Happiness is a Gift: Merry Christmas Lancôme!

I can't believe how quickly the year is passing, it's just another two months before it's my favourite time of the year: Christmas!!

My favourite part of Christmas has got to be the happy and festive mood all around, lots of meet-ups and gatherings and dinners with all of my closest friends! Let's not forget all the exchanging of Christmas presents too, because Christmas is the season of giving, and I especially enjoy shopping for the best gifts for those dear to me! It's truly the happiest feeling in the world to be making merry with your loved ones :)

Christmas came early for me this year, because I got invited to a sneak preview of what's coming up this Christmas for one of my most loved beauty brands: Lancôme!

 Specially for this Christmas, take a break and indulge yourself in Lancôme's iconic Advanced Génifique anti-aging facial at $120.. The best part? This $120 is fully redeemable for products! That's equivalent to a free facial!

I headed down to Lancôme's first stand-alone flagship store at Capitol Piazza, all ready to pamper my skin!

[ Lancôme Ma Maison at Capitol Piazza ]

La Maison Lancôme is an absolutely stunning space, and I love how opulent it is!

Such a gorgeous display of lipsticks: Any beauty lover would be mesmerised by it!

There's a dedicated area for Lancôme's coveted luxury skincare range: Lancôme Absolue!

And my favourite section of the store: The beautiful fragrance section that has constellations of crystals hanging down from a grand chandelier.

These little objects are actually caps in which the fragrances are enclosed in. Isn't the whole set-up just beautiful?

A hidden door in a corner of La Maison Lancôme opens up to a secret cabin where I was led to for my Advanced Génifique Youth Activating facial treatment!

A peek into the facial room, with Lancôme's signature customised therapy bed and ambient mood lighting that changes to suit every different facial experience!

The full range of Lancôme products used during this pampering facial treatment.. Trust me when I say this will be one of the most indulgent and luxurious facials you'll experience!

 [ Youth Activating Facial Treatment - The Experience ]

My facial session was incredible! 

I dozed off into a comfortable nap whilst the well-trained beauty therapists used fusion massage techniques expertly not just on my face, but also on my limbs and body.. The expert touch of the therapist was so soothing and comfortable that it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to fully relax and fall asleep! Soothing music and the dim, ambient mood lighting really helped me unwind and fully immerse myself in the entire multi-sensorial experience.

All of my favourite products from the Advanced Genifique and Visionnaire ranges were used during the facial, and I was gently roused after the 90-minute long session to that feeling of remarkable well-being, and velvety soft skin!

I felt like I didn't even need much makeup because of the amazing post-facial glow! Not just my skin, even my tired body and soul felt rejuvenated and rested from the session.

Of course, Lancôme is famed for their makeovers: at just $120 per person or $180 for two people! It's all fully redeemable in products once again, which is so worth-while.

You don't have to worry, as Lancôme's informative and helpful boutique manager, Elyse, at Lancôme will be more than happy to recommend the best products and shades for you!

Though my skin already looked so good even without makeup that, I couldn't help but to put on some lipstick and mascara! ;) 

[ Youth Activating Facial Treatment + Holiday Makeover Promotion ]

In case you didn't catch what I mentioned earlier, these special promotions are available for this holiday season, at Lancôme's Christmas Atrium at Paragon, from 29 October to 4 November 2015! 

In fact, you can already register online for the Youth Activating Facial Treatment at $120 per pax (fully redeemable for Lancome products) or Holiday Makeover at the Paragon Atrium for $120 per pax or $180 for 2 people (fully redeemable for Lancome products), and get yourself an early bird gift worth $103 too too if you sign up before 20 October 2359h!

[ Christmas Atrium at Paragon, 29 Oct – 4 Nov ]

Lancôme has so much to offer this Christmas, you really need to go check it out! I always look forward to Lancome's super value-for-money Christmas sets and limited edition palettes!! *hearts*

I fell in love with Lancôme's special Christmas Palette: La Palette 29, Faubourg Saint Honoré, Limited Edition Smoky Eyes and Ombré Lips that has yet to be launched.. Both the packaging and the colors inside were so stunning!

The shades are so beautiful! I love the champagne, gold, and mauve purple tones, perfect for dressing up my eyes this Christmas!

There are also two lip colors and a lip balm/primer, protected by a flap cover which I find are very thoughtful elements to help protect the lip colors from getting contaminated by the eyeshadow pigments by accident!

