’s familiar and comforting. It’s no doubt greasy. I don’t know why it’s stated that there’s no oily residue. Yes it leaves no residue, but it is oily after application, so I would advise application just before bed time so you don’t feel like your hands are oily in the day. Or of course unless you don’t mind cleaning/washing your hands after use in the day.

If you’re pregnant and looking to stop the itch from stretch marks then perhaps Bio-Oil is for you. Although I can’t say it works for sure as I did not use it for scar removal and/or stretch marks relief, I would recommend you to test the small bottle out, and if you like it, to then repurchase the big one if you like it.

Let me know if you’ve used or are using this product, how you’re using it and how you find it! 😉

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Pamper your Mum with Crabtree & Evelyn

May 10, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Have you thought of what gift to get for your Mum for Mother’s Day?

Why not consider pampering your Mum with a luxurious gift box from Crabtree & Evelyn, filled with your customized selection of Rosewater,Lavender,Lily or Wisteria? 😉

For S$98, you get to indulge your Mom with an Eau de Toilette (100ml), Hand Wash (250ml), Hand Therapy (250g), Bath & Shower Gel (50ml) and Body Lotion (50ml).

If your Mum is a jet-setter, the S$38 petite gift box that consists of Bath & Shower Gel (50ml), Body Lotion (50ml) and Hand Therapy (25g x 2) might just be the ideal gift for her.

The heart shaped box with ribbon will be sure to melt your mum’s heart!

What’s more, enjoy special gift-with-purchase with minimum spending from now till 1 June 2014!

With a minimum spending of S$120 nett in a single receipt, receive a Crabtree & Evelyn® Mini Floral Body Care Set.

For the first 100 customers who spend S$150 nett in a single receipt, they receive additional 1-for- 1 Buffet voucher for use at RISE® Restaurant, Marina Bay Sands Hotel lobby®, Tower 1.

With any purchase of a Limited Edition Heritage Fragrance, receive a Heritage Fragrance notebook.

Gift sets are valid to two sets per offer, per customer. Promotions are valid at all Crabtree & Evelyn® outlets. While stocks last. Terms and conditions apply.

Crabtree & Evelyn® Store Locations

Thanks to Cindy of WOM & Crabtree & Evelyn Singapore for the Petite Gift box.
My mum will be pleased to receive this heart shaped box. <3

Thank you for reading! 🙂

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Kose’s Youthful Radiance Beauty Workshop with Ariel Lin

May 10, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

As announced on my Instagram & Facebook,
I’m currently in the running as one of the six finalist for Kose Sekkisei Cinderella contest! 🙂
(took me so long to announce here… procrastination will be the death of me >.<)

As part of the contest, each finalist has a dedicated Kose Facebook page where we post our beauty tips and journey through the month of May.
Do show some love and support by liking my page here (you can also click like on the sidebar)! <3
o(^^)o

Prior to joining the contest, I was invited by June to attend a Kose Beauty workshop where Taiwanese actress and Kose Ambassador Ariel Lin was also in attendance! 🙂

Kose make up artist Cleo, June, Ariel and DJ Jia Hui during the skincare segment.

Fan interaction where Cleo and Ariel show how one can complete the make up base regime in less than 5 min.

Ariel giving out token of appreciation to the volunteers. Lucky lucky volunteer who got her face touched by Ariel! Haha!

Next up we have make up segment by Osamu Dobashi, Japanese make up artist who looks like Vanness Wu, especially from his side profile. 😛 Model of the segment is the model/actress Haley.

Look at all the important looking Japanese men at the front row. I was wondering if they enjoyed the workshop as much as we ladies did. Hehe!

Dobashi getting very animated about makeup.

And the whole look is completed!

Then we have Ariel re-entering the stage with a beautiful blue dress. Sorry my Iphone 5 photos doesn’t do her justice. Her skin is as beautiful (or perhaps more so) than a 24 year old’s and she’s past 30! I want to have beautiful skin like hers when I’m her age! <3

After the stage demos, all of the participants got to explore booths and buy Kose products at a discount! Yay!

Beach themed decoration. So cute!

Instagram activities for the evening! Photo collage with all the lovely people at the event! <3

I’ll be blogging about the Kose Sekkisei Cinderella Contest audition and interview process in another post soon!

Some of my updates on my Kose page:-
Be sure to visit my page here to read about each post and like for updates! 😉

Thank you June, Kose Sg Team for the wondering afternoon at MBS for the workshop.

Thank you for reading <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Get Your Zen Beauty with Black Paint

May 2, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Hello~!

In this post, I wanna share with all of you a set of skincare that I’ve tried for 3 weeks. 😉
Black Paint Sg sent over a pretty box of their beauty goodies for review:

Such a pretty rose motif~

Happy girl ^^,

All the Black Paint products in a glance~

Their star product, Black paint soap bar is a gentle pore cleansing hand-made face soap with Kishu Bichotan Charcoal (White Charcoal) cleans pores and removes oil and dirt thoroughly but gently without stripping away skin’s essential moisture, leaving skin fresh and silky smooth. It contains 23 types of plant oils, amino acids from silk powder and vitamins in honey and brown sugar.

This is the list of plant oils, for once, a beauty product ingredient list that can be read and understood in simple english and not some laboratory code language! 😀
SOAP FOUNDATION, WATER, JOJOBA SEED OIL, UREA, OLIVE OIL, ALMOND OIL, PINE EXTRACT, CHARCOAL, PALM OIL, COCONUT OIL, RAW SUGAR, IRON OXIDE, HYDROLYZED SILK, LAVENDER OIL, HONEY, GREEN TEA LEAVES, DAMASK ROSE OIL, MACADAMIA NUT OIL, AVOCADO OIL, ROSEHIP OIL, GRAPE SEED OIL, EVENING PRIMROSE OIL, FLAXSEED OIL, BORAGE SEED OIL, SAFFLOWER OIL, SUNFLOWER SEED OIL, PEANUT OIL, SESAME OIL, WALNUT SEED OIL, PERILLA FRUTESENS SEED OIL, APRICOT KERNEL OIL, HAZELNUT SEED OIL, ROSE OIL

