All posts tagged: pamper

Pamper: Olaplex treatment for stronger hair

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One of the latest haircare treatments to hit salons in Singapore, Olaplex’s secret is a straightforward three-step process to prevent hair breakage. The salon treatment is formulated with a patented active ingredient that apparently works on a molecular level to repair broken bonds in the hair caused by chemical and heat damage. Each session in the salon lasts a relatively speedy 45 to 60 minutes. First, hair is soaked in the Olaplex No.1 Bond Multiplier liquid to re-build broken disulfide bonds, so that hair strands can better bend and stretch but not break. (If you’re having your hair coloured or dyed, the Bond Multiplier can even be mixed in with the colourant or bleach, so hair is treated at the same time.) Then hair is rinsed in another Olaplex No.2 Bond Perfector that continues the bond-repairing process to add shine to the hair. Both solutions are shampoo-ed off, and hair is blow-dried. Even without being brushed, my hair looked shinier and smoother immediately. The frizzy ends looked at least 50 per cent more sleek. Afterwards, …

Apivita Experience Store

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Borne out of a pharmacy and inspired by the humble and hardworking bee, Apivita may be Greece’s best beauty and wellness export. It is rarely spotted in Athens, save for in a smattering of pharmacies. The brand used to be available in Asia, but is currently nowhere to be found there. But Apivita’s skincare and wellness selection is one of the best in Europe. Formulated with bee products – from regular honey to pricey royal jelly and potent propolis – as well as botanicals found in the rich lands of Greece and beyond, Apivita’s products are unpretentious. To get the full range of what the brand has to offer, visit its three-storey flagship at 6 Solonos St & Kanari St, Kolonaki, Athens. On the ground floor, take your pick from the wide range of skincare for women, men and babies. This includes its selection of delicious skincare masks for every concern, conveniently packaged in sachets so they remain fresh and easy to bring along on vacations. Apivita’s suncare and anti-ageing products are also of top-notch …

Shiseido Future Solution LX Yutaka Treatment

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After a long day of meetings, I ate an early dinner and headed straight to the comforts of the Shiseido Facial Studio at Tangs along Orchard Road. My tired skin (body and soul) were in desperate need of a pampering session. So the skin-firming Future Solution LX Yutaka Treatment featuring the improved Future Solution LX formula with a potent medicinal enmei herb, was a treat. The relatively spacious room was filled with calming music composed with the recordings of chirping birds and running streams of Mount Koya, where enmei grows aplenty. Cocooned under comfortable sheets, and after a double-cleansing of the skin, I was given a most comforting massage with heated imari porcelain yutaka massage tools from Japan. Each is handmade meticulously. The smooth surface of the warm porcelain was rolled on my décolleté and face; while a larger piece was placed on my abdomen to soothe it. The heat was just right, unlike regular hot stone massages that can sometimes burn the skin. The therapist’s upward firming strokes on my face, décolleté and arms …

Pamper: Urban Retreat Bangkok

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When you’re tired and weary from all that eating and shopping in Bangkok, a good body massage is what you need to perfect that holiday. But if cheap, S$10 hourly Thai massages in cramped quarters are not your thing, consider the Urban Retreat spa located right next to the Asok train station. Urban Retreat’s suite of services are pricier than your average quickie Thai massage spots; but they are still three to four times cheaper than what you would pay in Singapore. The prices for the services at Urban Retreat start at 400 TB for an eyebrow wax, to 3,200 TB for the “Bliss Package” (2 hr 50 min sugar and honey body scrub, mud mask and macadamia oil massage). Plus, the experience is worth it at this decade-old establishment. There are more than 20 clean, private and spacious rooms available, including those for couples with adjoining shower cubicles. This means you could show up without a prior booking (say, just before dinner time) and have a good chance of getting a slot (although planning …

