Hey Everyone!

I don’t know about you but I’m not one to really keep up with nail trends. I’m probably next to the most unimaginable and boring person when it comes to decorating the fingers. Forget the diamonte and the small details, I pretty much slap on a decent coat of color and I deem myself done for the day. The fact isn’t that I think fancy smanchy nails aren’t hot stuff, it’s more so because I’m honestly really lazy.  That and I have unusually small hands. I got it from my Mom who has hands smaller than mine. So, when Vedure Nail Spa at Marina Bay Sands Shoppes  in Singapore invited me to try out the latest California nail trend, Minx Nails, I was all out to wear what the trendiest celebrities like Lady Gaga , Katy Perry and Madonna have been sporting, nail-wise, in their music videos and photoshoots. Baby, it’s time to get our nails minx-ed.

You’re probably wondering, what is minx nails? Unlike conventional nail polish, Minx nails isn’t liquid, it’s a flexible film that is stuck onto your finger nail and then buffed out so it looks like nail polish but it’s actually a sticker. Minx nails are so special because they allow you to wear so many designs and patterns that you can’t normally do with traditional liquid nail polish (because it would take eons to do so otherwise). In fact, you can get any type of nails done, from a cool design to your favourite pattern that you cannot seem to imitate nicely and sleekly with liquid nailpolish. Minx Nails further does not require any drying time because it is a sticker which is so nice because I absolutely hate drying my nails after a manicure, it seems to take super long and then they charge you additional to put a rapiddry coat on. Grrr. It’s fast, quick, no smudging, no spillage, convenient and hey if Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Madonna are wearing it, I want a piece of the cool kid cake too.

Thanks to Vedure Nail Spa for the sponsorship! Vedure Nail Spa is located inside a very stylish looking Robinsons at Marina Bay Sands Shoppes.

If you don’t know what Marina Bay Sands is, you’re missing out. Isn’t it absolutely beautiful?

Back to the nails. Look at the patterns that you can do with Minx Nails, absolutely amazing.

There we go, Lady Gaga and her checkered red and black Minx nails.

Leopard Print, anyone?

or even Jeans!

I picked out a more quiet gold with black line detailing. I didn’t want anything particularly loud because I’m not a very loud person when it comes to my nails. I reckon to be honest, Minx would be great for a gal who likes loud looks and loud nails or if you’re off to a special party afterwards. I still think that they need to come up with more quiet designs that are more wearable during the daytime or perhaps for more quiet people like me.

I thought it would be pretty cool to show you the whole step by step process. This is also exactly how a professional manicure is done except normally , if you didn’t opt for the Minx nail option, they would just paint your nails in a color you select prior to the manicure. Let’s go!

For step 2, I always opt for a square shaped nail. You kinda just buff it side to side in a straight manner.

The soaking step allows your cuticles to soften so that it can be pushed back and taken away.

After you soak, you push back the top layer to be removed later.

Taking your cuticles away makes the nail overall cleaner and sleeker looking.

After all the nails are done, look how nice they look!

Now to minx those nails! You can see that there is this special lamp in the picture. This lamp heats up the individual sticker so it becomes more malleable under the heat and easier for the manicurist to manipulate and mould onto the fingernail. I feel bad for the lovely lady doing my nails because it’s quite warm under the light and I get a towel but she doesn’t.

The first thing you do is place the sticker onto the nail. I always thought it to be very similar to putting a skin onto a tech gadget to protect and beautify it.

The extra part is then folded over….

Hehe, they look a little funny at this point.

and then using a nail file, the sticker is filed off in a back and forth and then peel off motion. This automatically cuts away the excess part.

Air pockets are then pressed out and down…

A glue seal is then applied to the tips of the nails so that the sticker lasts longer. The nails are supposed to last 2 weeks but it really depends on your lifestyle. It also depends on how curved your nails are. Mine happen to be very curved so the manicurist told me that I should be extra careful and if anything did happen, I should use a hairdryer to mould it back into place.

And there you have it – Minx Nails! My favourite part is that I can leave automatically after the manicure and I don’t have to wait until my nails dry or freak out when I grab something because it won’t mess up! No drying time and no smudging, loves it! The whole manicure took about 70 minutes to complete.

Overall, Vedure Spa is an awesome place and the only place in Singapore to get your nails minx-ed! Hope you liked this post! :)

Have you tried Minx Nails?

Love,
Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

A while back on my Facebook page, I posted up a picture of this:

Yep, handcuff invites to an event hosted by Shiseido. It was their Beauty Scene Investigation event and among others, I was invited to attend a night full of suspense, murder and suspicion. Well, not really.

I unfortunately arrived at the office ten minutes late (Blame the late bus) so I had to wait a while to catch the next train of bloggers and a tour around a very appreciated effort filled plot to showcase that Shiseido group products including those from ZA, Majolica Majorca and Tsubaki to name a few survived the competition. It basically meant that from the Watsons awards, these products won awards and the competition didn’t. A playful way to state things but they even created an imaginary country called the beauty county with areas comprising of cute names like Mascara Lane. Here is the wonderful intern, ROSEANNE, showing us the map. I have not met in my life another person by the name of Roseanne so it was so cool! She hasn’t either.