And this is the ultimate Christmas gift set that I know I would LOVE to receive! The Ô Beauty Box Set that's worth $588, but will only cost $118 with minimum spend of $130! 

With so much going on this Christmas, I know it's gonna be a splendid one! Don't forget to register early at http://www.lancomesg.com/happy-holidays  for the Youth Activating Facial Treatment / Holiday Makeover, you'll get a 4-pc Early Bird Set worth $103 when you register before 20 October 2359hrs!

The one value that encapsulates the essence of Christmas and makes this celebration so memorable is happiness, and I can't wait to celebrate a magical and happy Christmas this season with all my loved ones!

xoxo

YSL’s Signature Eye Looks - The Parisian Look

I love getting makeovers done, and it is especially exciting when you get to learn during the process of it! From one of the finest luxury makeup brands in town no less: I'm talking about Yves Saints Laurent (or is it Saint Laurent Paris now?) that boasts of fine Paris sophistication and class. 

There are three signature Yves Saint Laurent Looks: the Parisian Eye, Couture Eye, and Tuxedo Eye. 

Each look has been meticulously designed to best suit different occasions, and I had the Parisian Look done on me by the skilled Zona at YSL Ion Boutique! In my opinion, the Parisian Look is the most wearable, most classic of all three looks, and absolutely stunning!

The Parisian Look features an elongated and sophisticated eye, that is subtly blended into a soft smokey cat eye with gentle contours and definition. Put together with just a light touch of color on the cheeks and lips, it is the perfect look for a dressed up dinner when you want to look sophisticated without being over the top glamorous.

Before and after eyeshadow application comparison: Left is after, and right is before! (Please ignore my messy brows, they are shameful~~)

I really love how it gives definition to the eye, with the blended out shadows! No harsh lines which can be very distracting at times.

The trick is using a darker shadow in the outer corner of your eye to wing it outwards and upwards, before blending it back to the middle of your eye. This helps to elongate and open up the eye, while creating contours that allow the eye to appear more deep set.

Instead of me explaining it, here's YSL's creative director Lloyd Simmonds, doing a demonstration of the Parisian Eye! There are also videos that demonstrate the Tuxedo Eye, and Couture Eye as well.

Do take a look at Evonne's informative blog post on the YSL Couture Eye Step-by-Step! The Couture Look is super gorgeous on Evonne's beautiful eyes, so yes, go look at her blog post just to feast your eyes on her lovely pictures! :P

If you were curious as to which products were used on me to create the wonderful Parisian Look, here are some of them below:

I love the luxe packaging of YSL, with its gold on black accents, and beautiful touches like the embossed logo on the cases! The reflective gold surfaces do tend to attract a lot of fingerprints though, which isn't so pretty after awhile ;(

Le Teint Touche Eclat UV SPF30 PA++

This liquid foundation is ultra light-weight and silky, and I was so impressed with how luminous my complexion looked after application! You can find more information on Makeup Blogette's post on the Le Teint Touche Eclat UV.

I've honestly never needed a good foundation as much as I do now, because of the recent breakouts that has resulted in marks and blemishes all over my cheeks and chin :'( I really hate piling on heavy makeup, but it's pretty much a necessity now for me to have on foundation and concealer and the full works, especially when I'm out and about attending events and having to look presentable. Sigh! Thankfully, Le Teint Touche Eclat is so light-weight that it feels like its barely there, while at the same time doing a terrific job at evening out my complexion and providing decent coverage on those angry red blemishes.

Le Teint Touche Éclat Compact SPF35 PA+++

The perfect powder to set off the Le Teint Touche Eclat UV liquid foundation, but this powder compact works fabulous on its on as well! It is incredibly incredibly finely milled, and I love how the shade (BD30 for me) blends in seamlessly into my skin. I carry this around for touch-ups and have nothing but praises for it! Even with my skin which is being all flaky and dry lately, application of the Le Teint Touche Eclat compact powder doesn't look cakey because the powder is just so fine. The coverage is medium-ish, so if you don't have any major complexion issues, this would be great to just even out the skin tone, hide minor imperfections and offer protection from the sun at the same time! (I love makeup products with SPF protection hahaha)

Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

This highlighter/concealer pen is so highly raved I don't think I need to tell you how good it is. YSL believes in bringing out your contours with the help of highlighting the right areas of your face, as opposed to using bronzing/shading techniques and the Touche Eclat is one of their most famous products! It helps to instantly brighten and illuminate the skin, and I especially like using it on my under eyes! It's real easy to use to with its brush pen format, you just have to click the top of the pen to release the product, then dab onto the skin with its brush tip. I like to pat it in with my fingers to blend the product after application :)

Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette (20)

I love love love warm shimmery shades when it comes to eyeshadows, so this palette is perfect for me! The colors in this palette work so well together, and I really adore gold/bronze eye shadows because they are so wearable! You'd also love the way the powders are so smooth yet pigmented at the same time, with a beautiful shimmer. They can be used wet too, for intensified effect!

Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof

This mascara blew my socks off: Zona used it on me without even curling my lashes, which are usually stubbornly stick straight when left on their own, and yet the mascara managed to lift and curl my lashes, whilst giving them volume and length at the same time! No clumping nor flaking at all! This mascara formula sure packs a punch! It is a pretty thick and heavy formula though, and would borderline on the dramatic, so it's not for those who prefer their lashes a wee bit more natural! :)

Rouge Volupte Shine (15 Corail Intuitive)

Lastly, one of my favourite lipsticks ever, both in terms of color and formula! I fell in love with this once Zona the make-up artist applied it on my lips. The color is a soft coral pink which shows up more pink than coral on me, and gives the most fabulous sheen of color to my lips! It's feminine without being overtly girly, and doesn't make me look older like some stronger lip colors tend to do. The lipstick itself is a beauty as well with an ultra sleek and beautifully designed casing. Super love!

***

Some pictures taken right after I got my makeover done: I had an event to attend that day, so thank you YSL for making me look so gorgeous! (Self-praise is acceptable in this case hehehe)

By the way, if you are interested in getting a makeover done at the YSL Boutique for a special occasion, it costs $200 which is fully redeemable with YSL Beauty products! Which basically translates into being free of charge if you purchase $200 worth of YSL beauty products! Totally worth it, if you ask me.

Appointment is required so please call 65987423 for an appointment at YSL Beauty boutique at ION Orchard! :)

At Kiehl's Powerhouse event, here's Jacelyn, Jermaine, Nadia, myself, Evonne, Jayne and Shirleen! :)

The Dream Team AKA #三个神经病的 looking fabulous woohooo!

All the girls were swooning over the dashing George Young, who made an extremely humorous and charming emcee for the evening! (Good one, Kiehl's!)

One with the hamsum George himself, oooh look, we're in matching monochromatics! Teehee.

***

Happy Labour Day to all!

Which also means.. Whaaaaaaat it's May already?! Unbelievable how almost half the year has passed in the blink of an eye. Time seems to be accelerating at the speed of light, every year. But well, life is good, and there's much to be thankful for every day :) For instance, my mummy made the most delicious laksa today and I am so glad to have the luxury of home-cooked food prepared with love! Home-cooked meals are the best :)

2013 has been.. different, so far. I guess maybe it's because I'm in the midst of a transitional phase and my life priorities this year has definitely shifted somewhat. It feels like I've yet to find my equilibrium, but I know that things will fall into place at the right time, and I'm just gonna let everything work itself out at its own pace! :) 平常心!

Two more fabulous days to the weekend, folks! Have a great one!

xoxo

I'M BACKKK.

i'm sorry for disappearing off the radar for the past week... just so you know, i feel REALLY REALLY bad about it :((( which is why i'm sneaking some time in before rehearsal to quickly blog a short post before all of you get angry with me! :(

i guess it's one of those weeks when i just kind of need a break, away from the online world and sort of hide in my little hole for abit. but i'm good now, and i promise i'll go and answer all the formspring questions and reply the comments/emails and everything! i have been updating constantly on instagram though, since it doesn't require me to actually get on the web :S so if you've been missing my updates, go and look for me on instagram!! @yinagoh :D

other than being busy with TVD (Gina just came back from her 11 days Aussie trip so it's been a little more hectic on the war front these past 11 days), i also had a concert last weekend as the SYC Ensemble Singers were guest performing at SMU Chamber Choir's concert. and then i was busy with a couple of events/shoots here and there.. and then i had some little personal issues to settle so i really just wanted to shut the door on all the unnecessary distractions and stress :( i am really guilty about it now cos i just logged into Formspring to see lots of questions and comments, some asking why i have been missing and all that.

