Category Archives: 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, 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

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 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

Fashion, Lifestyle

Resort Styles with FlopStore

May 1, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

<Giveaway Ended>
Thank you all who have taken part, join me to congratulate the winners!:
Jay Louise
Aizat Zaidi

Slippers are really popular here in Singapore.

They’re comfortable to wear, airs our feet in the warm weather and are perfect on the beach!

Today I’m sharing 3 resort fashion styles featuring Havaianas flip flops which you can also buy from FlopStore.sg.

1. Resort Goddess featuring Havaianas High Light Sand Grey Golden Flip Flop, S$42.68.
Dior Squared Cat Eye Sunglasses | Alexander McQueen Slant Cuff | Miriam Haskell Dangling Pearl Earring |
Alice Olivia Maxi Dress | Jimmy Choo Clutch
Visit my polyvore set for the shopping links.

2. Resort Bohemian Chic featuring Havaianas Slim Season White Rose Gold, S$35.15.
Alexander McQueen Skull Padlock Leather Tote | Mara Hoffman Maxi Dress |
RayBan Original Wayfarer Pop Sunglasses in Pink | Valentino Earrings | Alexander McQueen Bracelet
Links here.

3. Resort Punk Rock, featuring Havaianas Slim Rose Flip Flop, S$32.64.
Alexander McQueen Studded Aviator Sunglasses | Erickson Beamon Necklace |
Valentino Rockstud Cut Out Leather Bracelet | Valentino Fluo Camoflage Swimwear |
Melissa Odabash Maxi Dress | Valentino Gryphon Fringe Finger Leather Clutch
Links here.

Photos of my pair of High Light Sand Grey Golden Flip Flop that FlopStore.sg kindly sent for review.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

I don’t think I need to elaborate further on Havaianas slippers, they’re famous for being good quality, long lasting slippers.
So, more about FlopStore.Sg, taken from their site:

Flopstore® started in 2012. Carrying only the best brands, styles, models, and colors allows us to have very competitive prices. We also specialize in very fast shipping. Flopstore® carries 100% genuine products from major brands such as Havaianas, Reef, Teva, Crocs, Roxy, Volcom, Etnies, Billabong, Nike, Puma Five Fingers, Cobian and many more.

They’re also based in LA, America, only began in 2012. I think we can expect more brands from them in the future! At the moment they only have Havaianas stocked, and I’ve compared the prices with Zalora, the flip flops are priced lower by S$7-10. 😉 They ship from US to Singapore in about 1 week. If you’re in the US, it’ll be faster. I also like that you can make payment via Pay Pal, very convenient. I strongly recommend you to find out your slippers size at your nearest Havaianas store (at ION Orchard mall in Singapore) before you order online. ‘Cause I assumed it’s the same size as Ipanema, which unfortunately isn’t. Thus it’s 1 size too big for me 🙁 and I’m gonna gift it to a friend. 🙂

If you like the slippers featured above,
join the Flopstore x Enabalista giveaway that’s gonna take place on my Facebook. Update, take part here.
2 lucky winners will have (any of the non-Swavorski pairs on the online store) shipped to them.
The giveaway will be opened Internationally, woohoo!
The T&Cs are super simple, you just have to Like & Share the post on my Facebook, starts 1st May, ends 15 May and
you’ll need to email me your Name, Address, chosen style, size, when you’re selected so that Flopstore can ship the slippers to you.

Visit them on Facebook, for new stocks and giveaways.

Thanks Mike & Flopstore.sg for the Havaianas slippers and giveaway.
Thank you for reading~

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

Art & Design, Inspiring, Lifestyle

i Lights Highlights

April 23, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hi lovelies!

I hope your week is coming along fine! ^^

I do hope you’ve been enjoying my posts so far, there’s so many posts I have and am eager to share with you all,
so let’s get started! 😀

About 2 weeks ago, I asked my sister to join me on the last night of i Lights, a lights festival held in the evenings along Marina Bay.

Before the skies turned grey and dark, I had some “me” time while waiting for my sister to join me….

Took a walk around Pasarbella but the heat was too much for me to take, so I sought refuge indoors instead!

Yummi-licious Mee Rebus from Toastbox. It’s real good guys, go for it. 🙂

A trip to Bath & Body works had me convinced that I must aspire to always smell good in the bath… I’ve heard some raved reviews online/insta and I wondered what’s all the fuss about. But guys, you need to go in to ~~see~~ smell it to believe it. This set smells amazingly soothing and calming. Someone get me this please. <3 I think it’s especially appropriate for most Singaporeans who work in high stress environments, heh. 😛

So basically, here’s what I googled, to find out more information about i Lights and how to navigate the place:

The event is flanked on the left and right of MBS, on the left all the way towards Raffles Place MRT and on the right all the way towards Esplanade MRT. My sister and I started off at MBS, went down to Raffled Place first, then all the way back down to Esplanade.

The scenic city view just before the skies got dark.

We begin with lights installation A1.

A1. BEAT by Arup (Singapore.

A2. THE WISHING TREE by The Living! Project (Singapore)

Basically you can queue for a lighted strip, presumably make a wish and the toss your strip on the tree.

This ain’t an installation but a poster at the SelfiePod store at the bazaar. Too cute! We couldn’t resist a few selfies. Heh.

A4. HAPPY CROCO by Bibi (France)

Nope I didn’t make a mistake and skipped A3, it’s because it was in the waters and we just missed it all together.
You can go watch a clip of it on Youtube though, I think my friend posted it on Youtube, it’s done by students from SUTD.