Look at all those clues. I took it pretty seriously, I thought I had to solve a murder mystery. But, turns out that I didn’t after all!

We were then led into one of their meeting rooms turned beauty county where we saw the areas taken place and a very realistic depiction of all the crime that had been happening. The murderers were the humidity, bad weather, toxic atmosphere and the only survivors were the Shiseido products. Who would have guessed!

And Ta-Da, we have the survivors. Look at them, all glowingly happy.

Basically the event showcased the main products that were winners of the Cleo Beauty Hall of Fame in 2011, Watsons Health Wellness and Beauty Awards and the Women’s Weekly Best Beauty Buys!

1. No. 1 Foundation – ZA Skin Beauty 2 Way Foundation

I’ve actually always wanted to try this out. It’s a powder packed with hyaluronic acid and contains Vitamin E & Minerals to nourish the skin and plus it’s SPF20 which is probably why it didn’t get killed by the evil Mr. Sun. Alright, I’m not very good at this am I? Point is, I’ve been totally eyeing this product for a while so thanks Shiseido for including it in the bag. If you don’t know yet, Shiseido owns all these brands – ZA, Tsubaki, Majolica Majorca  and Aqualabel!

2. No. 1 Whitening Foundation – ZA True White Plus 2 Way Foundation

Another powder foundation swept on with a sponge. It’s compact makes it easy to carry around plus it’s a lightweight product that is just like its 2 way foundation sista, except it also has a whitening C ingredient!

3. No. 1 Concealer –  ZA Concealer Perfection

This has been one of my first concealers I ever purchased back a while back when I was a noob at makeup. I really liked it actually but we’ll see if my critical eye can put it to the test again in the future. I look forward to doing a proper review of this! It has a unique stay put formula with vitamin oil and it corrects uneven skin tones, minimizes the visibility of scars and pores and blends easily – all the tasks a good concealer should do!

4. No. 1 Selling Eyebrow Pencil – ZA Everbrow:

I haven’t tried this yet, nor am I an avid fan of eyebrow pencils but hey, who knows, I could like it. It apparently has great control of color density and requires no sharpening which is like awesome because I hate sharpening pencils. It also has a balanced formula of a non-sticky oil, pigment and wax. I have to say that soft eye-brow pencils are horrible. They need to be hard and dusty enough but still draw quite a nice pigmented line.

5. Best Selling Eyeliner – Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner

I’ve seriously always wanted to try something from Majolica Majorca. That whole spider, witch, don’t you dare go into the witch’s gingerbread house or you’ll get eaten by a spider scene is actually weirdly appealing. A lot better than those girly Korean boys promoting Holika Holika right? Sorry if I offended anyone, just a personal preference to more manly men. This one in particular is a felt tip with soft pointed bristles and its sweat, sebum and tears resistant. Hey, I could use that. Hmm, it has a sublte perlescent finish. I don’t know if I’d like that for a daily liner but we’ll have to check it out!

6. Best Selling Lengthening Mascara – Majolica Majorca Lash Beautifying Mascara Frame Plus

This is the baby that I’ve wanted to get my hands on for a while. I heard it does magical things. I’ve tried it a few times and it’s actually a pretty awesome mascara! It does have lenghtening power and it does keep a nice curl as well while adding a tinge of volume. Me like. Saya Suka. Wo xi huan. Whichever language you prefer, it’s pretty good thus far. It’s interesting though because the wand looks more like a moon with spokes more than a general mascara wand but I guess hey, if it works, it works.

7. Best Selling Quad Eyeshadow – Majolica Majorca Jewelling Eyes

I haven’t gotten to using this yet, but I can’t wait. I love quads. Apparently this one transforms your eyelids into jewels with a mixture of transluscent pearls of diverse sizes that glitter from every angle. Yeah, that came from the press release. We’ll have to see in a future review.

8. Best Selling Whitening Cleanser – Aqualabel White Clear Foam

I haven’t tried this yet, I’m on Avalon Organics range right now. Oh, the life of a beauty blogger, jumping skincare lines like a fleeting moment. The characteristics of this cleanser is that it instantly illuminates skin, releases hyaluronic acid into the skin while cleansing (wow this HA is really going into everything. I hope people don’t start eating it like they eat collagen. JK). It also forms a luxurious texture and rich foam.

9. Best Damage Care Range – Tsubaki Damage Care Range

Heard about the Tsubaki range and heard it was fantastic. This one is supposed to make your hair beautiful, shiny, radiant and it will also repair damaged and brittle hairs for that hair flip that boy in class will never forget.

All in all, the event was pretty fun! Especially catching up with some onsugar girls!

with a demo inbetween meals for us at Empire State located at Illuma

and the chance to meet some other cool bloggers!

and the staff at Shiseido!

Thanks for the invite!

