Review: LUSH's Ladybug (Ladybird) Bubble Bar
Sunday, 26 March 2017 at March 26, 2017
Ever since my collaboration with LUSH (
here and
here), I have been obsessed with taking baths, and no bath can be completed without a LUSH bath product! So about a month go, I dropped by a LUSH store at Wisma to pick up some more bath products for myself and I ended up with 2 bath bombs and 2 bubble bars!
As you can already tell, today I will be reviewing the LUSH Ladybug (Ladybird) Bubble Bar, which was recommended to me by one of their salesperson! I decided to pick it up as it smelled quite relaxing and uplifting.
Previously, LUSH sent me their Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar and I crumbled it onto a sieve and allowed my tap to run through it. I broke it into half and used it on 2 occasions. Since it was my first time using a bubble bar, I still wasn't quite sure of the technique and so my Unicorn Horn did not form much bubbles. However this time round, I finally found the correct way to use a bubble bar!
You can still use a sieve if you want to, but I was too lazy to grab one and so I simply let my tap run through the Ladybug while I slowly crumble it up. I decided to use the entire bubble bar for this bath as I wasn't planning on using any other bath bombs or bath products.
After I'm done crumbling my bubble bar, it's time to form those bubbles! All you need to do is to vigorously "activate" or "mix" or "stir" or... Simply create big motions in your bath tub! This honestly makes ALL the difference, I mean look at those bubbles!
The Ladybug Bubble Bar's main ingredient is Peppermint oil which is supposed to give your bath a relaxing and balancing scent. Unfortunately, I couldn't really smell the peppermint but nevertheless it was definitely a pleasant and uplifting scent. Just as any other bath products from LUSH, the bubble bar really helped soften the water, making it ultra comfortable and moisturising to soak in. The bubble bar also turned my bath into an orangey red shade.
Overall, I had a really enjoyable bath. As of right now, I have only tried out the Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar as well as the Ladybug Bubble Bar, so if I have to pick one that I prefer, it would definitely be the Unicorn Horn as it has a more relaxing lavender scent which... You should know by now, it's my favourite scent! As for the Ladybug Bubble Bar, instead of relaxing, personally I think it's more of an uplifting scent. So if you're looking for anything to spice up your bath or add a humongous amount of bubbles to your bath, make sure to check this bubble bar out!
Labels: bodycare, review, skincare, stress relief
Review: Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon (Far East Plaza)
Wednesday, 15 March 2017 at March 15, 2017
Regardless of being on or off cameras, Korean celebrities and idols are known for their flawless looking appearance,... it's almost as if they've never experienced a single bad hair day before. Despite having their hair drastically styled and coloured multiple times, their hair still looks extremely well-kept and healthy all the time! Their secret? Going to a Korean hair salon!
If you're heading to South Korea, you may be surprise to find out that many travel websites lists having your hair done at a Korean Hair salon as one of the must-do things in South Korea. But if travelling to Korea for your hair is a little bit too extensive for you, fret not. With the rising popularity of Korean hair salons, we are now able to find a handful of them in our sunny little island!
With that said, I am extremely thankful and honored to be able to work with one of the Korean hair salons in Singapore,
Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon! Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon opened their first outlet back in 2005 at Far East Plaza and after 12 years of experience with their first outlet, they have expanded their business with a second outlet at Suntec City. Both outlets are easily accessible and convenient since they are located strategically at town area.
Prior to meeting Hair Plus, I have never done my hair in a Korean salon. However, I have visited a few to inquire about their services, and I was disappointed to find out that despite naming themselves a Korean hair salon, their hairstylists actually includes a mixture of Koreans and non-Koreans. Some salons even charge a surcharge if you wish to appoint a Korean hairstylist for your hair. As for Hair Plus, there's no need to worry as
all their hairstylists at both outlets are Koreans! Most of their stylists are from Seoul and they hold
more than 10 years of experience in hair styling! To find out more about their hairstylists, you can easily view their profiles on their website
here.
On the day of my appointment, I arrived really early, so I requested to view some hairstyles to choose from and I was given a mini iPad to browse through the gallery which mainly consists of images of popular Korean celebrities such as Girls' Generation, Miss A, SISTAR, Lee Sung Kyung, Song Hye Kyo, Jung Ji Hyun and more! Got a favourite Korean celebrity? Well, you can now get your hair cut and styled to look like theirs!