Pretty amazing huh? A few of the oils that I understand which are really good for the skin are Coconut oil, nourishes the skin and Evening Primrose oil, helps prevent hormonal imbalances! In fact, if you don’t know, #funfact I take Evening Primrose Oil also known as EPO nightly. One aunt first recommended it to my sister, who then recommend it to me. Been taking it for 2+ years now, and It’s one of those beauty saviour (in addition to proper skincare regime, diet, facial) that’s really helped me prevent hormonal acne outbreaks! There’s a lot other goodness/benefits of EPO, you can go read up about it online. 😉

More about the Kishu Bicotan Charcoal

One of the main factors of why BLACK PAINT is black in color is because of its White Charcoal component. White Charcoal has been widely used in Japan since thousands of years ago for their teamaking (Chado) ceremony. White charcoal is made from holm oak, a very hard wood used in kilns in the southern Kishu area in Japan. This charcoal, called Kishu Bichotan, takes about 10 – 40 years for the suitablely grown branches to be selected for its making.

Kishu Bicotan Charcoal is considered to be the best grade because it is hard and yields a long burn. Due to the hardness of the word, the charcoal made from such wood produces a high pitch ‘tingling’ sound. Bichotan is also called White Charcoal because it is covered with ash during final processing, leaving whitish ash powder on its surface.

Known as the best quality charcoal for purifying water and air, the variety of benefits of Bichotan charcoal can be found in a number of everyday uses. Whether it is used to absorb chemicals in tap water, enhance blood circulation in a hot bath, stimulate healthy soil in the garden, or deflect negative ions in your home, the environmental and chemical-free charcoal is the natural way to boost overall wellness.

Here’s the recommended usage of the Black Paint Soap Bar:

My personal experience & review of Black Paint soap bar
Because I previously read blogger Karen of Renzze’s review, I picked up a tip from her to chop up the soap into smaller bars which is easier to apply on the face and prolongs the longevity of the soap.

What I truly love about this soap is how natural and zen it makes me feel, during the cleansing process and after it.
As pictured, it is recommended for us to apply the black paint soap over the entire face. I find the application and cleansing process very therapeutic and artistic. I feel like I am a chinese calligraphy practitioner and I am spreading ink over my face, that is the canvas. The entire experience is oddly satisfying and I recommend everyone to try this unique product! And of course, other than the interesting and unique experience, I also like that soap bar cleanses my pores, but yet doesn’t leave it squeaky clean. I used to think that squeaky clean skin is good, but I’ve now learnt that it’s better to use gentle cleansers that will clean our skin but still leave it hydrated with necessary oils on our skin. 😉

This star product has won the Grand Gold Medal of Monde Selection Award Winner for 5 consecutive years since 2009, under the Cosmetics and Toiletry category in Japan. Award winning product!

Black Paint’s Konjac Sponge
A 100% natural facial sponge made from vegetable fiber, Kishu Binchotan charcoal (White charcoal) and various minerals that enhance absorptive ability, helps removing excess oil and dead skin cells in the most delicate manner.

Konjac = 100% Natural Vegetable Fibre
The KONJAC SPONGE is the perfect tool for cleansing your face with BLACK PAINT soap, but can also be used without a cleanser. It’s gentle enough for sensitive skin and is ideal for those with oily skin and acne.

Its 100% natural vegetable fiber delicately pulls blockages from pores, while the Kishu Bichotan charcoal absorbs dirt and excess oil. You may see waste and dead skin cells coming off as flakes, a gentle exfoliation which promotes new cell growth. Skin is left with a smooth and clear finish.

How to use:

My personal experience & review of Black Paint’s Konjac Sponge

I like that it is really gentle on the skin and this second step cleansing process is a further extension of the whole zen beauty regime. Having a 100% natural vegetable fibre cleansing + massage tool, one can’t get any more zen than this, right? As shown above, do make sure you take it out of the bathroom and possibly back to your room to air dry to extend its usage~

Now we come to the 3rd + 4th steps of the beauty regime~

Black Paint’s Best Water Toner & Oil Water Lotion.

Black Paint’s Best Water Toner

A pore-minimizing toner that contains 30 types of minerals that deeply penetrates the skin (epidermis) to nourish and help restore skin’s natural barrier to prevent moisture loss

Ingredient list
WATER, SODIUM, BORON, MAGNESIUM, SILICON, SULFUR, POTASSIUM, NICKEL, SILVER, ANTIMONY, LITHIUM, ALUMINUM, PHOSPHORUS, CALCIUM, SCANDIUM, VANADIUM, CHROMIUM, MANGANESE, IRON, COPPER, ZINC, STRONTIUM, MOLYBDENUM, ARSENIC, RHODIUM, TELLURIUM, BARIUM, HOLMIUM, LEAD, COBALT, BROMINE, RUBIDIUM, TIN, IODINE, CAESIUM, TANTALUM, IRIDIUM, PLATINUM

My review of Black Paint’s Best Water Toner

In my personal opinion, this Best Water Toner is enriched water. The feel and texture is similar to applying water on your face. I personally think that this product isn’t a very effective skin softener or essence to prime the skin before lotion application. Which leads me to:

Black Paint’s Oil Water Lotion

A dual-layer emulsion that regenerates, protects, soothes, and soften the skin keeping skin soft, supple, radiant and young-looking, while a delicious rose scent uplifts the spirit.

Ingredients

ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, OLIVE FRUIT OIL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER OIL, CRANBERRY SEED OIL, ROSE FLOWER OIL, ADONIS PALAESTINA FLOWER EXTRACT, SUNFLOWER SEED OIL, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL
* The ingredients listed in GREEN are organic, moisture retention ingredients.

Why Dual Layer Emulsion?

Two layers, one complete formula for regenerating and protecting your skin! Because we refuse to put any synthetic emulsifiers into our products (and onto your face), the ingredients in OIL WATER separate as they sit in the bottle. To mix them up again, just shake the bottle before using.

Ideal for sensitive and aging skin, OIL WATER helps tighten and firm up its texture. The “magic” ingredient is rose essential oil, noted for its healing and rejuvenating effects on the skin including the reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, redness and uneven color. We maximize its effectiveness with a blend of organic plant oils for hydrating protection against dry air and environmental pollution.