So for A4 Happy Croco, it is cute, it’s the kind of thing I imagine kids creating and enjoying.

A5. BEDAZZLED by Meinhardt Light Studio Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)

Where kids and adults alight can go under a half cove area and watch a light performance.

A8. #WEHEARTLIGHT by Light Collective (United Kingdom)

It’s one of my favourite, just cause it’s such a pretty light display. Hearts will always attract the girls right? 😛

A9. JOUJOU-OURS by Uno Lai (Taiwan)

These bear heads are all sorts of cute. Puts a smile on your face when you see them, fo’ sure!

A10. Floating Hearts by Travesias De Luz (Spain)

It’s also about hearts except this one you can turn off and on the light hearts with a switch in the middle of each heart, very cool.

A11. **INSERT CAPTION PLEASE by Ryf Zaini (Singapore).

Guess I’ll have to compile a video and post this picture below on Youtube! ;P

A12. THE GUARDIAN ANGELS by Maro Avrabou & Dimitri Xenakis (Greece & France)

Did we spot a ghosts? 😛

A14. THE POOL by Jen Lewin Studio (USA)

I really like this one too, with all the rainbow light changes. Very pretty and interactive.

Check out SG Uncle’s version of #PimpMyRide!

B14. CELEBRATION OF LIFE by Justin Lee with Dorier Asia Pte. Ltd.

It’s an animated video on the “shells’ of the building exterior. Interesting.

B11. DIGITAL WATTLE by Out of the Dark (New Zealand)

Another one that I really like. It just reminds me of autumn trees and water colour paintings, both which I really like, but in the digital lighted form. I would love something like that in my future or a futuristic home. Not to say that I want my future home to be a futuristic home, but that it would be nice to have a light element like that, and that would make my home a little futuristic looking, ha!

B10. 1.26 SINGAPORE by Janet Echelman (USA)

I am really not sure what this coloured net means. But it allows the audience to rest under it on the grass and it’s just beautiful.

B9 CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett.

Like what my sister said, you’d probably never seen so many people looking so keen, under what seems like a rain cloud. Heh.

Basically viewers can turn off and on the lightbulbs through the various strings attached. Cute right?

A video of the cloud, my sis and the view. Hehe.

A video of the short lightshow we caught and the ending fireworks from MBS! 😀

B5. THE WHEELS OF INDUSTRY by Twist Design (United Kingdom)

Basically anyone can get on the bike and cycle and light up the car. Quite interesting and probably wasn’t easy to get the mechanism working.

Honestly having been involved in a small-scale exhibition before, I know it’s tough work putting one together. These guys and the organizers have really done an INCREDIBLE & SMASHING job putting everything together and letting the public enjoying and having so much fun. My hat’s off to i Lights team!

B6 GIANT DANDELIONS by Olivia d’Aboville (Phillippines/France)

This is a poetic installation. Also very pretty and great lightning for selfies. HEHE.

Ending off with an InstaVid I post on my Instagram~

It was one of those nights that was very well spent and makes me glad that we’re able to enjoy a festival like that. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this post which has so many videos! 😀

There will be another post with many videos, on Fashion Steps Out, when I get to it! 😛

Thank you for reading <3

Ena

Lifestyle

Behind the Scenes with Channel 8’s New Programme Eat & Be Merry

April 23, 2014 Ena Teo 3 Comments

Hi guys!

Today I’lll be blogging about my experience being a participant of local Mandarin television
Channel 8’s new food programme “Eat & Be Merry”!

As it’s a relatively new show, the day before the show producer was asking my director at work if he knew anyone who would be keen to join, I thought it’d be fun to see what it’s like, so I joined with another colleague from work. 🙂

It happens to be the same day as I attended Shiseido brands’ bloggers appreciation party, thus the same outfit and look. 😀

Let’s find out if we really did “Eat & Be Merry”!

The filming was held at Han Sang Korean Restaurant at the Grand Stand, old turf club.
The entire restaurant is seriously huge, possibly can host up to 200 or more customers at any one time.

On to the food!

Oh, please let me apologize in advance for photos of half eaten food.
It only occurred to me after eating mid way that maybe I should blog about the experience. 😛

Korean Jajang Myeon / Noodles. It’s a very famous korean black bean noodle. Very delicious.

Ginseng Chicken Soup. There is rice cooked in, I didn’t particularly like this soup because it wasn’t clear and neither was it very herbal which is the way I like my ginseng chicken soup. However my colleague really likes this soup and apparently it’s a really popular korean dish. So it’s probably just me, that I don’t fancy Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup.

Braised beef in pumpkin. Sorry it looks horrible cause it’s half eaten. This is really good. The meat is soft and tender and the pumpkin is delicious! As you can see, half of the pumpkin wall has been scrapped off and eaten. 🙂

Cold noodles. This was one of the last dish served up and I didn’t have any more stomach to try this, unfortunately. I didn’t even get to finish the delicious Jajang noodles! So I can’t give a proper comment for this. Such a waste of food right? >.<

The side dishes. Very good kimchi lettuce. I don’t like the long green beans and the anchovies due to personal tastes. I do wish they had egg white side dish though!

Photos with the lovely hosts!

With Jerry Yeo (left) and Pornsak!

With Vivian Lai!

Basically the show is split into 3 segments.

Each episode focuses on a certain type of cuisine, in our case, it’s Korean.