so YES. i am back back back back :D promise not to disappear again so soon, but i guess i do need my "alone" time every once in awhile when things get overwhelming.

just a short post with some pictures of what i've been up to lately.. and i have many more blog posts in line too! :) lots of stuff to share while i've been "missing"!

i got sick of looking at my terribly disgusting nails: the last time i did a manicure was last November and it was a Gelish manicure... after which i just kept on clipping my nails shorter and shorter til the Gelish portions all started to grow out :X can you imagine how gross they looked?! lots of peeling cuticles and flaky nail bits, so i couldn't stand it any longer and went down to my manicurist to get something done!

really inspired by all the Aztec prints lately, so i looked for a pretty Aztec design, and got my manicurist to do it for me and OMG it is sooooo pretty even though i spent 2 hours sitting there until my butt was sore!!!

DENG DENG! so love right! :D

some more every finger is different one. wahahha!

and a close up! :D they are all hand drawn on by my skilled manicurist!! i absolutely looove the pastel colors and everyone's been complimenting the nails left right centre cos they are really so damn pretty. kudos to my manicurist Eve for doing such a fab job! ^_^ just looking at the nails perk me up :D

and i've been spamming Instagram a lot, with pictures of my sultry makeover done by PUPA's international make up artist, Giorgio Forgani! i was asked to be the face model for a make-up demo, and the requested look was a smokey cat eye look. it is seriously a look that i never ever thought i could carry off! i generally look like someone punched me in both eyes whenever i attempt smokey eyes.

here's the huge range of PUPA products, i love the baked eye shadows and this illuminating concealer pen! will probably share about those products again in a future post!

with the dashing Giorgio Forgani who has worked with many gorgeous faces such as Naomi Campbell, and Monica Belluci!

check out the amazing eyes he created. like super chio!

i changed my hair parting in order to get that long side swept fringe and to also reveal my highlights to go with the whole look.

the lashes that are super duper long thanks to the mascara. will review the mascara soon! randomly, i wonder where the name "mascara" originated from. it sounds so glamorous and sexy when said aloud!

last act sultry shot :D haha! very not my style, I know!! but it is quite refreshing for a change! :D

floral blazer lovin' with this manufactured piece that just arrived and everyone is smitten with! it feels super luxe thanks to the silky smooth inner lining and the prints are simple to die for! this time round, we've also decided to make it in sizes so that we can cater to more girls! :) will come in S, M and L! :D i wear a size M!

I kept both colours of the blazer! Will post more pictures of the other color maybe in the next post :D

and lastly, my new goodies from ahbengshop.sg!! super awesome new melty iPhone case in happy lime green and hot pink, and a case for my new baby iPad which I almost lost last week omg! next time tell u more. thankeww Evonne! love them super much!!

gtg for rehearsal now! I will blog again soon!! byeeee!!

Salon Vim: BFF hair makeover!!!

i don't know if you remember me blogging about Salon Vim's "Touching Lives with a Heart for the People" community project here, but when John sent out an email regarding the project, i knew i had to write in to try to get the free hair makeover for one of my closest friends since our poly days, Farah.

we've known each other ever since we were 17, and have seen each other grow up and change over the past 8 years... gosh, 8 years is a really long time, and i'm glad that some friends always stay true to you regardless of anything. well.. i don't know about you, but the feeling really sucks when you know that your close friend is going through a difficult time, and you're so helpless... all you can is to watch them suffer :( you want to help so badly, but some things are just not within your control.

i really felt like that when Farah was having the worst year of her life, and i couldn't do anything to make her feel better :( i'm not gonna go into details, cos i don't think it's right to share another person's personal life publicly, but i knew that a free hair makeover (which was what Salon Vim was offering for its project) sounded perfect for Farah, cos she's been struggling with her long and thick hair for the longest time, and not daring to cut it cos its rebonded and once you cut it, it's gonna be curling all over the place!

so i wrote in to Salon Vim, with Farah's plight and how she really needed the free hair makeover, and i was so so so so elated when Salon Vim told me that they picked Farah for the hair makeover!! ahhhh!!! it feels damn good to win something for someone else, especially when you know how much they need it!!! :)

guess some of you would know that Farah's working for TVD now too, heh (: so we took an off day together, and headed to Salon Vim for our magical hair transformations! :D