My review of Black Paint’s Oil Water Lotion

I enjoy using this product! Although it is a quite a hassle to shake it up before applying every time I pump it out, (2-3 pumps for my whole face) this rose scented oil water lotion is a delight to the regime as it’s completely natural, hydrating for my combination skin and it smells awesome. I love the smell of roses, so the sweet rose scent is really a huge bonus to the product.

Last but not the least… *drumrolls*

Black Paint’s Water Cream

A water-based moisturizing cream that diminishes visible pores, protects your skin from dryness and maintains moisture all day long. By filling the skin with moisture, it builds resistance from outdoor environments as well as creates a smoother and more refined skin texture.

Natural Ingredients

The star ingredient in WATER CREAM is Moroccan argan oil, a renowned natural anti-aging product worn by women since ancient times. This wonder-working oil, extracted from the kernels of the argan tree, is a unique blend of oils, minerals and fatty acids. It is exceptionally rich in vitamins, particularly vitamin E.

WATER CREAM, which also has argan oil and 7 more organic plant oils, makes use of these ingredients for additional protection and moisture, restoring the skin’s own youthful capability to resist drying agents from both within and without. Use it as a make-up base during the day and a moisturizing cream at night.

DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, GLYCERIN, SQUALANE, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER OIL, SODIUM HYALURONATE, OLIVE FRUIT OIL, HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN, MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL, SWEET ALMOND OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM CHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, ROSE FLOWER OIL, LAVENDER OIL
* The ingredients listed in GREEN are organic, moisture retention ingredients.

My review of Black Paint’s Water Cream

I think it would be more accurate to name it Water Cream with a tinge of Moroccan Argan oil. I don’t like the oil feel on my skin, which I would liken it to the lip balm(albeit gel and not solid form) feel. After using it for 3 weeks, I can attest that the oil did not break me out and in fact I am impressed by the cream. To name it Water Cream isn’t accurate or doing it justice, but I guess some customers might be turned off with the idea of applying oil on your face. But as you can tell and have read from Black Paint’s super educational facts and my personal review above, applying natural oils on your face isn’t as bad as it seems.

It might seem weird that most ladies spend their dollars on oil removing and oil prevention beauty products, but here Black Paint is campaigning for natural oils for the skin. The Black Paint way of skincare is radically different, requires a fair bit of education for us customers but I can say that the journey for me has been enjoyable and the experience, rewarding. I would definitely recommend this regime to all you beauty lovers, for a zen and natural beauty experience~

It is recommended to use the Black Paint skincare range solely (no mixing) for 28 days to maximize results, however it is ok to use the soap and sponge with other skincare brands if preferred.

This is a really long post huh? Well, to sum it all up, here’s the entire regime in a poster:

Visit their online site here and their Facebook page for updates.
Black Paint is currently available at ISETAN, B2 Westgate Mall, the prices are as such:
Black Soap S$49.90
Konjac Sponge $14.90
Best Water $59.90
Oil Water Rose $49.90
Water Cream $79.90

All italicised information and pictorial posters credits to Black Paint Singapore, courtesy of their site.

Thank you Steph and Black Paint for the products.
Thank you for reading <3

Ena

Art & Design, Beauty, Lifestyle

Visible Whitening with Elizabeth Arden

May 1, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hello all you lovely people~

In a blink of an eye 😉 , May’s here! I do hope you’re enjoying this lovely May Day. 🙂

Well, I hope you’re out having dinner or relaxing at home, cause I’m here at my desk blogging. 😀

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I don’t have a schedule for publishing new posts. I try to write as much as I can (which isn’t more than 2-3 posts each seating, haha!) when I’m free and schedule them over the week. Lately the drafts have been piling up due to the fashion, beauty & lifestyle events I’ve attended and products received for review. And I always think that I should spend a certain time of the day (early morning, really) to blog, but I don’t have that discipline to do so, sigh pie. :/ I also hope to be able to share more creative and original content (yunno, like non-sponsored posts, haha!) but I also have an obligation (personally-imposed) to finish blogging about the sponsored ones first. Plus, it’s not nice if I get invited as a blogger, but then I don’t blog about it right? HAHA. Ok, surely you get my drift, that you can expect a lot of new content on my blog, content that you’ll and you’re hopefully enjoying! 😀

So, a while back I attended Elizabeth Arden’s Visible Whitening Blogger event, introducing their Visible Whitening Intense Brightening Biocellulose Mask and Visible Whitening Anti-Melanin Spot Corrector.

Photos time!

On the way towards Arteastiq Gallery @ Mandarin Gallery where the event was held, on a Saturday morning.

Elizabeth Arden’s Visible Whitening Range. Doesn’t it look super chic and also kind futuristic with its silver packaging with rainbow hue-d reflections? More of that later!

The actual items on display.

The new product, Visible Whitening Intense Brightening Biocellulose Mask.

Elizabeth Arden’s classy gift box with its iconic red door. After the new products presentation, we were each presented with a blank canvas, a set of brushes and box of paint and an hour plus to paint our version of the rose. The blogger with the most creative and pleasing painting gets to bag home the gift box above.

And the painting begins!

Bloggers Jerlene & Yvette fully focused at the task on hand. 🙂

On the opposite row, more bloggers sketching out their ideas. 🙂

Here’s my brushes & canvas pre-painting. Oh, and my cup of rose tea courtesy of Arteastiq cafe~ Check out my previous post on them here.

I was inspired by the rose, baby breath flowers and the shadow casted onto the canvas.

My brushes and palette, post-painting! I decided on the 2 main colours red and white, representing Elizabeth Arden’s brand colours.

My completed painting.

Close up.

What do you think? 😉

A selfie with the lovely Isabel from Eliz Arden team.

Snippets of the event posted on my Instagram, @ena_teo.

The products we were gifted for review. So in love with the new packaging!

My review

Elizabeth Arden Visible Whitening Intense Brightening Biocellulose Mask

It was my first time using a Biocellulose mask, and I think that it takes some getting use to. I’m rather accustomed to cotton-type masks and this Biocellulose mask feels like jelly on the skin. The concept of the Biocellulose mask is that it fits onto the facial contours like “second skin”. The feel of the mask is no doubt luxurious. Each box comes with 5 masks and each mask is individually wrapped with key ingredients such as Vitamin A derivative, Vitamin B3, and optical diffusers to help firm and brighten skin’s appearance instantly and with continued use by reducing the appearance of imperfections. In addition, Vitamin C derivative and Lipoamino Acid work to significantly reduce the appearance of existing dark spots and uneven skin tone.