In round 1, 12 pairs of contestants get to enjoy dishes and then answer about 8-10 MCQ-type questions.
The 3 pairs that obtains the most correct answers proceeds to round 2 and 3.

In round 2, contestants continue to answer questions that are open ended.
in round 3, contestants will be tested by a simple dish creation.
The winner will be decided based by the judge’s vote.

The other 9 pairs of contestants will continue in the show by voting for their favourite remaining 3 pairs, beginning in round 2.
Those that voted the winning team will get to share a cash bounty of $1500 while the winning team brings home $5000.

I won’t spoil the episode and tell you who the winning team is, but quite obviously it wasn’t my team/ my colleauge and I, LOL.

So here are some photos from round 2!

Basically a lot of waiting around in between takes…

We very quickly made friends with the other teams… ^^

Here’s my view from round 3, behind the teams still in the running.

More waiting…

Hosts looking bored. 😛

Contestants explaining their dish.

Chefs in the kitchen!

More filming, one of the last scenes.

Honestly surprised to see 6 sets of cameras and 2 man for each set.
Basically there’s 1 set of camera for each host and the rest on the teams.

I think my colleague took this shot and sent it over. You can see the food prepared for round 3.

So this is what goes on behind the scenes of a relatively large scale food programme!

Sneaking one selfie in between takes.

With the team we rooted for… watch to find out if they won!
There’s also a mid size Korean mart in the restaurant.
And to end off, Pornsak retweeted my tweet and made my day! 😛

If you would like to take part, form a group of 2 to sign up for the game show.

Email, together with your age, contact details and photos to eatandbemerry@mediacorp.com.sg. 🙂

The episode will be up around Mid-May, if you would like to catch it.

Thanks to Eat & Be Merry crew and hosts for the lovely experience!

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

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Inspiring, Lifestyle

The Perfect Alien Man, Kim Soo Hyun as Do Min Joon is coming to Singapore!

April 22, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hi guys, so if you don’t already know, Kim Soo Hyun,
who’s the actor for the much famed Love From Another Star Korean Drama
is coming to Singapore this weekend!!!

Well, I missed the deadline for the contest submission to win tickets to see him.
(procrastination woes, I tell you.)

but to join in the fun, I did submit an entry for a contest and if I get lots of votes,
I just might win a Samsung Galaxy Note 3!
Starhub says that the phone’s great for watching dramas on the go and
PLUS I think Samsung sponsored Kim Soo Hyun / Do Min Joon their phones on the show/set…
so having the same phone as my idol, why not? 😀

PLEASE GO LIKE MY ENTRY >>>HERE<<<
I honestly don’t have anything to give you back for this favour (well, maybe the photos below will actually return the favour),
but if you tweet, IG or FB comment me asking me to help you like your contest entry in the future, I WILL DO IT TOO! <3

Honestly though, If I get to go for the fan meet and get my wish fulfilled by Kim Soo Hyun,
I will bring a marker, a clean A4 paper and get him to write:
“I LOVE ENABALISTA READERS!!! <3”
Yes, complete with a heart, take a selfie together with my phone and upload it up here on my blog, for you guys.

You guys must be reading this and going… “Who cares?”
THAT IS if you didn’t watch the show (what are you, living under a rock?) 😛
and all you wanna read/see are pictures, I KNOW.
HAHAHA. (Cause I’m like that too.)

So I shall let your eyes feast and indulge in the goodness that is Kim Soo Hyun, cause I am sharing like that.
And go and like my contest entry, pretty please! 🙂

OH btw, these pics are DIFFERENT from the ones I posted in my contest entry! DUH, right?
The ones I posted in the contest entry are all about his latest drama Love From Another Star and those fabulous kisses,
while these are his other gems. 😉

Well, you must watch his show Moon Embracing the Sun. I did a blog post here, go read it if you haven’t!
Cause the show’s amazing. Am personally not a fan of saguek (traditional dramas)
but man, these costumes are the prettiest ones I’ve ever seen,
all the HK/TW/CN/KR dramas shows combined. You can go watch it for yourself.

Oh Kim Soo Hyun, no one furrows their brows the way you do~

Or attempts a kiss as delicately as you do…

Mono-lids have never looked cuter.

Even when you cry, it’s lovely. <3

You look amazing in modern day outfits. <3 <3 <3

And so beautiful and carefree while cycling~

I don’t care what drink it is, if you’re endorsing, I’m buying.

Stop it, you will burn a hole into my face with that stare of yours. >.<

I honestly have little preference for work bags, but Samsonite RED is suddenly the best work bag ever.

If Kim Soo Hyun did have a twin (that’s two of him in that pic, seriously), the world would possibly combust due to too much awesomeness.

The Face Shop, I am pretty sure your CC Cream, moisturizers, face masks, lotions, what-have-you, are gonna sell like hotcakes.
And I’ll be one of those contributing to that sales. Maybe more if you do stick/print KSH’s pretty face on to the packaging. *swoons*

I never knew a guy could sport pink lips, but I’m sure if his lips were blue, I’d find it hot too. #totallybias #openlybias #kimsoohyunismybias

KSH obviously doesn’t show too much skin on screen cause, yunno he’s a humble guy.
You’re welcome and you might want to wipe off that drool before you leave your desk/mobile screen. 😉

If you haven’t, please like my contest entry HERE. <3

I hope you enjoyed this ~~frivolous~~ highly entertaining article!