P.S: I cordially invite YOU to enter my contest. If you wanna win some Benefit, MAC, Body Shop or just show your appreciation for someone you love. You will be escorted via a limo and a hot boy to enter my contest right here: http://roseannebeauty.onsugar.com/CONTEST-TIME-roseannetangrs-Changed-My-Life-Contest—Win-Benefit-Body-Shop-KATE-MAC-Covergirl-18292295 !!

Love,
Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

You would know that I’ve had long term affair with fragrances. I love scents because they give you an aura nothing else can create and the scent of something always brings me back to a memory of a moment in time that was sad or happy, but nonetheless unforgettable. In fact, I always find myself crawling to the perfumery during exams to get a whiff and perhaps bring back a new purchase. So, when I was invited by Penhaligon’s to sample smell some of their new perfumes, I gladly accepted their invitation.

Last night, I was invited by Penhaligon’s to attend an intimate and exclusive gathering to have a sniff of some of their famous perfumes. If you haven’t heard of Penhaligon’s, Penhaligon’s has been around since the 1870s in London and was created by William Penhaligon, a man with a flair for scents, who didn’t believe in labs but the elements of his environment to create an aroma that spoke British above all else. Penhaligon’s has had clients like the Royal family and current celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Madonna and Kate Moss among others. Manola Blahnik is a fan as well. William Penhaligion created his first fragrance, Hammam Bouquet, and didn’t sit down to mix fragrances together but arrived at his neighboring Turkish Baths to take in the steam and sulphrous aromas to create this scent. Penhaligon’s has always believed that “Inspiration comes at the strangest moments and places: a magical moment, a stolen view, an idea crystallised.”

My sister who lives in London knows of the Penhaligon’s stores and I have seen quite a few bottles available in Melbourne but they are also available at Esscentuals in Paragon and Tangs. The exciting thing is, is that Penhaligon’s is opening up their own store in Singapore at ION in Mid August, which is wonderful because patrons of the store will be able to receive the Penhaligon’s service. This won’t be an ordinary perfume store in which you’ll only be able to come in and do your own thing. You’ll be able to sit down with an assistant who will ask you about your daily activities, what kind of scents you adore and then come up with a good match just for you. The relationships and service quality that Penhaligon’s sales assistants have with their customers are said to be impeccable and friendly.

After arriving early and sampling the perfumes with Sarah, CEO of Penhaligon’s and Michael-Brendan Ng, Marketing Assistant in Singapore, I have to say that it is quite rare for me to like each and every scent, but I did. Usually, for me a series of perfumes is like a music album. Usually, I like one or two songs and leave the rest unplayed. As I was sampling the perfumes, I really found that each bottle was very unique from the last and that each scent evolved. I absolutely love it when perfumes can evolve, change and smell differently with each sniff. It’s that kind of scent that permeates into you and brings up memories and moments of romanticism. Elizabethan Rose for example sparkles when you smell the scent, almost like bubbly champagne. I know that sounds impossible but it really does!

Satorial, one of the new men’s fragrances which are popular on the Princes’ dressers, works around the idea of a Tailor and the Tailor’s workshop. You’re first greeted with a metal note (the scissors, machinery) that settles into a more leather woody and subtle men’s fragrance that’s absolutely wonderful. I wouldn’t mind if my man smelled like that one day. I was very pleased with all the fragrances that they have to offer and although I will be in Melbourne when they launch come August, I urge you all to go take a good whiff. You’ll see exactly what I mean.

The event was intimate and classic. Penhaligons wanted to take the perfume sampling to the next level so we arrived at Bar Stories which is a Bar in Singapore on Haji Lane known for custom cocktails. They took some of the fragrances as inspirations and created cocktails for us to sample that would complement nicely with the scents we were smelling. The cocktails were great and really did go well with the perfumes.

I’m really not much of a drinker myself  though so I took small sips of the drinks instead. I always go an unflattering red! I loved the cocktail created for the Artemesia fragrance. It had vanilla ice cream mixed into the drink that created a very buttery and soft  texture. I happen to really like comforting scents, especially during the winter. In fact, I spray my scarf before I leave the house and wrap it around myself and I do confess, I bring up my scarf quite often to my nose and take a deep whiff. Heaven on earth, indeed.

Mike and Sarah were great hosts and were able to tell the stories of Penhaligon’s and the perfumes so well! I loved learning more about the brand through their stories.

And although I had already eaten dinner beforehand, the leather jackets, seared tuna, among other treats were nice side dishes to the cocktails.

With much appreciation towards Penhaligons, I did receive a token of their appreciation for coming and here they are. Two wonderful Penhaligon fragrances and one of their signature candles.

1. Amarnthine Eau De Parfum

Amarnthine Eau De Parfum - “Created in 2009, Amaranthine is a corrupted floral oriental for those private moments when everything is anticipation. It opens with a dramatic flourish of spices and tropical green. This unsettling lick of drama is beautifully ambushed by an unctuous accord of jasmine and ylang-ylang, a heady bloom renowned for its aphrodisiac properties, and clove swathed in spices, tea, musk and the rounded beauty of tonka bean absolute.”