Key Ingredients

Lipoamino Acid and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) — assist with the appearance of uneven skin tone.

Vitamin A Derivative (retinyl linoleate) — Supports skin’s own collagen and elastin matrix to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and enhance skin’s ability to reflect light.

Vitamin C Derivative— Controls melanin production to help enhance skin’s brightness and diminish darkness over time.

Adenosine— Supports skin’s own natural collagen to reduce visible signs of aging.

Hyaluronic Acid and Barley Extract Complex— Helps to increase skin’s moisture content to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and refine the look of pores.

Licorice Extract – Helps to inhibit tyrosinase activity to prevent the formation of dark spots and uneven skin tone.

Glycerin— Helps to improve skin’s moisture content.

Mica Minerals and Corn Starch—Optical ingredients able to reflect light to instantly brighten the look of skin and impart immediate radiance.

The suggested usage is 2 masks weekly, for 4 weeks to achieve optimum results. I would recommend this mask for ladies who appreciate a luxurious feel during their mask regime, and/or as a gift for a special woman (mother, wife, girlfriend) to show that you care. 😉 Each box set retails at SGD$90.

Elizabeth Visible Whitening Anti-Melanin Spot Corrector aims to target stubborn dark spots and uneven skin tone, reducing their intensity. Infused with intensive skin brighteners, such as Vitamin C derivative and an exfoliating agent, pre-existing melanin in the skin’s outer most layer looks diminished and new melanin production is controlled. Due to the exfoliating agent, the spot corrector will result in the dark spot drying and falling off, and it’s not advisable to be scratched off. After testing it out, I personally don’t fancy the product compared to other spot correctors I have used. I feel that it would be better if the spot can be corrected without having to dry and flak off. 🙂 Maybe the R&D team can take in this suggestion and improve their next formula? Each tube comes in 20ml, retails for SGD$110.

Key Ingredients:

Lipoamino Acid—Assists with the appearance of uneven skin tone.

Vitamin C Derivative— Controls melanin production to help enhance skin’s brightness and diminish darkness over time.

Protease Enzyme—Eliminates dead skin cells to smooth skin’s surface and supports natural cell renewal to help exfoliate surface pigmentation.

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Soy Amino Acids and Yeast Extract Blend— Helps maintain skin’s hydration and moisture balance.

Hyaluronic Acid—Helps to hold moisture in skin.

List of Elizabeth Arden stores / counters in Singapore can be found on their site here.

Ending off this post with this lovely quote:

Thanks to Isabel and Elizabeth Arden Singapore for the lovely event and products.

Thank you for reading. <3

Ena

Beauty, Fashion, Inspiring, Lifestyle

My date with J’s Nails

April 29, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Nail Art is gaining popularity in this sunny island Singapore.

So imagine my delight when J’s nail’s invited me down for a session of their nail service and to review their nail salon! 🙂

J’s Nail’s Salon is located at 19 Shelford condominium, a little shop right in front of the pool area.

A little waiting area decked out in purple hues.

A wall of nail magazines, nail polishes and gel containers.

How cute are theses nail polishes? ^^

Something about these colours gets the artist in me very excited and happy!

The pedicure area. Cushy red seats.

The manicure area!

Some of the current trending designs, i picked the design on the second column, second from the bottom. Opting to replace the neon yellow with blue. 🙂 These designs are done by Vivien / Joann, usually they will take inspiration from magazines and trends and input their own flair to it. So there is really no duplicate and every design is unique. Plus they will also take in your preference and customize a design as per your requests.

And the work begins!

Vivien nail artist and manicurist attended to me, she explains that opting for hard gel would be easier to mould and design the nail art. So I went for the hard gel option, versus the soft gel.

Here’s Vivien using the machine to sand my nails and prep them before applying the gel. And how cute are her minion designed nails?! ^^

After the sanding, comes the gel application,

Close ups.

After each layer of gel applied there would be a short UV light period. As the period if very short, there should be no UV damage to the skin. Since we don’t do this daily as well. But if you’re worried, you can always remember to apply amply sunblock lotion to your hands and fingers before the session. 🙂

Here Vivien uses the nail covers to create a nice smooth gel layer on my fingers. Very cool huh?

After the fingers have all been gel coated, it’s once again sanded. So that the coloured gel can attach onto the gel.

Well, I didn’t have available hands to take photos of her painting the colours on, but check out the final results!

How pretty is this?! ^^ PLUS I love how she photographed my hands to look so pretty here..

A little more about J’s nails:

Established since 2007, J’s Nail started from a home-based nail art salon to become an active renegade force in the nail art industry. What comes with each therapeutic experience is not only the highest-quality nail art service, but also exclusive hours-on-end fun and enjoyment.

Services provided include Gel Manicure, Gel Pedicure, Nail Art, Manicure, Pedicure, Hand Spa and Foot Spa. Each is itself a different abyss to take you to various levels of relaxation.

J’s Nail believes in education, having been rigorously trained from Hong Kong Nail Collections Academy. From time to time, J’s Nail also works closely with the academy to keep the nail art profession up to date, and deliver the latest industry trends and choice to the customer.

Check out the certifications awarded to Joann Tsui, the founder and owner of J’s nails:

And here are the prices:

A nail design like mine shown above will cost $70 for hard gel service, + $58 for nail design, totalling SGD$128.
These nails will last 3-4 weeks, depending on how fast your nails grow. Usually they would recommend making your next appointment in advance. Also it is advisable to go back to them for removal service as it requires sanding. But no worries, as they will always leave a thin layer of gel covering your nails and will not actual sand your real nails! Thus your nails are kept protected. Vivien kindly explained all these to me because I’m on that’s afraid of thinning and nail breakage.

A photo with the talented Vivien~

More pretty pictures of my nail art in the natural sunlight~

I seriously love it, just waking up to pretty nails makes my day and makes me happy. My friends have all been admiring my nails too! ^^

Follow J’s Nails on Instagram: @JSNAILJSNAIL

Follow them on their Facebook here.

