bSoul Hydra Lip review

So, I managed to try an amazing lip product recently - bSoul Hydra Lip - with special thanks to Herine for this sponsorship from Meditrina! :)

I was half-curious and half-skeptical while reading Mia’s review some time back and decided that I really ought to try it for myself after she insisted that “it’s very different!” haha ;)

If you’re new to the bSoul products like me, here’s a brief introduction to the brand:

"bSoul is the first eco-friendly phytoceutical cosmetic line rich in certified active principles. From nature, the performance of a natural but ingredient-rich line, which gives the best to the skin, while respecting the skin and the environment: both of them are a heritage to protect. This is the reason behind the decision to exclude the use of parabens, silicones, petrolatum, paraffin, SLES and of course no testing on animals.
bSoul skin care is truly certified by ICEA (Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute) and well received in Italy. "

***

I don’t have severe issues with my lips usually, perhaps just a little chapped once in a while when I travel to a cold country or feel "heaty". However, I will welcome a good lip balm any time to prevent problems from occurring at all, especially the high risk of excessive drying due to prolong time spent in the air-conditioned environment (I work, shop, exercise and sleep all under air-conditioning).

The problem with the usual lip balms is that they form a synthetic film over the surface of the lips, causing us to think that our lips are properly moisturized? Such ingredients do not work any further than just the surface and may even cause our own body and skin to forget to function by itself! Otherwise, the lip balm will stay as a protective layer until your next meal or tea, or until you just decided to eat it up to get rid of that oily or waxy feeling over your lips.

On the other hand, the bSoul Hydra Lip is a lip cream that gets absorbed in almost in less than a minute! No more problems with ingesting your lip care product or having oily lips even in the early morning.

How to use?

Simply put on a sparing amount on both lips and rub them lightly against each other like you would do when putting on lipsticks, and viola! The cream is absorbed and your lips get moisturised in an instant.

1. Before the application

2. Immediately after the application

3. Massaging the cream into the lips

4. 1 minute after the application

I didn't find flakes coming off as the cream is massaged into my lips. Probably cos like I've mentioned, I don't usually use lip colour that contains synthetic ingredients or silicon. If you do, worry not to find your lips flaking as it is simply getting rid of the "dead skin cells" caused by the artificial ingredients of your lip products.

However, if you're sharp, there's a red sore-like bump on my lips due to my body being heaty recently. I circled it in step 1 picture for your convenience. This red "sore" actually disappeared after I applied the lip cream. Amazing. It actually calmed down the sore, probably due to the active ingredients used? Or the moisturizing effect of the product simply aided it.

For those who put on lipstick on a daily basis, this lip cream preps your lips well and reduces any waiting time before the lip colour. Hence, great news if you’re looking to shorten your preparation time before heading out every day.

Even for those who do not use lip colour like me, this lip cream moisturizes and reveals the natural nude pink tone of your lips, completing your makeup almost instantaneously.

It definitely served me well for my dinner recently :)

bSoul Hydra-Lip retails at SGD$52 on Meditrina website.

Key HuiZi10% for 10% off your Hydra-Lip purchase. Meaning you can get it at only SGD$46.80! :)

For online members, every $10 spent accumulates 1 credit point. Every 1 credit point offset $1 off  future purchases!

***

Visit bSoul Singapore Facebook page HERE.

For more products endorsed by Meditrina, click HERE.

Korean Skin Care - Skinwecare SG

Haven't been blogging much except the advertorials due because of my busier-than-usual schedule. If you wanna know more of my day-to-day activities, you can view it on Instagram @OYHZ :)

2015 had been certainly different from other years.

Q1 saw me travelling to the furthest country I've ever been step foot on - the U.S.

Spent the first CNY without much preparations unlike past years, simply because I was too tired from many things. But still managed to enjoy CNY pretty much!

Had a performance at the Istana on CNY day 2 and met with Mr President and the lovely First Lady.

Also the first CNY where M and I went visiting as Fiancé/Fiancée :`)

And we just had our pre-wedding photoshoot done earlier this month in one of his favourite cities!

Hmm, now that I look back, it seems like a somewhat satisfying quarter :) Then, there are still more to come, I truly pray to pull them off successfully!

***

Alright, before I digress further, let me know get back to what I started out for this post - my korean skin care supplies!

Many friends know I am an avid fan of Japanese brand-name, Shiseido - I have been using various products from Shiseido since 18 years old and am still using currently!