Kim Soo Hyun, if you’re reading this
(if that is ever, even possible, as he unfortunately doesn’t read English, from what I know)
please know that I love you <3

Thank you for reading! <3

Ena

Lifestyle

Affirmation.

April 22, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Affirmation

Everyone lives for an affirmation of some sort. As a new born baby, we whined and cried to gain the affection of our mothers and we grew to seek the affirmation of our parents. We learn to walk and talk in the applause and cheers of our first cheerleaders in life; our parents and family.

As we grow older, some of us begin to seek the affirmation of our teachers in school. Through the “well done” compliments and “You’re a Star!” stamps and stickers, we reveled and collected these symbols and proudly showed them off to whoever would be keen to see.

Some of us sought and perhaps still seek affirmation from our peers – maybe from the prettiest girl or most handsome boy in class. Or the coolest kid with the latest converse shoe model and/or the world’s first coloured screen Nokia phone(those were the days). Or even perhaps the kid who plays the violin on stage during every major event in school or the head prefect that pulls the flag up very morning assembly. Well, now perhaps it’s seeking affirmation from the friend with the most number of Instagram followers, the dude with the coolest party tickets or the girl with the most branded bags (such is life).

Then we progress to the work place and we’re often forced by circumstances whether good or bad, to seek affirmation from our bosses, managers, superiors. So that we can have that bonus, promotion or pay increment.

Maybe you’re an entrepreneur or business owner and you don’t have a boss above you. Then you’ll be seeking affirmation from your clients, buyers or customers.

Maybe you’re in love. And you seek affirmation from your partner. To hear that you’re pretty, beautiful, gorgeous are the sweetest words to your ear. Or perhaps to have cooked a meal and to know your partner found it delicious is the biggest reward in life.

Or maybe you’re a believer. And your life is about seeking affirmation from God. To know your life’s true calling, purpose and meaning is to be able to do the will of God.

What I want to say is, all of us seeks affirmation in life.

What happens when we do not gain the affirmation we seek? That’s sometime I would like to consider personally.

I believe that humans are like sunflowers and the affirmation we seek is like the sunlight.

When we don’t get the affirmation we need, in order to grow. We turn away to that which gives us the affirmation we seek.

When young girls don’t get the affirmation they seek from their parents and family, they turn to friends and lover(s) who will affirm their beauty and existence in life.

Whereas for the young boys, they will clique with other older boys whether through gang related activities, clubbing or sports.

The thing is, unlike the sunflower who’s rooted to the soil/pot and only response is to tilt towards the sunlight, we as humans have far more choices. The various affirmations one can seek in life are not limited to the ones I listed above.

Therefore, you can decide whose affirmation you seek in life.

So, whose affirmation do you seek in life?

Thank you for reading <3

x
Ena

Lifestyle

Fun Insta-Prints with Printic!

April 15, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hellooo guys!

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to have your Instagram or phone photos developed and held in your hands?

Then you’ll love to know about the Printic App, which does exactly this and more!

Printic, printing one memory at a time…

You can find it on Google Play for Andriod users.

You can also find it on iTunes, for Apple users.

This is how the Printic app looks like on my screen!

Free delivery worldwide!

When you open the app, you get to choose all kinds of prints possible – books, calenders or just regular prints!

I selected “Create Awesome Photo Prints”!

So you’ll be directed to your albums for selection. Here’s mine!

Then you get to select how many copies you want, crop the photo, change the background colour, edit and include the text. See the black bar below. Have you read about my Watsons on Wheels event here?

Here’s my text and my chosen font.

Then you select who you want to send the prints too. I blurred out my address. 😛

2 Printics will cost SGD$3.68, which is $1.84 per piece!

It would be however, a lot more worth it to buy the credits.
5opc Starter Pack for US$26.40 would be about SGD$33, which works out to $0.66 per piece!

My prints came in a double envelope. A Printic orange envelope within a stamped white envelope.

Here are my prints! Check out the sample print I did above, in the bottom left corner. 😉

~ Review~

Overall I find this Printic App very cool, easy to navigate (fool proof) and convenient. Delivery took less than 1 week to arrive. For this review, I intentionally picked various background colours to show you how the black, red and yellow backgrounds would look like!
Also, as a word of advice, emoticons DON’T show up. They become weird symbols. So don’t use emoticons.

The quality of the prints are also really good. It’s glossy and in high resolution. Of course, you have to use good resolution and not blur photos in your phone to begin with. 🙂 Perhaps my only complaint is that the fonts when printed, appear bigger than they are on screen.

I would recommend this app to everyone to mail a photo of you and your loved one / friend to surprise them on their birthday or on a special occasion. Especially if they are staying abroad or away from you. A thought and gesture like that will be sure to melt their heart! 😉 Just be sure to send it at least 10 days in advance, so that you know it will reach on time.

If you’re a new user, download the app for free, use the code “MAILLOVE” and receive 2 free prints!
You will have to input the code on the top left corner of the app’s home screen, under coupon.

Lastly, you can use these prints to decorate your room, office or kitchen. Here’s some inspiration:

Pegged to a bird cage wire frame. Photo from here.

Photos pegged to lines coming down from a steel bar. Photo from here.

Or a simple “laundry line” concept on the wall. Photo from here.

Or maybe in a modern & clean vertical line. Photo from here.

What about as a wreath? Photo from here.

Or in neatly arranged photo frames? Photo from here.

Last but not the least in an epic and romantic heart shape as a grand gesture. Photo from here.

You’re welcome for the ideas. 😉

Thanks Printic for the prints!