Make your appointment with J’s nail salon by phone:
Tel : +65 64647498
SMS : +65 93830014
Monday – Friday 10AM to 12PM by Appointment only.
Sat: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

From May 15 onwards, J’s Nails Salon will operate from Sembawang, at Block 415, Sembawang Drive, Singapore 750415.
Call / SMS / Whatapp +65 93830014 for appointment.

Thank you Joann and Vivien of J’s Nail Salon for your kind invitation!

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle

Chacott & Freed of London’s Singapore Launch @ Mandarin Gallery

April 27, 2014 Ena Teo 5 Comments

When I was young, I dreamed of being a ballerina.

Perhaps it’s because of the graceful movements
or perhaps it’s because of the pretty tutus and lovely ballet flats that ballerinas donned~

Thus when I received this lovely invite, I looked forward to check out the new store opening…

There’s just something quite captivating and mesmerizing about ballerina’s tutu’s, fair stockings and flats right?

For the uninitiated, Chacott and Freed of London are two of the most esteemed labels in the ballet world. Both labels have a rich history of producing some of the best handcrafted pointe shoes adorned by the top ballet dancers around the globe, making the two labels the go-to brands for professional ballet dancers.

Well of course, having no experience in ballet, I’m no expert and can’t tell if this is indeed a fact. So I researched a bit online and I found an about article titled “9 Popular Brands and Styles of Pointe Shoes” by dancer Treva Bedinghaus, whom I’ll quote here:

Freed of London

Founded in London, England in 1929 by shoe maker Frederick Freed, Freed of London supplies pointe shoes to many of the leading ballet companies throughout the world. The company is one of few that boasts handmade pointe shoes, but they don’t last very long. There are six varieties of Freed Pointe shoes, but its “Classics” are the most popular and most easily recognized.

Chacott

Chacott is a subsidiary branch of Freed of London. Chacott pointe shoes are known for a short break-in period, an important feature to many dancers.

Now let’s check out the store!

The entrance of the store was graced by these lovely ballerina dresses:

The amount of details that goes into each dress is impeccable, and it’s what makes each dress so beautiful, precious and desired.

Do you fancy some cute ballet shoe key rings? 😉

Chacott also has a professional make up range, very aptly branded as Chacott for Professionals.

Chacott for Professionals makeup range is of assured quality, being made in Japan. The products are formulated for professional use and are resistant to sweat and liquids. It also has these key features:

– Suited for High definition TV
– UV protective effect (Non-chemical SPF/PA)
– Uses mainly vegetable extract, natural colorant – Gentle to the skin and safe for children
– Fragrance-free, Colour-free & Mineral oil-free

Chacott for Professionals’ particularly famous for their loose powders, which is also featured on Nylon’s beauty hit list 2014 reader’s choice.

Their colours range also features 25 unique shades of colour variation from its bold regular shades to its pearly Winking Series and vivid Varie-lining series, suitable for use as eyeshadow, blush, highlight, contour and more, each shade retails at SGD$22.

There are additionally 14 lip colours and 1 lip gloss, retailing at SCG$18 each. The colour range comes in singular palettes and can be fit into customized palettes created by Chacott. Chacott For Professionals Colours are intensely pigmented and they finish matte with a bright and vivid tone.

These are the customized 3 hole eyeshadow palettes and 4 for lip colours. The middle palette is customized by makeup artist Sarah Chaundry, titled ‘Arabian Nights’ with “gold blue and black to create a smokey look. Something different, from the usual combinations”.

On the right you’ll spot a lip palette customized by make up artist and also a fellow blogger friend Joanna Koh, titled ‘The Essential’. She says, “A lip palette with three basic, universally flattering shades. A glamourous red, a neutral and wearable blush pink, and an intense purple. You can wear them individually, blot them down for a sheer look or mix two to three shades together to get a whole new colour tone. Top it off with clear gloss for a beautiful sheen.”

Additionally, the store offers a range of dancing shoes and gymnastic and yoga apparels. Do check them out!

Visit the store at Mandarin Gallery #03-21A, 333A Orchard Road.

Also check out and follow them on Facebook here for interesting dance related updates and promotions!

A picture with lovely ladies, Ashley & Samantha of Samantha-Ashley.com, my friend Yan Ling, Shn and Jerlene of Musicalhouses!Follow me on instagram @ena_teo for my updates on the go. 😉

Thanks Camy of BeautyDirect for the invite & lovely goodies. :*

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Shiseido Brands’ Celebrate Winning Beauty Products

April 13, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Hi lovelies!

Do you know that Shiseido Singapore has 6 brands under them?

They are ZA, Aqualabel, Majolica Majorca, Ma Cherie, Tsubaki & Senka respectively!

As you know, I was invited for their ZA Rich Glam Rouge party & Majolica Majorca x Ma Cherie Floral Enchantress party and most recently, I received a sweet invite from them again! Check it out:
Call me old-fashioned, but I actually imagined the party to be a buffet style at a hotel hall where the bloggers get to mingle. Who am I kidding right? Coming from the folks that think of the most interesting and well-propped parties!

Check out what went down:

So basically all of us were ushered into a beautifully decked out hotel room that was transformed into a press-show room for the day! The entire room and bathroom were fully utilized to show case their winning products.

And thanks to Soo-chi (I hope I spelt her name right~), who is Shiseido’s hair & make up artist and trainer, I had a mini hair curling treatment using Ma Cherie products. My hair looked and smelled great all evening! 🙂
Photo credits to blogger Michelle of MsMcMuffin!

Check out my pretty curls~ Thanks to sweet Soo chi. :*

With the lovely Anna & Gwen. Check out their blogs here & here respectively~

With Louis, a very conscientious make up & hair trainer who’s equally parts humorous, friendly and skilled!

Now time to present their award winning products:~

19 products/product ranges here in total!

Let me highlight a few favourites:

Ma Cherie’s End Cure Milk (S$16.90), Hair Gelee ($16.90), & Air Feel Shampoo (S$19.90).
You can find out more detailed info. on my post here.