However, with the Korean wave on-going in recent years, I couldn’t help but be tempted to try skin care from a few of the big Korean skin care brands every now and then. I still stick to Shiseido for my basic cleanser and serum, but with further add-ons in the regime from Korean brands such as Laneige, InnisFree, TheFaceShop, and so on.

Some of my regularly used Korean skin care products are these!

One of my must-use sleeping mask is from Laniege. Water Sleeping Pack.

Laneige came up with an upgraded version last year which has an additional benefit to it – firming effects! Not only that, after an advertorial for TheFaceShop last year, I was hooked onto their natura sun eco sunscreen! On top of it, I also love TFS white seed exfoliating wash which is gentle yet effective still as a daily scrub.

Not in the picture are InnisFree super jeju volcanic pore clay mask and Skinfood black sugar scrub which I use periodically too!

Another reason why I started purchasing Korean skin care products is because I have the chance to get them at prices much cheaper than retail stores, and some even cheaper than buying from Korea retailers!

Curious to know where? It's none other than Skinwecare SG!

I have been purchasing my Korean skin care supplies from Skinwecare SG since two years back in 2013 (I paid for all my usual skin care alright ^^) and I would like to emphasize that not only their prices are far lower than retail pricing, the service given had been impeccable. 

They provide meetup services for purchases above $50, and also door-step deliveries for bulk orders. So if you would like the convenience, gather some like-minded female colleagues to place orders together and Skinwecare SG can make deliveries to your offices! :)

Skinwecare SG focuses more on popular brand-name Laneige. Check out the website for their latest Laneige product prices:

(Price updated on 22 Feb 2015)

Basic Care Series 

Power essence skin refiner: $31

Power Essential Skin Refiner Light: $31

Power Essential Skin Refiner Sensitive: $31

Balancing Emulsion (moisture): $33

Balancing Emulsion (sensitive): $33

Water Bank EX Series

Water bank Double Gel Soothing Mask: $30

Water bank essence EX: $46

Water bank gel cream EX: $40

Water Bank Moisture cream EX: $40

Water Bank Eye Gel EX: $38

White Plus Renew Series

White Plus Renew Original Essence: $50

White Plus Renew Eye Cream: $41

White Plus Renew Purifying Mask:$35

White Plus Renew Bubble Cleanser:$28

White Plus Renew Skin Refiner: $32

White Plus Renew Emulsion:$34

White Plus Renew Skin Night cream: $43

Perfect Renew Series

Perfect Renew Skin Refiner: $38

Perfect Renew Emulsion: $41

Perfect Renew Essence: $60

Perfect Renew Night Treatment: $63

Perfect Renew Cream: $59

Perfect Renew Firming Eye Cream:$50

Time freeze Series

Time Freeze Essence: $62

Time Freeze Wrinkle Filler:$48

Pore Care Series

Pore Tightening Essence: $39

Pore Clearing Essence: $30

Pore Deep Clearing Foam: $20

Pore Minimizing Pack: $26

Blackhead melting gel:$28

Black Head Pore strips 10 sheets:$13

Trouble Care Series

Trouble Relief Toner:$30

Trouble Relief Cream:$38

Trouble Spot Gel:$30

Mask Series

Water Sleeping Pack: $28

Multi Berry Yogurt Repair Pack:$28

Multi Berry Yogurt Repair Gel:$26

Firming Sleeping Pack: $33

Cleansing series

Fresh Laneige Brightening Cleansing Oil:$39

Laneige Pore Perfect Cleansing Oil:$39

Lip & Eye Remover ( water-proof ):$20

Multi Cleanser:$26

Foaming Cleanser:$22

Other products 

Whitening BB cushion SPF 50 with Extra Refill: $37

Pore control cushion SPF 50 with Extra Refill:$37

If you're interested in any other brands like I do, feel free to email them at skinwecaresg@gmail.com or simply text/whatsapp +65 93289542 for quotes :) You can be assured of very competitive pricing for the products you are looking at because Skinwecare SG gets their supplies directly from suppliers in Korea.

Recently, they have brought in a new range of masks supplies from LEADERS and very generously given me a few boxes to try!

I'm pretty sure many of us had heard of LEADERS Insolution masks which was all the rave back in year 2012. 

Now, 2 years later, LEADERS came up with a new product line called LEADERS Mediu. I had been trying out the masks for the past few months and even brought them along on my U.S. work trip and recent pre-wedding photoshoot holiday. And in summary, these masks have been keeping my skin great in those cold, winter weathers!