 

 

Steph attended to both of us, and did her magic as always, i LOVE the new hair color and highlights she did for me from the Autumn Winter 2011 collection, it's a combination of the Time Master and Guardian Angel (love the cool names!!) color/highlight technique, and she used a gorgeous warm copper brown for my base color, followed with red and orange highlights that are SO SO nice! honestly, every time i go back to Salon Vim, Steph somehow manages to make my hair look more and more gorgeous every single time. i don't know how she does it!!

as for Farah, Steph gave her a new look by cutting bangs for her, as well as trimming her hair into a more manageable shape after soft straightening and treatment!

i couldn't believe how pretty my dearest friend looked, after the hair makeover!!!!

 

HEE. helped Farah put on some light makeup as well, eyeliner and etc, and she is so sweet and ravishing!!! :') you don't know how happy we both were. i miss Farah looking so pretty and happy... and i'm so glad to see that Farah coming back now!

 

Farah & I! yayyy! we both love our new hair so much!

 

together with the best hair stylist ever.. Steph! 

a great big THANK YOU to Gary, director of Salon Vim, for being sooo generous. THANK YOU GARY!!! you don't know how much it means to Farah, and how happy i am for her as well :)

 

group picture together with Steph and John, John was in charge of spearheading the community project as well, so we owe him a big THANK YOU too!!! thank you John!!! thank you Steph!!!

:')

a free hair makeover may seem like a small and superficial thing, but i really believe that by starting small, it has the power to kickstart a series of changes and positivity!!! and i am SO glad that Farah has had the hair makeover, all thanks to Salon Vim. i really really want to see my best friends happy, and to think that i played a small part in it (by writing in heehee) makes me feel happy as well!

 

we went for dinner at Marche after our long session at the hair salon, to fill up our growling stomachs! the food tasted really good that day, i'm not sure if it's cos we were so hungry, or so happy, or both! :D the banana caramel crepes with ice cream were out of this world, and rosti never tasted soooo shiok! we stuffed ourselves. hahahaha. oh yes, i was wearing the new co-manufactured with LilyPirates London Bridge Blazer in Cream.. i'm so tempted to keep both colors (Teal Blue & Cream) cos it has such a smart cut! LOVE TTM. maybe i'll post up more pictures of it soon.

and a handwritten thank-you note specially from Farah to Salon Vim... :') 

 

hahaha i'm sure this handwriting is familiar to TVD's customers :P

all we want to say is... THANK YOU SALON VIM!!!! you made this hair makeover possible, and changed a person's life for the better. thank you. thank you thank you thank you!

of course, i feel very grateful myself every time i step into Salon Vim, cos i'm also so spoiled and pampered in their good hands!!! and i am SO in love with my latest hair, so i had to camwhore with it (but of course) with my new ring light. i don't care if any trolls and flamers start insulting me about looking auntie with red hair and all that shit. I LOVE MY HAIR AND I'M PROUD OF IT.

i love the red highlights in my fringe especially (the Guardian of Light technique!), not too garishly done cos the red is hidden under a layer of brown so it peeks out prettily.. and as usual, my hair feels in better condition after doing the two step treatment, it's so much softer and manageable! simply in love with the new look!

remember that you can quote my name YINA for 10% off all hair services at Salon Vim! :)

SALON VIM
313 @ Somerset #04-07/08/09
vimsalon@yahoo.com.sg
68847757/68847767

http://salonvimbychezvous.com.sg/

check out Salon Vim's facebook page too, for the latest promos and services available! :)


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RANDOMLY. i think one of my separators fell out HAHAHAH and i probably swallowed it or something!! -_- was feeling my teeth with my tongue yesterday and suddenly realized that one of my separators (the one that broke) was not there anymore OMFG HAHAHAHA.

it's probably in my stomach now.

but i called the orthodontist and the staff said that it's OK lol. my next appointment is tomorrow so i don't have to go back to replace it or anything! woohoo. can't wait for tomorrow to come!!! and today i'm going for a TV programme filming LOL for channel 8. BUFFET SHOW. shiok or not. i go and eat buffet liao. cos once i get my braces on, i probably won't be able to eat properly for a couple of weeks!

SO EGGCITED.

k. need to go wash up and get ready now. bye!!!!!