Head Notes (what first hits you, the initial impression of the perfume): Green Tea, White Fresia, Cardamon Absolute, Banana tree leaf

Heart Notes (the body of the fragrance): Rose, Carnation, Clove oil, Orange Blossom, Ylang Ylang oil, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute

Base Notes (bring depth and solidity to the scent, usually rich and deep) : Musk, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Condensed Milk, Tonka Bean Absolute

I’m wearing it right now and it makes me just want to twirl around sniffing the air. It’s amazing how these scents can evolve and sort of linger but lift your mood with the exact notes that you need to get that specific reaction. That reaction that makes you want to close your eyes and imagine for a moment, letting the scent take you back where it was first concoted and created. Armanthine smells so comforting, with subtle woody notes, a bit of sandlewood and bit of floral sweetness and spice that it literally tingles and makes you pop a smile. It’s as if you’re floating surrounded by this aroma that’s indescribable because it’s unlike anything you’ve ever worn. Funny how only a small bottle can make you feel so special.

2. Gardenia Eau De Toilette

“A soliflore, originally created in 1976, Gardenia is a translucent watercolour in soft washes of tuberose, jasmine, gardenia, ylang-ylang, spice and vanilla. A radiant magnolia-tinted portrait of one of nature’s most sensual blooms. Gardenia was originally created in 1976 and has been resurrected as part of our 2009 Anthology Collection.”

Head Notes (what first hits you, the initial impression of the perfume): Violet, Rhubarb, Bergamont, Hyancinth, Magnolia, Green Leaves

Heart Notes (the body of the fragrance): Gardenia, Rose, Ylang, Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Clove, Lily of the Valley

Base Notes (bring depth and solidity to the scent, usually rich and deep): Benzoin, Sandalwood, Musk and Vanilla

When Sarah asked me which one I liked the best, I had to say Gardenia was one of the most beautiful scents I had ever met and she popped it in the bag for me! I’m an absolute fool for comforting, floral scents and this is the epitome of that. All these scents seem to float in, float out and almost lift you up into the air and if there was any fragrance that did that well, Gardenia did. As described, it’s almost buttery smooth, rich but not too heavy. The flowers of the scent just permeate and float. It’s hard to describe and I guess that is what makes it great. A complex scent is always hard to put your finger on.

The Anthology perfumes are semi seperated from the rest because it means that the perfume has been “resurrected” from the past. This one in particular was created in 1976 but has been brought up again from the dusty archives of William Penhaligon’s old perfume recipies to be available to the present public. I absolutely love the boxes of these fragrances. There’s a white ribbon tab which you pull and the box almost unravels to open by itself.

3. Elixir Classic Candle

The Elixir scent reminds me of hot spices, very woody, very exotic smelling. In fact, it’s sort of reminiscent of insense sticks burning in a Arabic tent and seems like the perfect scent to light during the winter months because it’s such a headstrong and rich fragrance. With Green Eucalyptus, Turkish Rose, Vanilla, Incense and Sandalwood, it sure is quite a mysterious fragrance.

I just wanted to thank Penhaligons for such a lovely evening. Learning about your brand is just about enough for me. I cannot wait to patron your store. I hope you had as much fun reading about Penhaligons as I did writing about them.

Until next time!

Love,
Roseanne

Hello Everyone!

Oh the joys of the midweek. Not really, I’m quite the sleepy but I shall blog. Today I’ll be blogging about quite a special event. The story is pretty funny actually. I was shopping at ALT at the Heeren which is an Asian Makeup Mecca in Singapore and I was looking at Japanese eyeliners with Tammy and Kiyoko until I heard my name call in the background. Little did I know it was the lovely Jolyn, who happens to read my blog and watch my videos. After a discussion about NARS blushes and Japanese makeup, she asked me if I’d like to do a collaboration with The Scarlet Room, an online store born and bred in Singapore, and help them with the makeup for their photoshoot. Eager to gain more experience, I gladly agreed!

It’s actually my very first photoshoot. I have to say that I’m not professional, I’m not a makeup artist, but a makeup enthusiast. There’s a difference. But, I did what I could and I think it turned out pretty well. Let’s take a little photo journey shall we?

The Scarlet Room is an online store featuring unique and very stylish pieces that you can’t normally find in stores. They’re just about one of a kind. Annie, the owner, is featured below and,that’s me at about 10 PM at night and of course the very stylin’ model, Amanda!

When I entered the studio, I was a kid at a candystore. It was so cool to be in an actual studio with weird white latern thingies and a white background! I probably spent the first five minutes running around the place saying this is so cool, this is so cool, and probably acting as if I was the star of the shoot. But, I totally wasn’t. Annie did take a few shots of me though while the model was changing. It was pretty surreal.

I brought a variety of things to use although we only managed to use a few NARS products. Everyone was surprised at how much makeup I brought. Haha.