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, Lifestyle

Collection Cosmetics Bright & Glow Tea Party

April 9, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Hi lovelies~

Are you on the look out for a BB cream that
provides good coverage without feeling heavy on your skin?

Collection Cosmetics recently held a tea party to introduce their
new Bright & Glow Brightening BB Cream & Compact Foundation!

Isn’t the decor for the tea party just beautiful? Carpenter & Cook cafe serves up a mean quiche, one that I would definitely love to go back for, despite it being all the way in the West. The same folks behind Carpenter & Cook are also the brains behind a props, styling & events company Heaven In a Wild Flower. Such quirky names! 🙂

Beautiful Leanne was model of the night and we had a lot of fun playing with the make up and doing a mini-photoshoot of sorts. Thanks to Leanne for all the lovely pics!

And now I’ll leave you with a series of pictures I took after I applied the Collection Cosmetics’ Bright & Glow Brightening BB Cream & Compact Foundation that evening~

~ My Review ~

The pics above were taken with normal lightning and has no filters at all. As you can see, the Collection Cosmetics Bright & Glow BB cream was very effective in covering the blemishes on my face. I’ve used it for several days and I really like that the BB cream is lightweight while providing good coverage, does not clog my pores and does not cause a break out. *double thumbs up* It’s safe for oily/combination skin types. PLUS they also last all day. I use the BB cream in 02 (medium to dark) and compact foundation in 02 Ivory.

The BB cream contains mineral pigments that evens out skin tone and conceals imperfection. The formula is further enhanced with Vitamin E and Sodium Hyaluronate, to keep the skin hydrated, as well as Vitamin C contained in light reflective powders to create a brightening effect for an all day glow. It also contains SPF30, protecting skin against UVB rays. The BB cream is specially formulated for Asian skin (despite Collection Cosmetics being a UK cosmetic brand, shows that they’re SERIOUS about entering the Asian market!) and is available in 2 shades, Light-Medium and Medium to Dark. Retails at $16.90 for 30 ml each.

The Bright & Glow Brightening Compact Foundation is made from smooth particles, creating a radiant look without clogging pores. Rich in pigments and mineral powder to even out skin tone and conceal blemishes, it also contains an oil control powder. After application of the BB cream, the powder helps to set the cream for a longer lasting finish. It’s great for areas such as the forehead, nose and jaw line areas where you want to minimize the shine, but do keep the cheeks untouched/un-powdered for that dewy look. 😉 It is available in 4 shades: Vanilla, Ivory, Almond and Honey, retails at $18.90 each.

I personally think that the BB cream is good for a stand-a-lone product & I would definitely recommended it. For the more conscientious girls, you might want to buy both and bring the compact powder with you for touch ups in the mid day or after work before you head out for an event or a party. 😉

Collection Cosmetics is available at selected Watsons stores, BHG (Bugis) and their own pop-up store in Cineleisure level 2.

The event review picture posted on my instagram @ena_teo – follow me there! 😉

Ending off with some make up tips thoughtfully prepared by Collection Cosmetics!

Thank you Collection Cosmetics, PR ladies Carina & Jo & The Make Up Room for the fun evening~

Thank you for reading ~ <3

Till the next post, stay beautiful!

Ena

Lifestyle

Congratulations to Singapore’s Yeo Yann Yann for bagging award at “The Oscars of Asia” – 8th Asian Film Awards

April 6, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Yeap, that’s right,
Singapore-based actress Yeo Yann Yann won best supporting actress for her role in Ilo Ilo at the 8th Asian Film Awards!

In modern life, when we encounter a lot of difficulties, our family members give us the biggest strength. So I hope you all can have this strength,” Yann Yann said her thanks, especially to her husband.

The 8th Asian Film Awards award ceremony aka the “Asian Oscars”, was held on the 27th March at the House of Dancing Water Theatre in the City of Dreams, Macau.

Singapore’s director Anthony Chen also scored a Best Director nomination with his story of a humble Singaporean family in his first feature film Ilo Ilo.

The Grandmaster walked away with the most awards that evening, bagging seven awards: Best Film, Best Director for Wong Kar Wai, Best Actress award for Zhang Ziyi, Best Production Designer and Costume Designer for William Chang Suk Ping, and Best Cinematographer for Phillipe Le Sourd.

In her speech, actress Zhang Ziyi spoke of one of the martial arts directors that was on the MH370, the missing Malaysian flight. Director Wong Kar Wai received the Best Film award on behalf of the crew and dedicated his speech to the missing director. He offered his deepest condolences and called on the Malaysian government for more transparency in clarifying the situation soon.

House of Dancing Water Theatre, Macau

Celebrity Juror of the 8th Asian Film Awards Donnie Yen arrives on the red carpet hand-in-hand with his wife Cecilia Wang

Carina Lau, celebrity juror of the 8th AFA, arrives on the red carpet in a similarly bold red number.

Jeon Do Yeon is the ambassador of the 8th Asian Film Awards.

Wong Kar Wai arrives on the red carpet with Zhang Ziyi.

Ilo Ilo Film Poster

Ilo Ilo Official Trailer

Yeo Yann Yann and Anthony Chen arrive together on the red carpet at the 8th Asian Film Awards.

Yeo Yann Yann chokes up as she receives the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Ilo Ilo

The Grandmaster Film Poster

The Grandmaster Official Trailer

Zhang Ziyi receives the Best Actress Award for her performance in The Grandmaster from celebrity juror Carina Lau and Zhang Guoli.