So for my first appointment with them, I was scheduled to do a Korean perm at the Far East Plaza outlet. However, when I arrived at the salon, my hairstylist, Jane, told me that it was not possible to do a perm for me as my hair ends were bleached before and bleached hair will not be able to hold the curls well (i.e. it will not be able to last long). I was given a couple of options including cutting away the bleached portions, or colouring my hair. Being someone who loves changing up the colour of my hair, I opted to give my hair a brand new shade.
Here's a before shot of my hair, as you can see it was unevenly coloured as my roots has grown out and my ends were lighter as it was previously bleached. The overall condition of my hair was damaged and dry!
(Bleached and damaged ends!)
Jane was extremely professional as she examined the condition of my hair and scalp before recommending the type services that would suit my hair condition. I also like how she incorporated my wants into her recommendations! The colour of my hair was red and when I pointed out that I wish to change it back to a brown, she recommended me to go for a cool ash brown to cancel out the reds in my hair. She also recommended me to go for their "Korean Hair Treatment" due to my badly damaged hair and sensitive scalp.
Before Jane began working on my hair, I was given a robe to wear and this is something that is very common in hair salons in Seoul! After we're all set, Jane started off by applying a scalp protector all over my scalp, this is a complimentary service they provide for any customers with sensitive scalp.
(Waiting for the Scalp Protector to do its work!)
The colouring process took really fast as Jane worked hand in hand efficiently together with her assistant. In no time, my hair was covered in dye and I got to enjoy a complimentary Korean Green Tea from Hair Plus too!
After 30 minutes, it's time to rinse the dye off and I just got to mention that that hair wash I received from their assistant hairstylist, was probably the best hair wash I've gotten in my life. I believe the shampoo used during the wash is called the Repair Force Shampoo, a moisturizing shampoo that contains 6 different oil complexes to provide softness to your hair, which is a part of the Korean Treatment.
Now that the colouring and washing is completed, it's time to move on to the treatment! The treatment I received is called their "Korean Treatment" which comprises of a whopping 4 steps! Step 1 consist of 2 parts, the first being the shampoo used during the hair wash, and the second part is the Repair Force Fix-Up Booster, which is a pre-treatment ampoule used to improve the hair environment, preparing it for a long-lasting treatment effect. This ampoule is basically sprayed and distributed equally all over my hair.
After my hair is prepped, we moved on to step 2 which is the Repair Force Chito Treatment, an intensive nourishing treatment that creates immediate softness to your hair. After this treatment was applied, they popped my hair into a steamer to steam for about 10 minutes.
At step 3, we've got the Repair Force Nutri Enhancer to replace any lost nutrients in damaged hair as well as protect it from further damage. After the enhancer was applied, they covered my hair in a warmer for about 15 minutes.
Finally, at step 4, is the Repair Force Protective Sealer which coats the hair with nutrients and to seal it for the longest lasting treatment effect. After the product was applied, my hair went back into the steamer for it to absorb all the nutrients!
All the products were lightly scented and the entire treatment process was really comfortable as they even provide cushions to hug on! Being a K-pop fan myself, I love that the salon only plays K-pop songs so I can sing along in my head and not feel bored (heh).
After the treatment, it's time for a trim! As I've earlier expressed my wish to keep the length of my hair, Jane knew to only give it a light trim to get rid of those nasty dead ends. She also trimmed the sides of my fringe so it would shape my face better! Lastly, she noticed that my hair was unevenly thinned out (okay, I admit, I've thinned out my hair myself.......) so she helped fixed it and it made ALL THE DIFFERENCE! I usually hate getting my hair cut at salons because I feel like the hairstylists are always not up to trend and they just don't get what I want. But Jane made my hair look 100% Korean-styled which was amazing and I love it!
To complete my new look, Jane knew that I wanted some curls due to the earlier discussions and she helped me curled my hair! Usually, I'd go for really defined curls, but Jane did a more natural Korean-styled curl for me and oh my god, I really love it and I honestly felt like I looked like a K-pop idol.
(LOOK AT THAT SHINE!)
(much healthier looking ends!)