The first few outfits were dark so I chose the NARS Eurydice shadow duo as the star of the show. They had a signature red lip already featured on their website so they wanted me to continue the look onto the next collection. The OCC lip tar helped with that and I chose the stunning red in stalker. I didn’t bring my foundation because Jolyn said the model would but the model forgot. Fortunately her skin was so flawless that it really wasn’t a problem. I used the Bobbi Brown Gel Liners and the Benefit Bad Gal Lash to complete the look. Hoola contoured the cheeks nicely and NARS’ Deep Throat flushed them to perfection. The model kept on wanting it darker and darker and wasn’t used to the purple so at the end, it just really looked like a massive blob of darkness but it’s alright because on camera, colors do actually wash out. Yeah, I totally called it Look #2, and had to cover it up with a big pink one to hide my mistake. Tehe.

The vanity area was pretty crowded with the four of us but it was all in good fun!

The second look featured a more warm beige look for the lighter outfits. Still keeping it smokey, I used the NARS Codura eyeshadow duo, bobbi brown gel liners, Urban Decay 24/7 on the upper and lower lid and the Benefit Bad Gal Lash to oomph those lashes. To finish it off, I used a peachy blush like the MAC Ripe Peach blush ombre to accent the cheeks, Hoola to contour and a rosy YSL Rouge Volupte.

I loved the animal print outfits. They looked so hot! I just told her to put it on herself because it wasn’t necessary that I keep all the fun! :)

and then the shoot began. The camera picked up more than I intended. I really wished I used a foundation but I didn’t have any in hand which is why the photos on the actual webbie look a bit messy. In real life though, that’s what they looked like below. I for shizzle need to learn more about photo shoot photography. As we call it, very Pai-seh! Haha.

Looking at these photos, you’ll probably already get a sense of their style. It’s very Topshop if I may say so myself.

The chiffon veil is so pretty when you do the swooshy thing. Very elegant but I reckon very mysterious at the same time!

This was an amazing opportunity and an opportunity I can for sure learn from. Although it didn’t go absolutely perfect, it was a very fun experience. Next time, I shall bring my foundation regardless.

and here is the lovely Jolyn! Thank you so much for inviting me to do this with you!

Lots of Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

It was a pleasure to be invited to the Physiogel’s Bloggers Party to be part of their re-launch. When I opened up that invite a few weeks ago, I probably came upon the same expression as you would seeing the title of this post. “What is Phsyiogel, I’ve never even heard of it.” Well, me neither. But, I have to say that not only was their party awesome, but I came out learning a lot more about this special formula than I thought I would.

This post is going to take the form of a photo-log, hope you don’t mind :)

It was at the Grand Park Hotel near City Hall and it was beautiful, lead into a beautiful ball room where we had conference looking seats:

Testing our moisture level with a $3000 tool, I was way below passing the moisture-level. Moisture level fail. haha

We were all given a name tag and split into teams, go Team Re-hydrate for the games at the end of the presentation!

I was so happy to meet new bloggers and my blogger loves, Chantana and Christy!

Clara!!

& people who I haven’t met in person yet but now have, rainydays, musicplayson and icefrost!!

with the lovely ChareleneJudith :)

They gave us a very thorough presentation concerning Dry Skin..

Through the microscope, we can see that what is special about Physiogel is that it imitates not only the structure, but also the composition of our natural lipids in between or skin cells so that it repairs first and then moisturises at the same time. A conventional moisturizer (the circular globs) can’t fit into the crevices and thus cannot repair skin and moisturise it throughly, while Physiogel can.

The group of lovely ladies:

But, what we really care about is what was in the goodie bags right?

But oops, we have a little interruption!

Introducing the new face of Physiogel. Just kidding, she’s just wondering why I’m diverting all my attention on a bunch of stuff instead of her :P

There we go! I’m honestly pretty amazed with their extensive range of products!

1. Physiogel Cream

A thick formula that lasts long and doesn’t feel greasy.

2. Physiogel Facial Cleanser:

A duo purpose makeup remover that doesn’t have to be washed off and a facial cleanser!

3. Physiogel AI Sun Cream:

I love this product. Its a creamy and moisturising sun protectant that dries on pretty matte and not overly greasy at all. Great under makeup!

4. Physiogel Lotion

Lighter than the cream, this is a great all over moisturiser!

5. Physiogel Shampoo:

I can’t believe they even have a shampoo.

& even a shower cream too :)

Thanks Physiogel for the invite! I’m schleeeepy. Goodnight!

xx Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

This is the last post I’m doing in Singapore before I head back to Melbourne. It was awesome meeting people at the Physiogel bloggers party and Sarahand Pearlin at Nandos, hopefully I can meet more of you at the end of November!

Just like Sara, I was invited to try out a treatment at Healthtrends Clinic at Ngee Ann City. Out of the three options given to us in the email, I was ready to take on an Acne Scar Reduction not only because I had a few scars from a serious bout of acne at the beginning of the year but I think my asia-ness thought that the $1200 price-tag was an opportunity not to be missed.

Honestly, the night before I was really worried. I researched the Mosiac eCO2 laser and found out that it was the latest and deepest cutting laser and the laser that they would be using for my treatment. I was worried that I was going too far with this one and that I was over-doing it when I really didn’t need it. Thankfully, when Dr. Ram Nath saw my skin condition he quickly customized my own set of treatments that would suit my skin best, but a little more on that later.

