In The Middle

My hairstylist convinced me to try out a centre parting during my haircut yesterday because in his words, "it is one of the hottest trends now". 

As someone who's been wearing a side parting since I can't remember when, I'm still struggling to get used to the new look, but these gorgeous celebrities are definitely working the centre parting! 

Pixie Lott

Scarlett Johansson

Sienna Miller

Olivia Palermo

Jessica Alba

Gwyneth Paltrow

Ashley Grenne

Photos from InStyle Uk and Cosmopolitan UK

Healing Touch

Over the weekend, the husb and I went for a much needed post Mt K massage at the Healing Touch.

It was our first time there and we both opted for the Asian Fusion massage.

What I liked:
- The therapists were experienced and did a good job soothing our aching muscles. It was probably one of the best massages I have gone for.
- Unlike most other beauty/spa establishments around, there was no hard selling of packages. What a refreshing change!
- The online process of booking your appointment was fuss free.
- Reasonable pricing. It's $50 for an hour of massage.

And what I didn't like:
- No couple room at the Tampines branch. We had our massages done in separate rooms.
- You don't get to take a shower before your massage. If you're particular about this, this probably isn't the place for you.
- Partitions/walls between the rooms are thin. I could hear my neighbour lamenting non-stop to her therapist about her chronic lower back pain while the husb heard some guy snoring.
- There's no washroom at the Tampines branch, so don't forget to make a trip to the common washroom outside before you go for your massage.

Though the above points were a turn off, the massage was very good and we're willing to close an eye and come back to try their other treatments.

DHC

Watson’s has become my haven for affordable beauty products.

Each time I step in, it’s hard to resist not buying anything, especially with the recent Japanese brands like Hada Labo, Aqualabel, which they have brought in.

I had gone to the VivoCity outlet over the weekend, to replenish my Vichy toner but it was out of stock. Just when I was about to leave, I heard this lady lamenting to her bf about how she should have waited for the 3 for $80 promotion to stock up on her DHC Acerola items.

I turned around to look at her and boy, did she have a clear, porcelain complexion! She might have been in the good hands of an excellent dermatologist for all I know, but surely, it still says something about the stuff she uses right?

Coupled with the sales assistant’s marketing spiel about how the products contain the highest concentration of Vit C from Acerola berries to brighten your complexion, are good for those whose skin is dehydrated but oily on the surface (me!), help to minimise pores, sans fragrances, colourings, alcohol or preservatives, I was sold.

This is what I bought - the Lotion (toner), Extract (essence) and Gel (moisturizer).

My verdict?

I wish I had discovered the brand earlier.

True to what the sales assistant had promised, the products helped with oil control and hydration. As I’ve only used them for a day or two, I can’t tell if they will help to lighten my freckles and blemishes, but I certainly hope they do. A downside is the faint Chinese herbs smell that comes with the au natural product but at least i know no fragrance has been used. Also, because I tend to sleep in an air-conditioned room at night, I’m not sure if the Gel (or moisturizer) with its light texture, can adequately keep my skin hydrated. Because of that, I have only used the series in the day.

I also tried the samples for the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which I’ve read good reviews about and the DHC Olive Soap, which you use as a second step to the cleansing oil.

I don’t usually use cleansing oils because I’m not used to them (can your face really get clean from using oil to cleanse it?), but I have to say the DHC one worked rather well in removing all my make up, except my mascara. I couldn’t remove my Majolica Majorca mascara entirely, even after a minute of massaging my lashes. But MM’s mascaras are known to be heavy-duty and it always requires great effort to remove (if you know any products which can remove MM mascara well, let me know!), so I’ll let this pass.

Together with the olive soap, the cleansing oil left my skin feeling supple and clean without that feeling of tightness which you sometimes get when the cleanser is too strong. Again, in line with the brand’s philosophy of organic simplicity, the cleansing oil had no fragrance and smelt like its key ingredient, olive oil.

(P.S Would love to try Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil someday, but I find them too pricey. For now, I’ll stick to this.)

The Long and Short of It

I've got a love hate relationship with my long hair.

Hate it because i've got an unruly, thick, slightly wavy hair which is un-tameable in Singapore's humidity, which is why i love travelling in temperate climates btw. My hair also takes an extremely long time to wash and dry. And i don't use a hairdryer as it leaves my hair more damaged. Because of that, i only wash my hair before i sleep and not before i go to work. I'd rather spend the extra time sleeping. Most of the time, i tie my hair up in a ponytail because it's neater that way.

Strangely, my hair's straighter and more manageable when it's short.

Why do i still bother?