At the end of the day, my hair was lightly curled, bouncy, healthy and energetic. Just like my favourite K-pop idols! The next day, I just couldn't stop fiddling with my hair because it was SO soft. I could do hair flips and not get my hair tangled and it will just fall back in place nicely, it was perfect!
Overall, I had a really great time at Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon. One thing I admire is how friendly and nice the staff are to all their customers. Since I was there for about close to 4 hours, I noticed how they communicated and bonded with their customers to provide good quality and customized service. Since I had to film there by myself, they made me feel very comfortable and also assisted me in any ways that they could.
(With my lovely hairstylist, Jane!)
After a week, my hair still has a nice shine and it is definitely much more manageable and less frizzy than before. There are still some red tones in my hair which Jane has told me about as red is a really strong colour so it will take a couple of dye sessions to completely change my hair back to a brown. I can't wait to see my hair slowly shed the red tones with the help of Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon and I will surely update you guys along the journey!
So for anyone who is looking to do your hair at a Korean Hair Salon, I highly recommend to give Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon a go. If you're interested in getting your hair treated, Hair Plus Korean Hair Salon is currently having a 20% off promotion for the "Korean Treatment" I did! So feel free to head on over to their website (
here) to find out more about the different types of services they provide and make sure to call 6235 2234 (Far East Plaza)/6235 5883 (Suntec City) to book an appointment!
Labels: beauty, haircare, korean, lifestyle, looks, review, tips
Review: Troiareuke Seoul Aesthetic Cushion
Tuesday, 7 March 2017 at March 07, 2017
I feel like I've said this a millionth times, but Troiareuke is one of my favourite Korean skincare brands. I started using their products in early 2016 and honestly, I was always so impressed with the quality and effectiveness of their products. Apart from just their skincare products, their cushions are hands down my favourite in the market. Air cushion foundations are originated in South Korea and due to its blooming popularity, the trends has now spread to even western brands and even higher-end brands such as YSL, Givenchy, SK-II, has released their own air cushions.
However, despite the constantly growing amount of air cushions available in the market, my favourite still remains the same with Troiareuke's cushions. One of the main factors why is probably because all their cushions are 99% skincare, BUT, at the same time, it doesn't lack in the make-up department at all.
Up till date, Troiareuke has now released a total of 3 cushions and I have previously done a review for both their H+ Healing Cushion (
here), and A+ Acsen Cushion (
here). Both cushions have also been featured in 2 different favourites video which proves how much I love them.
So today, as you can already tell from the title, I will be reviewing Troiareuke's newly launched Seoul Aesthetic Cushion!
First off, the packaging is pretty much 99% similar to its other cushions. It's very simple and lightweight, which is perfect for carrying around in your handbag. When you open up the cushion, you will notice that the sponge is not fully soaked in the product (as you can see from the image), and that's the same with the rest of their cushions as well. This is actually an anti-oxidant technology to reduce the chances of your foundation being oxidized and turning dull.
Now let's get down to the technical stuff.
The H+ Cushion is manufactured with Water Wrapping System (WWS) - a technology that protects the water molecules in the cushion so it gets transferred to your skin. While the A+ Cushion is manufactured with Sebum Control System (SCS) - a technology that controls excessive sebum and Smart Moisture Capture System (SMC) - a technology that keeps your skin moisturized throughout the day. As for the Seoul Aesthetic Cushion, it is manufactured is all WWS, SCS and SMC system which makes it suitable for ALL skin types!
So like I've mentioned, Troiareuke's cushions are 99% skincare which simply means that they provide your skin with skincare benefits while you have them on. So what type of skincare benefits can you receive from the Seoul Aesthetic Cushion? Let's find out.
Firstly, the Seoul Aesthetic Cushion is professionally formulated with 6 different types of peptides. 5 of which are Filler-liked and the remaining 1 is a Botox-liked peptide. From the 5 Filler-liked peptides, your skin will be able to receive benefits such as strengthened collagen density and stimulated production of collagen. And from the remaining Botox-liked peptide, you will be able to receive anti-aging skincare benefits including the reduction of wrinkles and other fine lines! Apart from the 6 peptides, this cushion also provides moisture and SPF for overall youthful and radiance looking skin. Similar to its other cushions, it also helps brighten your complexion which is one of my favourite points about their cushions.