Lets first take a look at this clinic in terms of service, comfort, and overall feel. You are after all paying a lot of money for their treatments, you should be treated well. Because, you know I do tell it how it is.

Quaint and I felt a bit cold and hospital like. If I were to be extremely picky, which I sort of am, here is what I would honestly say. Let’s say, I know service when I see it. I came in, and it was weird because it seemed like it was part of a larger spa organization, and it was sort of I came in and turn right to find it sort of thing. Hard to explain, pay a visit and you’ll see. I sat down, and was kindly greeted by one of the staff and then directed to a small room with two sitting chairs and one sink to remove my make-up with. Let me remind you, hen duo qian (lots of money you’re paying, ok?). A client was sitting in one of the chairs already, and I had to remove my makeup in front of her as she watched me with her face also shiny with some sort of mask on it. It felt a bit communal. She didn’t really know how to speak English and wanted to wash her face, while I was kind of in the middle of taking my makeup off and I felt bad because I thought I was in her way..and she was here first. It’s ok though :)

The rooms to the clinic were, well clinical. This isn’t a spa and people shouldn’t mistake this as a place where you can get massaged, with calming music, and beautiful ambience. The rooms felt like a hospital. You lie there, a mismatched blanket thrown over you, the doctor does the work and out you go. Before all that, you fill out forms, sign warnings, all part of a more necessary than comforting feeling. It’s a quick way – good for a lunch break, not for pampering which suits different peoples tastes.

But, afterall, people aren’t always paying for service, they’re paying for hardcore results and people who know what they’re doing right?

And these people do know what they’re doing. A consultation with Dr. Ram Nath, who is serious but funny, was enlightening. A doctor who sort of relished in the fact that I was a newbie at the treatments he chose to give me. :) He said that one of the unique traits about the clinic was that it customises treatments for its customers and that he tends to layer them which is why I received three: a microdermabrasion, IPL (Intensive Pulse Light), and light chemical peel. I was unfamiliar with all three except the microdermabrasion which I found quite similar to the Diamond Peel by Touche Elite, but those three foreign sounding treatments made me a little queasy.

The number of forms I had to sign didn’t help the queasiness either..especially this one..

The first step was the numbing cream so I can’t feel anything, but I ended up feeling most of the things I didn’t want to feel and I can’t imagine not having the numbing cream which takes 20 minutes to fully numb your face. Some patients skip this step to hurry up the process (told you this was a in and out you go). I can’t imagine doing that.

Then came the Microdermabrasion. This is just like the diamond peel as it professionally exfoliates your skin, removes dead skin cells, vacuums it up and you’re left with mighty soft skin. I honestly think that this one hurt a tinsy bit more than the diamond peel even though I think its exactly the same thing but he must have used a higher setting. That pink ring and the yellow stuff on it are my dead skin cells. I know, ew.

Then came the dreaded IPL (Intensive Pulse Light). Here is how the room looked, yep..clinical. The IPL basically in an idiot’s guide to life language, uses a laser to do mainly two things. 1. Break down the melanin underneath your skin layer to disintegrate it and 2. tighten your oil glands so you don’t oil up so much. Sounds good to me! Just..the laser part can go.

Here comes the pain, all dressed in light. i will never do this again. It might have injected light into my skin, but it sure did scare the living daylights out of me. Just imagine this. First, cooling cream (that felt good), then goggles on and then pitch darkness. Just Dr. Ram’s voice, and a ‘here we go’ and BAM. like lightning even though I was closing eyes, a FLASH of bright light appears ( i mean seriously, even when you have your eyes shut?..that means it goes into you!) and a sharp pain coincides with its arrival. Ouch. AHHHH! Owww! AHHH! Yea, its called being scared and hurt at the same time in pitch darkness so you don’t know when its coming. I reckon it would be a good cure for hiccups but in this case, I don’t like surprises. I kind of wanted to stop it in the middle, but then I though of all of you and I was like Roseanne, suck it up. I swear I shook a little every time he pulsed that evil light into me. It only lasted 5 or so minutes, but man was I glad that was over and done with. Dr. Ram says that people do this during their lunch break, I wonder what they’re on.

Then off to another room I went for my Light Chemical Peel to boost radiance and help with any pigmentation. I’ve heard of chemical peels and honestly it sounds a bit intimidating but I was assured that it was only fruit acids. It wasn’t much of a peel either. I held a tube of air to my face to quicken and dry the process as Dr. Ram swabbed a huge cotton bud (quite a novelty actually) over my face. There was a light burning sensation but this was after the IPL and I was just thankful I wasn’t getting flashes of light.

Just a few precautions though. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup or wash my face for the next three hours as the peel is water soluble and for at least 2 weeks, I had to avoid direct sunlight and wear loads of sunscreen. This wasn’t helpful in Hong Kong’s sun where I flew to the next day (made sure I received no treatments with downtime), so I carried an umbrella everywhere I went. I wasn’t the only one though!