Wong Kar Wai receives the Best Director Award at the 8th Asian Film Awards from Ambassador Jeon Do Yeon and Johnnie To.

Wong Kar Wai, director of The Grandmaster, receives the award for Best Film from Peter Chan and Isabelle Huppert.

As a Singaporean, I’m super proud of Yeo Yann Yann for her win at the 8th Asian Film Awards!
Although Anthony Chen didn’t bag the Best Director award this time, he has already won the prestigious Camera d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. He also won the illustrious 50th Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film and Best New Director. It’s really awesome that Anthony Chen is bringing Singapore talent to the Asian film arena and beyond.

I am also a fan of Wong Kar Wai’s work and creative direction. Go watch his film “2046” if you haven’t. Congratulations to him for his double win! Also, a quick fun fact, he’s born on the same day (17 July) as I am! 🙂 If you’d like to read more about him, check out this interview, this write up, and this photo of him without glasses and with his wife. 😉

I love watching American films and drama, but I get equally excited about watching Asian films and I never once doubted about Asian talents before and behind the screen. I believe that all Asians should be proud of our unique cultures, heritage and work hard to showcase what we’ve got to the world! 😉

For more information about Asian Film Awards, visit their website here.

Thanks to DT Asia PR for the press release & photos.

Thanks for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Vanity Trove’s Get Snap Blingo Project Launch Party

March 25, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Vanity Trove, a community to share & discover beauty recently had a Get Snap Blingo launch party at Zouk.

Here’s photos of what went down~ ^^

Let me just say that the food was ridiculously generous. It kinda helped that I was there early. 😀 The noteworthy desserts are pastries and macarons(or macaroons? :P) by Cremeberry and Push & Pop Cakes Emicakes. I tried the strawberry flavour and there’s real strawberry chunks (yes, chunks) and the cake is soft and the creme is rich, the way I like it! Who knew Push & Pop cakes could be SO DELICIOUS? >.< Speaking of which, do you know that Emicakes are famous for their durian cake? They use to have one at Marine Parade and my church friends and I would often buy cakes from there, years back. Ok, maybe just me buying cakes and indulging. Oops. OK… getting back to topic here…

Depending on what phone you use, download VanityTrove’s new app on iTunes here and GooglePlay here.
You can find me “@EnaTeo” and follow me there if you have an account. 😉 Check out my web profile here.
If you want to know why you need another photo-sharing app (isn’t Instagram enough?) on your mobile, the reasons I can think of are:
1. Good for stalking beauties that like to talk about beauty
2. Brand Promotions / Giveaways
Yes, you can do so on Instagram too, but VanityTrove has some brand engagements exclusive to their app. 🙂

If you’d like to read more about VanityTrove tech news, I recommend this Yahoo piece and these on TechInAsia.
Yes, in addition to being a lifestyle blogger, marketing enthusiast, I am also quite a #techgeek. Not extremely knowledgeable, but let’s just say I follow TechInAsia on Facebook. That makes me quite geeky, right? LOL. #GeekIsTheNewCool #IKnowHashTagsDontWorkOnWordPressButIJustDoItAnyways 😛

There were also Benefit and LO’real booths, both of which are brands I’ve blogged about just recently! Coincidence much? 😛 I got to be pampered at the Benefit booth but the queue was too long for L’Oreal’s. >.<

With bloggers June, Zean, Vera, Dorena & Melissa! Go and find the photo on my Instagram,
and you can stalk all of them on their Insta from there! 😀

Another pic June and Cassandra, Lydia & Yvonne! 🙂
My champagne metallic dress’s from GoJane.com.
Ending off with a collage I posted on my Instagram. Follow me for my updates on @ena_teo! 😉

Thanks to VanityTrove for having me and Leanne @loveforskincare for the invite!

Thank YOU for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

Benefit Cosmetics @ Westgate Mall Opening Launch

March 24, 2014 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Are you a fan of Benefit Cosmetics, the brand with
new old school quirky packaging and hails from San Francisco, California?

If you are, and you stay in the West of Singapore,
you’ll be glad to know that they’ve recently opened an outlet at Jurong East, Westgate Mall! 😉

Here’s photos from the grand opening! 🙂

It was such a pleasure meeting Youtubers Hirzi&Munah of MunahHirziOfficial, Miranda
and the awesome & fun team; ladyboss as Simone (Benefit’s resident cover gal!), Amber as Rocker Gal, Constance as Ultra Radiance! Definitely one of the most entertaining, well dressed and fun beauty parties I’ve attended! ^^

Check out Miranda’s blog post of the same event here. 🙂

Here’s what in the goodie bag~

Benefit Fragrance Under My Spell Noelle, an intense, sultry & mysterious scent.

Top notes: cardamom, black pepper, lingonberry

Middle notes: wild orchid, jasmine petals, vanilla flower, fresh rose, soft violet

Bottom notes: patchouli, accord oud, black amber, vanilla beans, benzoin resin, raspberry
Info. from their website here.

Testers for Gimme-Brow Brow Brush, They’re Real Mascara & Porefessional Pro Pore Balm (that’s oil-free, yay!).