Now we're done with the skincare portion, let's move on to make-up.
Once again, this cushion only comes in one shade and I'm happy to know that it comes in shade C23 because that's my shade! *grins* Personally, I have medium skin tone however when I first applied it, it does look quite light so I would describe this shade as a light natural beige. After awhile though, I noticed that the foundation blends in very naturally with my skin tone. Despite it being a "skincare cushion", I love that the coverage and finish is similar to the A+ Cushion (i.e. my all-time, go-to cushion). It has a medium to high coverage as I find it sufficient with just a light layer of this cushion (but feel free to build it up!). Another favourite point about this cushion is the slight dewy finish which makes my skin look illuminated, supple and moisturized!
When I have the cushion on, it felt extremely lightweight and moisturizing (but not too moisturizing that it made me look greasy at the end of the day!) which I love as it felt like my skin was still able to breathe under all my make-up.
This cushion is retailing at USD48, slightly pricier than the other 2 as it provides much premium quality skincare benefits. But if you were to ask me, I'd say that it is totally worth trying especially if you are struggling with any skincare problems. If you're interested to purchase this cushion or any other products from Troiareuke, please drop them a Facebook message (
here)!
To see the cushion in action, watch my video review (
here)!
Labels: beauty, korean, make-up, review, skincare
Review: Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette (+ swatches!)
Thursday, 2 March 2017 at March 02, 2017
The Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette is one of the most highly raved eyeshadow palettes in the Youtube beauty scene at the moment. I'm usually not a huge fan of Too Faced's eyeshadow palettes, but this one has certainly caught my attention with it's sweet mix of corals, pinks and wearable shades. So last weekend, I actually picked up this palette to see if it's really worth the hype.
I got mine from Sephora Ion and it was coincidentally the day that Elyse (
@elysereneau) was in stores to promote the launch of Too Faced's Sweet Peach collection! I didn't manage to get a picture with her because honestly I was too shy since I wasn't there specifically to see her or anything. Anyways, the palette is retailing at S$76, but I got a sneaky lil 10% off from my black card points.
The palette comes in a metal packaging which is not one of my favourite type of packaging for an eyeshadow palette although, I do like that it shuts with a magnet. I was really disappointed to find out that my palette actually looked quite old? There were glue marks and stains all over it and the coating of the metal seems to be dropping off as well. Also, there were a couple of marks or dents found around the palette. Overall, I'd give the packaging a 5/10. It sure looks cute but I wouldn't consider it to be impressive.
What's probably impressive is that this palette comes with 18 shades which I think is a good amount for S$76. As you all should know by now, this palette smells like peaches. In Singapore, peaches are not quite a popular fruit, so if you're unsure of what peaches smells like, just know that it smells
exactly like peach tea. In comparison with their previous chocolate-scented products, I prefer the peachy scent as it's lighter, fruitier and feels less crazier on my lids.
Personally, I'm a sucker for pinks, corals, and rose golds eyeshadows shades. And I think that is probably what made me want to get this palette because peach is basically a mixture of coral and pink! Apart from some peach-inspired shades, I love that it includes basic shades such as bronze, copper, browns and champagne too to complete the look. To spice things up a little, it also contains a purple-toned shades, a dull green shade and a dark blue. As you can tell from the image above, it has a good mixture of matte and shimmer shade which I think is great to create countless of different looks.
As for the quality of the eyeshadows, honestly, the swatches were not up to my expectations. You can definitely build it up, but I feel like if compared to other brands such as Lorac Pro, Tarte or Urban Decay, these eyeshadows are lacking the creamy touch in them. However, application was smooth and easy to blend when I was actually use them on my eyelids. Another plus point is that there weren't any fall outs when I was doing my make-up which I think is great!
Overall, this palette is great if you love the peachy shades in the palette. I personally love the peach trend at the moment so I definitely don't mind spending the money for this one. I guess also because majority of the shades included in this palette are also shades that I tend to go towards to, I feel like this could easily be my to-go palette for the next couple of weeks (or even months!). One thing that disappointed me the most was the packaging so make sure to check yours at the counter before purchasing!
Labels: beauty, eyeshadow palettes, make-up, review
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