Aqualabel Special Gel Cream, $33.50.

Senka Mineral Perfect UV SPF50 PA+++ (S$16.90).
I am a huge fan of Japanese liquid sunscreen, I went out to buy one of this after the presentation. 😉
Although the thing is right now I have many sunscreen products, so it might take a while for me to get to reviewing this. #somanybeautyproductsbutonlyoneface #firstworldproblems #happyproblem 😛

Senka Whitening Lotion, $18.90.
Tsubaki Damage Care Shampoo, 500ml (S$18.90), 220ml (S$9.90).

Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie Pore Cover (S$20.90), read my review of it here. Lash Expander Edge Meister (S$25.90) Been using it for the last month and let’s just say that I usually don’t like mascaras cause they are too thick, too clumpy but this one is light, buildable and my lashes look long and feels good. Omg, I love it <3, Lash Bone Black Fibre in (S$24.90), Lash King (S$25.90).

This is the best girls, try it!

So, follow the brands on Facebook if you haven’t:

Majorlica Majorca
Ma Cherie
ZA
Senka
Aqualabel
Tsubaki

“Why follow?”, you ask. Not only for their new product releases, tips & tricks to health care and makeup, but also fun games & giveaways! Like, this cute Majolica Majorca Beauty Emissary Name game which I took part in and got the name “Duchess Condensed Milk” 😀

Thanks Majolica Majorca~ ^^
Guys, I’m officially a “Goddess of beauty” ya’ll. Don’t mess with me alright. 😛

To which, I won~ *happy dance*~

Check out my winning box! 😀
It’s a Majolica Majorca 10th Anniversary Press Kit Box:

Just look at how perfectly this book box seats among my book. I’m such a beauty geek. HEH.

Whew, now that was a really long post isn’t it?
Now gonna throw out a question, which is your favourite beauty product
(doesn’t have to be from the Shiseido brands) and why?

Thanks for reading~! <3

Thanks Shiseido Singapore & Wendy of White Space for the invite!

Ena

Beauty

Skincode Bloggers’ Event & Whitening & Brightening Kit Review & Giveaway~!

April 12, 2014 Ena Teo 6 Comments

*Update*

Thank you all who have participated in this Skincode x Enabalista GIveaway, it has ended! ^^
These are the following winners~ You will received an email from me informing you that you have won~
You can go down to collect the set from Skincode office, from this Friday (2 May) onwards!
Address is:
Parklane Medical Centre, 35 Selegie Road #02-25A
Parklane shopping Mall, Singapore 188307
Hours for collection: Mon-Fri – 10am to 5pm, Sat – 10am to 1pm.

Blog Winners

Yanti F Lye

Hui Ying Goh

Lim Hui En

Cynthia B Lin

Kokhui Lovedimsum

Lim Hui Yin

Lavender Teo

Slj Slk

Lu Siu Ching

Toh Hui Qi

Facebook Winners

Kymmy Kit Lim

Pei Lin

Vincent Lee Wee Ping

Dave Lim

Yingling Tan

Apai N nana

Deepali Gupta

Liesa Desisca

Kate Lee

Jane Ng

Hi lovelies!

How have all of you been? Have you been treating your precious skin well?

If you feel like your skin is in need of a perk me up, I just might have the solution for you today! 🙂

Recently Skincode Singapore held an exclusive bloggers’ event at Novotel and I had the pleasure of attending the intimate session. Even though Skincode was a brand new to me, I readily accepted their event invitation because it’s a Swiss brand, and the Swiss are famous for their skincare. 🙂

In case you’re new to the Skincode Brand, let me fill you in a little about them, you can find these information from their site.

Skincode AG, a Swiss-based beauty company founded in 1998 by a team of professionals with profound knowledge and experience in the cosmetics industry reinforces Switzerland`s reputation for state-of-the-art skincare.

The Skincode range includes two results-oriented lines to answer to your needs and to suit your personal preferences. Built on the principle that the skin is a living organ and its genetic “code” must be respected, the collections provide consumers with high-performance, innovative skincare products reflecting the precision, purity and quality that are synonymous with Switzerland.

Skincode Essentials is an advanced dermocosmetic skincare line formulated to satisfy the daily skincare needs of both women and men. From cleansing to anti-aging, moisturizing to beautifying and even lightening, Skincode Essentials has you covered. The products, dermatologically tested, contain a sophisticated blend of natural extracts and biotech ingredients (some medical grade), while being 100% free of fragrance, preservatives, colors and animal derivatives, making them suitable for even the most sensitive skin. CM-Glucan, a key ingredient in all of the products, protects the skin’s natural defense mechanism and stimulates Collagen and Elastin production, making them suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

Switzerland has a long tradition of cellular therapy, people from all over the world have been visiting Swiss clinics to receive such rejuventating and anti-aging treatment. Skincode Exclusive is a luxury-orientated, revolutionary cellular skincare line designed to address the specific needs of mature skin. The powerful anti-aging treatments speed up the cell renewal process, which slows with age. The key ingredient: Active Cellular Regenerating Complex Generation 2 (ACR Complex G2) is a truly ground breaking development in the fight against aging skin. Skincode Exclusive products are formulated without Parabens and with an allergen-free fragrance.

Recently the founder of Skincode, Prince Niclas Massalsky came to Singapore and he was interviewed on Straits Times. You can check out the article here.

Now I’ll let the photos from the bloggers’ session do the talking~ 😉

Aren’t these cupcakes the cutest promotional desserts? ^^

So cute, that I have to take a picture with it first!
I was told that this is one of Skincode’s best seller and star product, Cellular Perfect Skin Capsules.

Another photo of it, along with sample satchets and stationary set prepared for the evening.