There are 5 different mask functions available and I try to use masks of different functions on a rotational basis as follows:

 Clearing -> Pore-tighting -> Calming -> Moisture -> Lifting

Each box includes 10 pieces of masks and each sheet of mask contains 25ml of essence in it.

To use, simply follow the 3 steps:

1) After cleansing and toning, remove the plastic covering from the back of the mask and fit mask onto the face.

2) Let the mask absorb for approximately 15-20 minutes and remove.

3) After removing the mask, pat the remaining essence with your fingertips to help it absorb into the skin.

After trying all five types of masks, I can safely conclude the following:

- The masks are safe for sensitive skin like mine

- All five types of masks are very hydrating, helping with overall dull and lack-lustre skin tone

- Fit of the sheet mask is slightly above average, it doesn't fit completely, but important parts of the face are covered (T zones, sides of nose, cheeks and chin)

- My favourite out of the lot gotta be the clearing mask because they kept my pimples away during high-stress periods, especially right before the pre-wedding photoshoot!

***

In addition, I've also gotten HERA Hyaluronic filler ampoule sample set.

Can't wait to set aside a week or so to try out the samples consecutively!

I'm also interested in Sulwhasoo after seeing some reviews and raves on this brand. Does anyone have any recommendations on which product I should start off with? Snowise Brightening Serum? Ginseng Renewing Essential Oil?

Will greatly appreciate any advices!

Then, that will be the next item I order from Skinwecare SG ;)

http://skinwecaresg.blogspot.sg/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/skinwecare.sg

Rawr with Tee-Saurus!

Many people had been asking about the adorable T-Rex tee since day 1 of wearing it. Here, I’m gonna reveal more about it in details finally!

This Tee-Saurus Rawr the T-Rex Tee and some other related merchandise were courtesy of the Tee-Saurus!
 

The Tee-Saurus Story:
The Tee-Saurus story is always about facing challenges with a broad smile. We've been through some really rough and unexpeted storms but looking at the world with optimism and knowing there is always light behind the dark cloud kept us going. No matter how difficult a path may be, remember your passion. Remember what you set out to be. Remember nothing can bring you down except yourself. That's why you see graphics that are designed to set a smile on you like our signature Rawr, the cheeky and mischievous T-Rex.

Inspired by ideas. We brainstorm and bring you designs that are distinctively like no other. Tee-saurus is all about wearing a lifestyle, not just a tee.
You are what you wear. That's precisely why tee-saurus is set out to achieve. We are dedicated to provide different designed apparels that not only look good but it contains a collection of ideas weaved into each series.
 

I’m not usually a t-shirt person, but this tee is really cute and yet fashionable at the same time so I couldn’t say no. Besides, the quality of the material turns out to be better than my expectation for printed tees. It was comfortable and I’m glad that I took one size up so that I can wear it for dance practices as well, other than for casual day-outs.

 

If you’re STILL fretting over what to get for your bae this Valentines’ Day, do consider the Tee-Saurus tees that come in both ladies and men cutting and sizing!

M and I wore our ‘couple tees’ to our pre-wedding shoot meeting at the bridal studio, and the staff were all swooning over how endearing it is.
Also when he had to travel overseas and I couldn’t go along, there’s the couple tee to make us feel that we’re still close to each other.

***

Besides tees, Tee-Saurus also carries many other charming merchandise like totes, sketchbooks and seasonal frames (CNY yay!).

Check out this Tee-Saurus Holiday that serves as a reminder of the long weekends in year 2015. It certainly helped me in planning my holidays this year as I hang the tote on my bag stand and can refer to it easily. No need to waste time filtering through the calendars manually or even googling (though google is my best friend, sometimes it takes longer than required still, bleah).

The tote also doubles up well as a hand-carry on the flight, and a spare foldable shopping tote when you go overseas, so convenient!

***

Tee-Saurus also warmheartedly sent this CNY Frame (Tee-Saurus Fortune Cat) for the upcoming festive. I chose the Fortune Cat icon in hope of inviting wealth and health into my home! :)

And I wasn’t the only one excited about the frame; I received the frame just before flying off to the United States. When I got back from the business trip, my mom couldn’t wait and had already began the CNY decoration, kick starting with the fortune cat frame without informing me at all! Lol.
 

Look at how cute it is sitting with the miniature pineapples and yuan baos.