The clinic could use another sink, but who cares? [Although it is important because I'm sure there are a lot of clinics who can do these three treatments for you and if they charge about the same, the one with the better ambience wins, its like manicures and pedicures]. But, you’re in there to get a job done, and you’re getting a job done by people who know what they’re doing. And the results? My skin looks better than when I left Melbourne a month ago, I mean I have a zit now but thats inevitable. I peeled tons in Hong Kong, but after the peeling, I don’t see a major difference in my scars but I look radiant I suppose. Dr. Ram says its a gradual process, so maybe I’ll update with a finale picture later.

& Lookee Here, PROMO PRICES, quoted from the email:

What’s more, all readers who join HealthTrends Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/healthtrends) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/HealthTrends4U) will also get insanely discounted prices for all of the above treatments for a limited time period (within 1 month of your blog review posted). They have to quote their Facebook and Twitter “usernames” when they call to make an appointment with the clinic.

 Promo prices for your readers:

- Acne Scar reduction by Mosaic eCO2 fractional laser. Promo price: $699 per session. (UP $1200 per session)
- Skin Rejuvenation and removal of pigmentation by USA Medlite C6 Laser. Promo price: $215 per session (UP $320 per session)
- Skin Rejuvenation and removal of pigmentation by Rejuvenating Peel by TCA. Promo price: $55  (UP $280 per session)”

AS OF JULY 26, THERE IS A GIVEAWAY ON MY FB PAGE: www.facebook.com/roseannetangrs CLICK LIKE AND COMMENT ENTER ME UNDER THE GIVEAWAY POST TO WIN A FREEEE MICRODERMABRASION, IPL and LIGHT CHEMICAL PEEL. FOR SINGAPORE PEOPLE ONLY. kay thanks. :)

xx Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

I had a wonderful time today!! Met up with Diana, Sarah, Kas, Sophia, Anonymous Bosch, Amy, Chantana, Elaine, Honey and Munirah! We all gathered at Pacific Coffee @ Vivocity and gave the lovely Sarah whose birthday was just a few days ago a surprise cake and celebration and we then headed to MAC then Inuovi where Sarah had a 40% birthday discount! Some of us, including me went out the stores a little lighter in the wallet before we munched our way through Carls Junior burgers and ended the outing with a $2 spree at Daiso. It was lovely meeting all of you, including Anonymous Bosch (did not want to be featured :) ) Honey, Munirah and Elaine who I have not met previously. I will miss you all when I leave!

Here’s a picture vlog!

Lovely Group Picture!

Elaine & Honey at Pacific Company :)

chit-chatting :)

the yummy birthday cake!

Birthday girl forgot to blow out the candle before cutting the cake! haha

Yum! Cake.

Sophia with Daiso Cat Ears! haha

And because I said I left this outing with a lighter wallet, here is what I bought:

1. MAC 168 – okay Sara, this is your fault. KIDDING haha. I wanna try this for Contouring. I’ve tried angled brushes before and never liked it, but when I picked this up from the Lilyland display, played with its bristles, and felt it in my hand, I just knew. You know that feeling.

2. MAC Pencil Sharpener – needed one for my new Urban Decay Pencils – I’m a brand whore.

3. MAC Cremesheen Shy Girl Lipstick – I’ve wanted this lipstick for very long – its supposed to be a rosy natural nude that I can wear everyday and I’m very pleased. It’s def. leaning on the nude side but doesn’t show that much in the picature. Here is a lip swatch!:

4. Inuovi Brush Cleanser – Heard rave reviews from the lovely Sarah! And I must say it takes EVERYTHING off :) i needed a hardy brush cleaner for my MAC 187 white bristles because my foundation had an attachment problem with them. But now I’ve finally filed a divorce with this! Absolutely wonderful!

I cant believe Im leaving on Wed!

Love,

Roseanne

Have a wonderful day!!

Hey Everyone,

For some odd reason – to me, Shiseido was one of those brands hidden back in the recesses of my mind next to SKII, Estee Lauder and La Mer – a counter that I saw constantly in every department store and in every airport  but a brand that I would never consider buying from until at least after I got married..and maybe had kids. But, I must say that yesterday’s workshop really changed my mind about its image. I am honestly very pleased with the quality of their products when I swatched them at the event!

Thanks to the lovely Pearlin again, I was invited to Shiseido’s exclusive workshop where we were introduced to Shiseido’s new Spring/Summer Collection 2010 and given a lovely hair and make-up make-over. Shiseido’s Spring/Summer Collection, summarized in four words – floral, light, pastel and sheer – which is what every spring/summer collection should strive to attain. Absolutely Lovely!

Do note that these products have not yet been launched, get your wish lists ready!

Blushes ($59 each)

Floral petals. Thats what first came to mind the moment I saw these. Absolutely stunning – my favourite one is RD 103 and I happened to get PK 304 in the goodie bag (to be revealed later) which is in Carnation :) I thought these were actually quite sheer but easy to layer on as a very blendable powder. The collection also includes two highlighters in matte white and beige. I absolutely love the matte white. I’ve been staying away from highlighters because I feel like they add a greasy look to the face with the shimmers but because this is totally matte = A+ – it performs and adds light perfectly to the top of my cheekbones and on my nose bridge.