Here’s the cupcake icing and the product write up, side by side! Cellular Perfect Skin Capsules contains luxurious silky serum that will help improve skin’s elasticity, regenerates and soothes the skin. Each of us got to test out one capsule and boy, the experience was remarkable! When applied, the capsule oozes out a small liquid dose that feels powdery and velvety yet after application the skin is silky smooth. Amazing description, I know! You simply have got to experience it to believe and understand it. This serum truly embodies the touch of luxury as it leaves the skin smooth and pampered, much like a coat of velvet on your skin. Ahh~~~

The evening was equal parts presentation by Ceceila Weidner, Skincode Global Beauty Consultant and Trainer and equal parts hands-on workshop where we got to test the products from both the Skincode Essentials and Exclusive ranges. Essentials as it is named provides the basic essential skincare, whereas Exclusive is more focused on anti-aging concerns. I lost count of the products we tried, it must have been between 10-20 of them! It was one of the most hands-on presentation and skincare workshop I’ve attended. And I’ve got to say, nothing beats being able to experience the efficacy of the products hands on even if it’s for a short 5-10 minutes! I can attest that Skincode is so proud of their products that they simply believe people will love their products after testing and usage. More on that later when we get to their product counters.

This, my dear friends, is one of my favourite Skincode product. Or maybe THE MOST favourite. It’s called the Extra Gentle Skin Refiner, what a cute name right? But don’t let that cute name fool you, cause it’s simply one of the most remarkable masks I’ve used and I do believe I’ve tried & used several by now and I can say I am a fan of this product. If you were to ask me to recommend which Skincode product to try and start with, I would say this. Why am I waxing lyrical all about this product (and I wasn’t even sponsored to review this product, lol)? It’s simply because, after a short 10-15minutes of application, generous application may I add, just like what you see above, a gentle wipe off will reveal skin that is visibly moisturized and supple. Some of us bloggers can even see a fairer skin. As it is named, the key feature of this mask is that it acts as a gentle exfoliating mask, that will reveal a fresher and more radiant looking skin as it is formulated with a subtle blend of actives which removes dead skin cells and impurities. I can’t explain to you the science behind this mask, but IT WORKS. If this product was made in the past, the researchers in Skincode Swizterland laboratories would be akin to magicians formulating potion, cause this works pretty much like *~**magic**~*. 😀 For an in-depth review, check out this review by Denise Li on Material World.

Another remarkable product we tried & tested is this Cellular Wrinkle Prohibiting Eye Serum. It is formulated to rejuvenate the delicate skin around the eye area and to reduce dark circles and puffiness. As you can see, It is golden and shimmery as the photo-reflector particles work to instantly illuminate your eye area. Essentially what these photo reflector particles, aka golden particles does is it catches light so that all the darkness around your eye goes away, instantly removing the eye-bags. Amazing, huh? That’s why consumers are the most powerful people today, ask and you will be given, even instant miracle products can be created/formulated – things that were perhaps deemed impossible in the past.

A photo with Ceceila Weidner, who is an incredibly knowledgeable lady on skincare and beauty and also a very conscientious trainer and excellent presenter.

With friendly Kat of Katjuju.com, a site dedicated to all things eco and natural living. Check out her event review here.

With Karen of Renzze.com, who is always beautiful and chic, be in on photos or in person.

Did you catch this post on my Instagram? Be sure to follow me on @ena_teo. 😉

At the event, each blogger got to bring home a Whitening & Brightening set for use and here’s my review~

I love the packaging. It’s clean, fuss free and I love the touch and feel of sturdy glass jar and pots.

The kit is applied in this order, twice daily in the morning and evening after cleansing:
1. Cool White Essence
2. Lightening Eye Contour Cream
3. UV Protective Whitening Cream with SPF 12 (only for the day)

1. Cool white essence as a liquid drop with liquid-gel like consistency.

1. Cool white essence thoroughly hydrates the skin when applied.
2. Lightening Eye Contour Cream is a white cream of moderate consistent, but not oily or greasy to the touch.2. Lightening Eye Contour Cream when applied reveals a fairer shade of skin.

3. UV Protective Whitening Cream with SPF 12 is a very lightweight cream with watery characteristics. Blends smoothly and evenly with no hassle.
3. UV Protective Whitening Cream with SPF 12 is colourless after blending and applied evenly into the skin. The result of application of all three products in the kit is a more hydrated and fairer skin shade. Skin is more dewy and definitely prepped for make up, if you do apply. As they say, your makeup foundation is only as good as the skin beneath it, so boys and girls, it’s always important to maintain good skin through proper skincare!

After using the Whitening & Brightening kit for 2 weeks and counting, what I love most about it is the Cool White Essence. There is a light tingly sensation when applied and this essence keeps my face hydrated day and night, thereby curbing my skin’s usually oily glands. As a result, my skin is less oily. Yay! Having combination skin (normal with oily T-zones) Skincode products serve me well. On humid days, the kit may feel a bit too damp on the skin, however they are usually perfect for a sunny day and I can only imagine how much more remarkable they will serve in colder countries, like Japan and Switzerland! That’s all I have to say for the review and the kit, if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask me via comments below, on Facebook/Instagram or Twitter~!

Still want to know more about Skincode? I recommend this review by fellow blogger Kiyora on her blog here.

Skincode products are sold at Guardian stores, to experience the Skincode counter personally, I went down to check out the Guardian outlet at Takashimaya. You may also find them at the Guardian at Paragon and Marina Bay Sands. For the Takashimaya and MBS outlets, Skincode shelves are visibly seen at the entrance!

Look at how pretty the products seat at the Skincode lighted shelves~

My favourite product, the Extra Gentle Skin Refiner at $82/tube. As mentioned, Skincode is generous with their testers. I highly encourage you to go test this product and try it for yourself~ I was attended to by Skincode Beauty Advisor Rosalyn is a very experienced beauty advisor and also very knowledgeable about Skincode products, despite it being a new brand in Singapore. You can find her on weekends at the Takashimaya counter, tell her your skin concerns and she will make the right product recommendation for your skin type!

Another star product, the S.O.S Oil Control Ultra Matifiant at $79/bottle.
A special Perfection of Eyes & Face Kit going at only $98.

The most marvelous Cellular Perfect Skin Capsules priced at a cool $180 for a pretty blue jar of 45 capsules. It lives up to its reputation as the epitome of the touch of luxury. In case you’re wondering, Skincode didn’t supply me all these effusive language in describing these wonder capsules – I am merely inspired after my personal experience with it. 🙂

Last but not the least, thanks to Skincode Singapore’s generosity, 10 lucky Enabalista blog readers will be able to win for yourselves a full Whitening & Brightening set, the exact same one I reviewed above, priced at $128!