If you’re doing some last minute shopping for Valentines’ Day or thinking of having some more modernized ornament for the Lunar New Year, look no further and check out Tee-Saurus.com :)

Yun Nam Hair Care Review 3

Have completed my Yun Nam Hair Care sponsored treatment sessions!
Previous posts are here
http://oyhz.blogspot.sg/2014/09/yun-nam-hair-care.html
http://oyhz.blogspot.sg/2014/10/yun-nam-hair-care-review-2.html

Previously mentioned, I have hair thinning problem, especially around the crown area and hair parting line. The herbal hair treatment from the first few sessions had helped greatly in deep cleansing of my scalp and reducing excessive oil secretion, preventing hair thinning problems and also dandruff issues.
I’m glad that my scalp and hair have been well-maintained throughout these months with Yun Nam Hair Care. The thinning crown is no longer a problem, yay!

Just a recap of past photos that show the hair thinning crisis at the top of my head.







Recent photos of my hair.

 

I had a dance performance recently that required hairdo with lots of back-comb and hairspray and glitters.
In spite of that, my hair still managed to remain strong and healthy after the two days of “torture”.

 



Had an appointment with Yun Nam Hair Care immediately the day after the performances. My hair was still pretty volumnious, see no crown thinning issue at all! :) (Just abit dry on the ends T.T)

 

The dry ends was all great again after the herbal treatment session!
I had a change of consultant as the previous one left the outlet. The new consultant/therapist was very nice and attentive. She customised a herbal concoction after checking my hair/scalp condition personally and even “interviewed” me on how I feel about my hair condition these days before deciding on the treatment for me – I needed a deep cleansing treatment after all the performance hair styling of cos! :D And deep conditioning as well.



The herbal treatment was applied to my scalp after a thorough hair wash.

 

(And there I was, catching-up on my magazine reading while enjoying the treatment lol)


Immediate photo taken after the treatment. Gone were all the (stubborn) glitters and residual hair spray/gel on my scalp.
Also, the dry hair ends were revived and the whole texture was really smooooth!



Brought some muffins over since it was my last session that day.



Had bridesmaid duties the weekend after and my hair remained quite obedient throughout.
Again, check out the fuller crown!

 

All these would not be achieved without the help of Yun Nam Hair Care products that I used faithfully at home too.

My favourite product would be the Charcoal Essence Shampoo which works most suitably for my scalp condition so far. I have almost finished the entire huge bottle of it even though I’ve been using only a little of the shampoo each wash.
Forgot to buy another bottle during my last session at Yun Nam Hair Care T.T

I usually use only twice of how much I poured onto my palm in this pic.

 

If you’re in need of hair care treatments or facing some hair problems, please head down to Yun Nam Hair Care for consultation to save your tresses now!
There’s a free trial if you’re a first timer – more details here:
http://yunnamhaircare.com.sg/free-consultation/

Below are the addresses of their various outlets.

 

xoxo

Julie's Hershey's Cookies

As an addicted snacker in office and more or less, cookie monster, I was thrilled to know that popular Malaysian biscuit brand Julies has a collaboration with global chocolate icon Hershey's, leading to the birth of their latest cookie line, Julie’s Hershey’s!

The new range is available in six variants: chocolate fudge, chocolate chip, chocolate waffle, chocolate chip oat, chocolate chip hazelnut, and chocolate fudge vanilla.

Having tried 4 flavours (chocolate fudge, chocolate waffle, chocolate chip oat, chocolate chip hazelnut), I personally like the chocolate fudge flavour best, which isn't surprising - who wouldn't love Hershey's chocolate fudge right??

Next in line would be the chocolate chip hazelnut cookies, which has an additional fragrance from the hazelnut chips. It is also not as sweet as the chocolate fudge variant, hence probably a preferred choice for the more health-conscious :)

With Director, Mr Martin Ang.

"We are thrilled about our new partnership with Hershey. Both brands were built on the same ideals and values, and I believe it is this foundation which sealed our partnership."

 

Playing around during the luncheon :p

Some snacks we had while getting to know other bloggers in SG.

Julie’s Hershey’s cookies will soon be available in all major supermarkets. They will also be launched in in phases throughout Asia and all ASEAN countries, Taiwan and Mongolia early next year.

Here's the link to one of the supermarket online, it's retailing for only $3.90 per box!
http://www.fairprice.com.sg/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/fairprice/julies-hersheys-chocolate-fudge-cookies-170g-13060460

Enjoy! ♥

Swensen's SG50 menu (Jan-Mar 2015)

Was invited to food tasting at Swensen's for their upcoming SG50 menu.

Not only that, we tried the special christmas menu available in December as well!