Lipsticks ($43 each)

The lipsticks for the new Spring/Summer Collection are available in tender sheer and glowing matte. I must say when they say ‘tender sheer’ it really means sheer haha. You’ll be able to see from Sarah’s blog (www.facesbysarah.onsugar.com) that a really dark lipstick produces a quite light swatch – great for the natural look that people aim for on sunny days to the park or beach. I tried a few lipsticks yesterday and I am def. pleased with the formula – it feels like nyx (smooth) but stays on for longer :) the tester packaging is soo cute too – round petal like so when they try to stand up, they look like wiggly russian bubushka dolls :) However, the real lipsticks, stand up straight :).

Lipglosses ($39 each)

Shimmery, glittery, these shiseido lipglosses are definetly beautiful on the lips, they bring the perfect amount of light. I tried one of them on after the event that I received from the goodie bag (the pink one next to the browns) and I am def. loving the formula. Super smooth, super light, and never like a MAC lipgloss. Wonduhful!

Eyeshadows ($43)

Of course retailing for 40 sum dollars, you surely aren’t getting non-pigmented eye-shadows. These aren’t matte, they are pearly and the colors are definetly setting the mode for this collection!

Powder Foundation:

Ignore the eye-shadows on the side haha. Wide range of colors but wasn’t pleased with the coverage. A beautiful powder reminiscent of Chanel’s Matte Lumiere :)

The event was of course absolutely wonderful :) I met up with Pearlin, Sarah and Mag before for lunch at Marche (had Marche the night before too haha) and met Mag for the first time (author of makeupstash) and she’s absolutely very joyful and energetic, it was a pleasure to meet all of you before the event! With full stomachs, we made our way to the office early and the office was really nice in fact, I felt like I was in a beauty magazine’s office:

We crazily swatched after giving a mini brief over of the new collection coming out thanks to the lovely Iris Chai and here are pictures of make-overs etc:

me with the make-up artist :)

Mag doing Elaine’s make-up :)

Christy getting the hair done :)

Overall, it was amazing, and the goodie bag was absolutely wonderful!!

thanks Sarah for you know what :D

Now I’ll have plenty of Shiseido to try out :) Funny how misconceptions can easily turn 360 :P

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone,

Kiyoko and I infront of Taka’s store but I went to Ion for the below review..

For all of you too busy out there to catch a glimpse of the new set-up for Urban Decay’s Launch in Singapore, here I am to save the day. Well, not really. The launch at ION wasn’t as fantastically awesome as I envisioned it to be – no people dressed as urban decay primer potions, handing out urban decay primer potions and little cupcakes with urban decay sprinkles (what a dream :)) – just regular sephora sales assistants wearing the same black shirts but with the words UD stamped on their backs floating around the seemingly empty looking launch. The event on facebook said the event was supposed to be open at 12 PM, I went at about 12:30 and I swear it was a little lonely with just me and another and what seemed like 10 sales assistants wondering where the crowd went. I seriously thought I would get pummelled, scratched and even gnawed on. But nope, none of that excitement at all.

Apparently though people were queuing in front of Sephora stores earlier than the event, rushed in got their stuff and fled out. :) It’s probably because it’s still a week day and its not limited edition or anything.

Anyway, I really wasn’t supposed to take pictures but of course Roseanne makes sacrifices for you all, so I quickly snapped two pictures in a sea of sales assistants just for you:

Man, I’m good. Anyway I found that the prices were actually really reasonable and little did I know that there is actually a third primer potion – its a matte nude one in Eden – how exciting! They’re $32 each and most products are in the thirty dollar range! Theres also a lip primer ($35) and lash primer ($35) next to the stars of urban decay – the primer potions. :) After those are the face primers ($55 each).

I should really be doing this for a living. Ok anyway yay! 24/7 liners, I’m def. getting my hands on these cuz I heard they are really good, smudge proof pencils and awesome enough, they are only $30 each! I expected a lot more for some reason! Palettes range from $40 – $60 I think.

So What did I get??

Nothing. Well, yet. I’m attending the Urban Decay’s Master Class by Eric Jimminez with Jasmine (xbeanie :D) on Saturday and I have a $75 fully redeemable voucher for Urban Decay (If i buy two items, I get another survival kit with makeup remover and stuff supposedly and I think 24/7 liner) and a goodie bag so look forward to a huge haul on Saturday :) Just a heads up though – I def. want a primer potion (duh) and 24/7 liners!! Probably will redeem the Original primer potion, Eden primer potion (want to try it out and review for sure, i didn’t even know it existed till now) and 24/7 Liner in Zero (black) and I know thats more than $75 but I can pay the $19 difference for another primer potion :)

So I hope this was helpful for you!

Love,

Roseanne

www.twitter.com/roseannetangrs

P.S Makeupstash.com did a comprehensive review including whats in the goodie bag when you purchase 2 or more UD products, and all the prices of everything:

http://www.makeupstash.com/2010/02/urban-decay-at-sephora-ion.html

Her UD price list:

http://www.makeupstash.com/2010/02/urban-decay-singapore-price-list.html