I’ve tried the mascara, the nice make up expert “doctor” in the lab coat at the beauty counter created very pretty lashes for me.
The formulation is lightweight and buildable, creating realistic and longer lashes. Will test out these babies for my #LOTD looks on my instagram, be sure to follow me @ena_teo! 🙂

Another product that I tried, the Benefit Lollitint is surprisingly something I like.
This product is meant for your lips as well as your cheeks! The same “doctor” freshened my look at Vanity Trove’s GSB event (which I’ll be blogging about soon) in this purple pink colour and I love the look. Surprisingly the Lollitint is velvety on the lips, and dries smoothly on the lips. The pigmentation is quite strong, thus lasts long, on the lips and the cheeks. The only concern I have is that the application isn’t very friendly in the sense that it might not be very hygienic to apply the product on the lips with the applicator and then proceed to dap some on the cheeks to spread out. So I reckon if I do get this, I might use one exclusively for the lips!

Follow Benefit Cosmetics Singapore on their Facebook page here for their product launches & promotions~.

Thanks to Benefit Cosmetics Singapore and Leanne of @loveforskincare for the sweet invite! :*

Thank YOU for reading~ <3

Ending off with a cute quote from Benefit founders, Jean & Jane Ford:

Ena

Beauty, Inspiring, Lifestyle

Majolica Majorca & Ma Chérie Floral Enchantress Blogger Event

March 23, 2014 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Have I told you how much I like Majolica Majorca products?

Oh yes I have, I shall quite egoistically quote myself here. 😛

"I love this brand for its fantasy concept… It’s so beautiful lah! *^^* "
 - Ena Teo, Blogger of Enabalista.com

the quote is taken from my previous post, about the Matsuri Day Beauty workshop I attended previously. 🙂

It’s always a pleasure to attend Shishedo events because the team always put in so much creativity & personalization, creating a magical and exciting atmosphere. ^^

This time, it’s the Majolica Majorca x Ma Chérie Floral Enchantress Bloggers’ Event~

Aren’t these fun facts and presentation just amazing?

Equally lovely product presentation of Majolica Majorca’s Line Hunter, New Smudgeproof, double-faced eye liner, for delicate & strong, bold lines as well as Ma Chérie’s Air Feel & Moisture series.

At the last ZA event, bloggers were introduced to a reading of “My Lip Personality” based on their lip shape. This time, we got a reading of our Hair, Lips & Eyes character, based on what our favourite styles were!

This game required us to pitch the “crystal” balls through the holes in order to win beauty goodies. On a side note, another of their fun fact says “The World’s first ever cosmetics were created from copper and lead ore by ancient Egyptians” Lead cause poisoning! Aren’t we glad that technology has improved thus far so that we can actually have safe beauty products? >.<

My eye, hair & lip character reading:

The Sweet Surrender
You’re a combination of sugar & spice, but the twist is your sweetness is the mystery.

The Delectable Mist
You are a motivated & career oriented girl but when the time comes, you can still be playful & cheeky.

The Tantalize Caress
You wear your heart on your sleeve, but your sweetness & soft nature wins the hearts of many.

I think the reading is really quite generic except for the hair reading. HAHA. I am really a motivated and career oriented girl and can be playful when I want to be!

Here’s the Majolica Majorca Line Hunter Eyeliner and Perfect Automatic Liner (I have one in golden brown) and Honey Plump Gloss Neo in pink and peach. I’ll be using this for a #LOTD soon and will post on my instagram. Follow me on IG, look for @ena_teo~ 🙂

Majolica Majorca Line Hunter Eyeliner retails at S$19.90, Perfect Automatic Liner at S$22.90 and Honey Plump Gloss Neo at S$12.90 at Watson stores island-wide.

We also got to bring home Ma Chérie Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner. I can’t wait to use these cause their fragrance is sweet and lovely and I love my hair to be silky smooth~ *^^*

Most recently, Ma Chérie has introduced their refill packs to the market, which is great because it’s environmentally friendly and returning customers get the same amount of goodness at a lower cost! Yay!

The Secret of Ma Chérie’s products is their Champagne Honey Gelee which is a formulation that protects hair from oxidative stress (I wiki-ed to read what it’s about, simply put it means damage to cells from the outside environment…), retains moisture, softens and adds shine to hair. For the specific ingredients and function breakdown you can read from the image above. 😉

Ma Chérie has two range:

1. Air Feel
for volume and shine to fine hair

2. Moisture
for silky lingering smoothness that treats dry ends

Be sure to follow Majolica Majorca and Ma Chérie on their Facebook here and here for their latest product updates, beauty and skin care tips & product giveaways! I won a Majolica Majorca 10th Anniversary Press Kit by taking part in their Facebook giveaway recently, which I’ll blog about soon~ I was really happy to win it cause a blogger won it at the last event and I really really like the Press Kit that came in a classic book box! >.< Us girls and our love for pretty packaging!

Play Ma Chérie’s Facebook App game to stand a chance to win up to $200 worth of products. Find out more info. from their Facebook post here! Good luck~

Also, they’re having a Oasia hotel staycation giveaway worth $2048, you’ll have to buy $15 (less than the price of one eyeliner!) worth of products, find out how to take part here.

Thanks Wendy from WhiteSpace PR and Shiseido for having me at the event and the lovely goodies~

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

Beauty, Lifestyle

L’Oreal Paris Bloggers’ Event & New EverStrong Thickening Hair & Scalp System Review

March 23, 2014 Ena Teo 8 Comments

Hi lovelies~

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend, like I am~ ^^

A few weeks back, I attended the L’Oreal Paris Hair Bloggers’ Event. Today I’m gonna blog about the event and my reviews of their products from the new range, EVERSTRONG Thickening Sulfate Free Hair & Scalp system. 😉

The bloggers’ event was held at Lime House, 2 Jiak Chuan Road, an in-road from Keong Saik Street.
Heading back there brought back a flood of memories because Keong Saik Street was where I started my first job after JC. The place has changed quite a bit, lesser dingy pubs and more classy restaurants catering to tourists and expats. But it still has that old school charm. I would definitely head back and explore this place again.
The finger food and beverages were just right to feed our empty bellies before the presentation started. After the presentation, we had the chance to have our scalp tested and put our creatively to good use for some floral arrangement!