3 Steps to join the giveaway~:

1. follow Skincode Singapore on Facebook and Instagram @SkincodeSingapore.

2. follow Enabalista on Facebook and Instagram @ena_teo.

3. Fill in a google doc form below, so that if you win,
we can track that you’ve done the steps above & that we can contact you easily!

The giveaway is open for 14 days, from 12th April to 26th April.

The same giveaway is also happening on my Facebook page (for 10 lucky Enabalista Facebook fans), so if you like,
be sure to hop over and check out the steps to take part in the giveaway on my Facebook and double your chance of winning! However do note, each reader can only win once either from the blog or Facebook as I sure won’t pick the same reader twice. 😛

To make things even more exciting,
I will reveal 10 winners (5 from Blog and 5 from Facebook) every 7 days via my Facebook page!
The first 10 winners list will be revealed on 20th April, Sunday.
and all 20 winners will be revealed by 28 April, Monday.

Skincode Singapore x Enabalista Giveaway Terms & Condition
Open to residents in Singapore, or if you have someone who will be able to collect the product on your behalf.
(Sorry to my International readers, but fret not, future international giveaways in the works~)
Winners will be chosen by random selection.
Giveaway conditions may be subject to changes.
Judge’s decision is final.
Each person can only participate maximum once on the Enabalista blog & maximum once on Facebook.
Multiple entries are not allowed.
Multi-accounts using different email addresses are not allowed. If found out, user will be disqualified.
Winners will have to respond within 3 days upon announcement, to acknowledge that they have won,
otherwise their win will be forfeited and new winner/s will be selected in their place.
Winners will have 2 weeks starting from 28 April to collect the kit from Skincode Singapore office which is located at:
Parklane Medical Centre, 35 Selegie Road #02-25A
Parklane shopping Mall, Singapore 188307
Hours for collection: Mon-Fri – 10am to 5pm, Sat – 10am to 1pm.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Skincode Singapore (Sephanie & Brian)
for the invitation to the bloggers’ event and for their kind & generous support to my blog
thereby allowing me to thank all of my dear readers’ support by conducting this wonderful giveaway~

Thank you dear reader~ <3

Ena

P.S. If you can’t wait to test Skincode products, simply redeem these samples at Samplestore, for a flat rate of $5.99 for any 4 samples:
1. Skincode Essentials Extra Gentle Skin Refiner
2. Skincode Exclusive Cellular Anti Aging Cream
3. Skincode Exclusive Cellular Wrinkle Prohibiting Eye Serum

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Kosé Sekkisei Morning Skincare & Beauty Routine

1. White Liquid Wash, 140ml, $46 I use 1 pump, lather on my hands for a foamy and gentle facial cleansing.

After cleansing, I use 2. Emulsion, 140ml, $82 A small dose is sufficient moisturizer my entire face.

3. Sun Protect Essence Gel in 50+SPF PA++++, 80g, $50 is a milky gel that applies smoothly and keeps my face protected against the damaging sun rays. On days when I don’t want foundation (on days when I don’t have to attend to any appointments or events), I end my skincare at this step.

4. White BB cream, 30g, $39 Is my current go to BB cream. It’s lightweight yet provides a good coverage for a dewy look on camera. 🙂

With these 4 skincare and beauty products, my skin is pampered, protected and I’m good to go!

This is how I look after 2 weeks of using the products, photos with no filter.

Now onto my Kosé Sekkisei Night Skincare & Beauty Regime

1. Cleansing Cream, 140g, $44 in cherry size. I use a cotton pad to pick the cream up and I love how cooling and gentle this cream is on my skin.

2. Facial Liquid Wash(140ml, $46) in the shower, same as the day.

3. Clear Whitening Mask, 76ml, $35 Apply an even layer over face, avoiding the eyes, hair line and lips. It dries taut within 20 min and removes cleanly, along with pore hairs so that my face is shiny & smooth!

You have to apply a fair thick layer, it feels like I used up 1/10 of the bottle.

Remove the mask gently from the bottom first and then side, and try to remove from both sides of the face together with the nose being the last touch point, so that the mask removes the dirt and hair more effectively.

4. Lotion (100ml, $41). Apply using Kose’s cotton mask and leave on for 15 min. Leaving my skin hydrated.

Kose’s 100% Cotton Lotion Mask

Tip: Use the bottle cap of the lotion as a mini container.

Fill it up with the cotton in it.

Fill to the brim.

Till the cotton is fully absorbed with the Lotion goodness <3

Leave in on your face for 15 min. Pat down gently.

5. Night cream, 40g, $82 use in pearl size, I love how hydrating this is and it has a refreshing aqua scent.

6. Eye cream, 20ml, $82 use in rice grain size for each eye. I apply along with an eye massage, great for resting the eye.

I love how my skin is hydrated and fairer after this regime! No filter and yes, it’s a nice blush and rosy cheeks I have there. HEH.

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Freed of London

Chacott

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Singapore's Lifestyle Blogger ☀

1. White Liquid Wash, 140ml, $46
I use 1 pump, lather on my hands for a foamy and gentle facial cleansing.

After cleansing, I use 2. Emulsion, 140ml, $82
A small dose is sufficient moisturizer my entire face.

3. Sun Protect Essence Gel in 50+SPF PA++++, 80g, $50
is a milky gel that applies smoothly and keeps my face protected against the damaging sun rays.
On days when I don’t want foundation (on days when I don’t have to attend to any appointments or events), I end my skincare at this step.

4. White BB cream, 30g, $39
Is my current go to BB cream. It’s lightweight yet provides a good coverage for a dewy look on camera. 🙂

1. Cleansing Cream, 140g, $44
in cherry size. I use a cotton pad to pick the cream up and I love how cooling and gentle this cream is on my skin.

3. Clear Whitening Mask, 76ml, $35
Apply an even layer over face, avoiding the eyes, hair line and lips. It dries taut within 20 min and removes cleanly, along with pore hairs so that my face is shiny & smooth!

5. Night cream, 40g, $82
use in pearl size, I love how hydrating this is and it has a refreshing aqua scent.

6. Eye cream, 20ml, $82
use in rice grain size for each eye. I apply along with an eye massage, great for resting the eye.