My favourite was the Velvety Christmas Cheer ($6.90) that is a rich blend of red velvet chocolate, milk and milo, crowned with fluffy whipped cream and marshmallows. The perfect drink to get warm and cosy in this festive season :)

Pop Goes the Caramel ($11.50)

This joyously delicious combination just got better! Generous scoops of Salted Caramel ice cream topped with crunchy caramel popcorn and drizzled with luxuriously smooth caramel, this is one magical treat you can't miss.

***

As a local staple family restaurant, Swensen’s has grown and progressed alongside Singapore every step of the way for the past few decades. In conjunction with the momentous SG50 island-wide celebration, Swensen’s presents an inventive menu that pays homage to the nation’s signature flair of Singaporean flavors by reintroducing all-time favourite dishes infused with the essence of local specialties. 

For the whole year of 2015, diners can expect an intriguing dish every month at Swensen’s as part of an ongoing joyous celebration for the nation’s 50 year milestone. These limited edition offerings are bound to please your palettes with their rich, comforting flavors, all at a pocket-friendly price point. 

SG50 Menu: January 2015 – March 2015 

The three entrées will be launched successively in the first quarter of the year, and would satiate any appetite looking to devour savoury dishes with a spicy kick.

January 2015

Laksa Aglio Olio with King Prawns ($14.90)

A Swensen’s original back by popular demand! Putting a local twist on the classic Aglio Olio, this

indulgent creation features succulent king prawns poached in a flavorful Court-Bouillion and tossed in tantalizing Laksa pesto and fragrant Laksa leaves. 

The laksa flavour was pretty much undetectable, but the fragrance of the laksa leaves were definitely heavenly. However, if you're on a first date, do take note of the laksa leaves getting stuck between the teeth :p The Aglio Olio is surprisingly not spicy at all, hence we would recommend having a 'spicy' version for real aglio olio lovers :)

February 2015

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Satay Sauce ($14.90)

One of Singapore’s most enduring dishes with a Swensen’s makeover! This main course features

juicy chicken marinated with chef’s special blend of spices and grilled to tender perfection, accompanied with a delicious homemade satay gravy, which is DA-BOMB if you're craving for satay and don't wanna spend time queueing/waiting for those at food stalls that will eventually come chao-tar, like 90% of the time :/ I can't wait for February to come~!

Complementing the dish perfectly is a side of fragrant pineapple butter rice and refreshing mixed

salad, and crackers.

March 2015

Beef Rendang Baked Rice ($13.90)

Dig into tender beef slices wonderfully basted in delectable homemade spicy Rendang sauce, served

over a bed of aromatic savory rice. The dish is then baked to golden brown perfection with a layer of

delicious melted cheese, and crowned with crispy prawn crackers for that crunchy finish.

I personally find this main course a little too spicy for my taste buds, but wouldn't deny that it is the most flavourful out of the three dishes we sampled.

The SG50 Menu launches in Swensen’s restaurants island-wide from 1st January 2015, and will run till 31st December 2015. Each dish will only be there for a month, so do check them out while available!

Below are addresses of the Swensen's outlets :)

Ang Mo Kio Hub

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3

#B1-25/26

Bedok Mall

311 New Upper Changi Road

#01-77

Bukit Panjang Plaza

1 Jelebu Road

#03-04

Causeway Point

1 Woodlands Square

#02-08/09

Centrepoint

176 Orchard Road

#02-52/53/54

Compass Point

1 Sengkang Square

#B1-28/29

City Square Mall

180 Kitchener Road

#03-37/38

Clementi Mall

3155 Commonwealth Ave

West #05-31/32/33

E! Hub @ Downtown East

1 Pasir Ris Close #02-121/122

IMM

2 Jurong East Street 21

#01-111

ION Orchard

2 Orchard Turn

#B1-31

Junction 8

9 Bishan Place

#01-39

Jurong Point

63 Jurong West Central 3

#B1-64

Marina Square

6 Raffles Boulevard

#01-206/207

Nex Mall

23 Serangoon Central

#02-07/08

North Point

930 Yishun Avenue 2

#01-16/17

Parkway Parade

80 Marine Parade Road

#B1-33/34

Plaza Singapura

68 Orchard Road

#03-23

Tampines Mall

4 Tampines Central 5

#03-30

The Seletar Mall *NEW*

33 Sengkang Avenue

#02-11/12

Thomson Plaza

301 Upper Thompson Road

#03-23

West Mall

1 Bukit Batok Central Link

#02-05

24 hours Swensen's Outlet

Changi Airport Terminal 2

Mezzanine Level, Arrival Meeting Hall North