I love floral arrangements because I love flowers, the beauty they embody and the sweet scent they bring. I also like how floral arrangement allows for relaxation, creativity of expression and zen moments.

Quite coincidentally, the florist L’Oreal invited, Christopher, is the same florist that I learnt floral arrangement from back when I was in JC, so as to enter a floral arrangement competition! 🙂

It was such a pleasure to meet with lovely Leanne at the event who’s always such a dear. Check out her beauty focused instagram @loveforskincare. I am a huge fan of her collages, as they display great use of light and unique eye for aesthetics. <3

~My Review~

I’ve been using L’Oreal Paris EVERSTRONG Thickening sulfate free hair & scalp system for a few weeks now. I can attest that this range of shampoo, conditioner and tonic does a smashing job in fortifying thinning hair and purifying the scalp. I recently had my hair cut as I was finding long hair tough to manage and also getting worried when my hair was dropping quite drastically. I would get a lot of hair dropping whenever I showered and combing my then long hair. However, after getting my hair cut and starting on this hair care range, my hair has thankfully thickened back to normal and my hair loss has decreased. I no longer react to “omg so much hair dropped” in the shower and when I’m combing hair. Even a hair stylist commented just this weekend when I was getting my hair ends curled at a beauty event that I have thick hair, which made me happy! ^^

I am thoroughly loving this hair care range of EVERSTRONG Thickening sulfate free hair shampoo, conditioner and tonic. The shampoo cleanses well, the conditioner does not leave an artificial waxy after feel but rather conditions naturally. This range is unique with their two star ingredients; Rosemary & Mint. Rosemary helps to stimulate hair growth, soothes dry, sensitive scalp and prevents dandruff. While Mint is a well known scalp and follicle stimulant. Using these products in the shower brings a very refreshing feel and scent to my hair and sense. I am very satisfied even long after my shower, knowing how well my hair is cleansed, cared and how good it smells. 😀

Unlike most tonic, this tonic is unique in that it is formulated to be used at the hair roots, to be massaged into your scalp. It is liquid and non oily. I use one spritz and massage from the top of my head and outwards.

Perhaps the only downside to this range of products is that you have to use all three shampoo, conditioner and tonic together to achieve the full desired effect. I always use shampoo and conditioner together (whether with this range or not) because each product has different functions and I tend to have frizzy hair, so conditioner is a must. However my sister commented that when she use the shampoo without the conditioner, her hair and scalp tend to be too drying.

L’Oreal Paris Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner retails at $14.90 for 250ml each, Tonic at $29.90 for 100ml at supermarkets, pharmacies and departmental stores islandwide. I’ve done the math for you, the whole system will cost $59.70. 😉

L’Oreal Paris Extraordinary Oil is just as it is named. It is really a superb product. The difference when I apply it on my hair ends compared to when I don’t (on days when I am lazy or in a rush to get out) is remarkable. I do not have a habit of applying hair oil as I tend to find it a hassle and don’t like to have to wash my hands again before I head out. But after using this product, I am now convinced that I have found the solution to frizzy hair and I have found the secret to beautiful hair. I know this sounds damn exaggerating and dramatic, but I kid you not. The reason behind the powers of this oil is due to its flower extracts ingredients: Flax, Tiare, Rose, Lotus, Chamomile and Matricaria. The best part is, the new formulation now comes with UV filter protection, keeping your hair protected from harmful and drying UV rays, keeping it luscious.

Another reason why this hair oil is extraordinary is because its usage is mani-fold. You can use it before you colour your hair, the night before, so that your hair is deeply nourished and well-prepped for colour treatment so that your hair will not be left dry and brittle. Before blow drying. Mix it with your hair mask and as a finishing touch.

I use it as a finishing touch, while my hair is still wet and before blow drying. Just one spritz is sufficient for my whole head’s hair ends and when my hair is dry, it’s smooth and straight the entire day.

L’Oreal Paris Extraordinary Oil retails at $26.90 for 100ml at supermarkets, pharmacies and departmental stores islandwide.

If you want to experience this range of products, L’Oreal is now offering travel size products for you to use and take on their 30 day challenge. Find out how to redeem their products on their Facebook here. Valid for Singapore residents only.

Follow L’Oreal Paris Singapore on their Facebook here for more new product updates! 😉

Thank you Touch PR & Events & L’Oreal for the invitation and products.

Thank you for reading~ <3

Ena

Ena Teo | Enabalista

Category Archives: Lifestyle

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Collection Cosmetics Bright & Glow Tea Party

Congratulations to Singapore’s Yeo Yann Yann for bagging award at “The Oscars of Asia” – 8th Asian Film Awards

Vanity Trove’s Get Snap Blingo Project Launch Party

Benefit Cosmetics @ Westgate Mall Opening Launch

Majolica Majorca & Ma Chérie Floral Enchantress Blogger Event

L’Oreal Paris Bloggers’ Event & New EverStrong Thickening Hair & Scalp System Review

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