Besides wanting to have more versatility in terms of hairdos for my wedding (bridezilla alert), i guess in a way i'm fulfilling my childhood 'dream'.

You see, when i was a kid, my Dad, who used to cut my hair (and give me short, helmet hairstyles by the way), didn't allow me to keep my hair long in Primary school because he thought it was hard for me to wash and dry. You can imagine how upset I was, seeing all my friends in school with their ponytails and long, braided hair. But looking back, I know he meant well, as different his thinking might have been from other Dads :)

Then i moved on to a Secondary School, where the Dictator Discipline Master could have been the second Hitler. Knee length skirts, bags no smaller than a certain size plus other ridiculous school rules which i will not scare you with. And hair which SHOULD NOT touch the collar. Because of that, I could never get past the growing-your-hair-long in-between stage. You know, the phase where you can't tie your barely there shoulder length hair without the loose hair coming out. I only managed to keep my hair past my shoulder in Junior College, for the graduation prom. Since then, i've alternated between short and long hair, depending on my mood.

The last time I had short hair was 2 years ago.

June 08

Oh how I miss the low maintenance. I could just wash and go without worrying about frizzy ends.

I can't wait to snip the locks off post-wedding. Another reason to look forward to the big day :)

Epilat and Hada Labo

I found this series of hair removal products by Kracie at Watson's and bought the Epilat Hair Removing Body Tape to try, because i've a tendency to trust all things Japanese :)

I like how it's not messy, unlike traditional wax strips that tend to leave remnants of wax when you're done, which you can only remove with baby oil. My only gripe is the size of the tape is too small and i had to use 2 pieces per leg! At $14.90 per box for 14 strips, it can be a bit hard on the pocket if you plan to use this regularly and especially if your hair growth is fast like mine.

Also bought a product which many have raved about since it hit our shores. The Hada Labo face lotion comes in either a Hydrating or Whitening series. No prizes for guessing which one i chose.

Quest to be Snow White

I've been depriving myself of beach holidays, since our trip to Koh Racha last August AND piling on sunblock (though not diligently), in a bid to stay fair for the big day.

Despite my efforts, my arms are still visibly darker than my face :(

My colleague said she once saw Fann Wong filming and besides a huge umbrella, she had a bottle of Hazeline Snow. Well I'm sure her porcelain skin is due to other factors like daily intake of bird's nest and whatsoever.

But apparently the older generation swears by Hazeline Snow. Remember my grandma using it on her face when i was a little girl.

The same colleague was kind enough to buy me two jars when she passed by a traditional medicine shop during the week.

If it works for Grandma, i hope it works for me!

The secret to Fann's fair beauty?

Immortelle

It's finally Friday!

Before diving back into my abyss of work, here are some tips on ageing gracefully, the French way, from a The New York Times article, which XL shared with me.


10 Ways to Age Like a Frenchwoman
Published: July 14, 2010

1 Look out for No. 1: “Frenchwomen are more elegant, more aware of their femininity,” says Dr. Michel Soussaline, a Paris plastic surgeon. “They simply take care of themselves better.”

2 Keep it natural: Heavy makeup emphasizes wrinkles and pores. A little blush, mascara and lip color are all most Frenchwomen use. They spend a lot on skin care and beauty products, but not always on the most expensive brands.

3 No soap: They use lotions and hydrating creams for the face (and body), often applied with a cosmetics sponge that provides enough abrasiveness to remove dead cells but not hurt delicate skin.

4 The wonder of water: Frenchwomen swear by cold-water rinses – after face-cleaning, shampoo or shower. They say it improves circulation, bringing all-important oxygen to the skin cells.

5 Diet: Women of a certain age maintain their weight by eating carefully: fresh, never-processed, foods, especially fruits and vegetables, in small portions. If they do put on the kilos, they take them off immediately — with the aid of pills or other treatments.

6 Exercise: Why? Go to a spa instead.

7 The doctor is in: Frenchwomen love their dermatologists. As one friend put it, why take a chance with over-the-counter skin remedies, when doctors can provide treatments that really work. Besides, the visits are largely covered by the French medical system.

8 The surgeon is in: If Frenchwomen opt for cosmetic surgery, the objective is to look like themselves – not someone 20 years younger.

9 The look: Paris, like New York, is becoming very informal, but Frenchwomen never try to dress like their daughters. Accessories count: good jewelry, fantastic shoes or boots, and a scarf casually wrapped to conceal those neck wattles. And since Frenchwomen tend to have great legs (with help from varicose vein treatments), they wear more skirts and dresses than their American counterparts.

Think sexy: As the French writer Françoise Sagan wrote: “A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off you.” Buy some fun, new underwear.