Pramasana Scalp Treatment at Urbanhair, Tangs Orchard

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A healthy and clean scalp gives you lush locks, simple as that. The hair follicles on your scalp are most likely clogged with dead skin cells, product build-up and excess sebum (gross, indeed) if: you use plenty of hairstyling products or heavy conditioners; your hair is often greasy at the roots; your scalp flaky; and a scalp-clarifying shampoo or scalp treatment is foreign to you. An unhealthy scalp could then lead to dandruff, thin and lifeless hair. (This follows the same logic as to why you get clogged pores and acne when you wear plenty of makeup but do not deep-cleanse the skin.) So consider a simple, gentle and effective scalp-balancing treatment like the Pramasana Scalp routine by Aveda at Urbanhair (from $105 for men and $170 for ladies, 60 mins). It takes just an hour, with no gimmickry (we’ve tried enough of those with infrared lights 😑, hot air treatment caps 😧, blood tests 😱, etc. ) The routine begins with a quick shoulder and neck massage, followed by a gentle massaging of the …

Qween lash extensions at Tang Plaza, Orchard 

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When it comes to lash extensions, we are especially particular. Bushy peepers are not our thing. Eye infections are also the last thing we want, so hygiene and skill of the beautician are what we look out for at lash salons. At the newly-opened Qween (Tangs L4, Tang Plaza, Orchard), we asked for soft and natural-looking lashes. The kind that the best Japanese lash salons are known for. And Qween delivered, check out the result here. We went for single artificial mink 12 mm lashes with a relatively subtle curl, each one attached to a single natural lash. The job was done in about an hour in a small cabin room with a bed and a blanket, so you can take a snooze while your lashes are pretty-fied. Another plus, a collagen eye mask is placed on the undereye area to moisturise and brighten; while protecting the delicate skin from the lash glue. So you literally leave the salon bright-eyed with the lashes, nap, and effects of the eye mask. Jocelyn, the beautician, knew how …

Improve your posture at Orchard Health Lifestyle

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A bad posture is never sexy. But long hours spent hunched over the desk to meet that deadline, or crouching over mobile devices to scroll through online ‘zines, shopping sites and Instagram, may leave you with tight shoulder, neck and back muscles. Even that gym or circuit session where you (purposely) forgot to stretch, could leave you with knotted muscles and joints that are out of line, leading to a lousy posture. I have very tight shoulders, and sometimes get a stabbing pain in my arms. My posture could be better too. I spend long hours with my arms scrunched and tensed infront of my laptop at work; love to plank, and hate to stretch. At the new Orchard Health Lifestyle (L4 Tangs, Tang Plaza, Orchard Road), an offshoot of the osteopathic Orchard Health Clinic, I tried its 30-minute Joint Centralisation Technique (JCT) on my upper body. While the therapists at Orchard Health Lifestyle are not osteopaths, they are trained in the JCT which aims to align the joints, with gentle twisting of the body, …

Sulwhasoo Facial Treatment at Tang Plaza, Orchard Road

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A facial treatment at Sulwhasoo soothes frayed nerves and perks up tired skin. The relaxing ritual begins with deep breaths of a scent of your choice: sandalwood, frankincense, pine, or plum blossom. I chose to indulge in the calming woodiness and incense-tinged sandalwood; and was told that the scent would be added in the skincare formulas used in my treatment. I tried the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Treatment ($220 for 60 minutes), an anti-ageing routine using the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX and complementary products, to rejuvenate the skin. A series of deep-cleansing steps, and masking are accompanied by the therapist’s deep and firm strokes that drain the lymph nodes on the face, décolletage and chest. There are no extraction procedures in Sulwhasoo facials. Following a warm compress, icy cool jade applicators were used for a refreshing facial massage that tightened and firmed my skin. The treatment felt so good; the 60-minute session felt short; a 90-minute one would have been perfect. After the facial, my skin had a mega-watt glow and was tighter, smoother, with pores …

M’Pir The Nail Bar, Tangs

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When you want a quick mani and pedi in the heart of town that is neat, refined, and lasting; consider M’Pir The Nail Bar now relocated to the level 4 beauty floor of Tangs at Tang Plaza, Orchard Road. I had a pedicure on a pair of busted toes that were in dire need of grooming; and mani with the trending metallic chrome finish (see main pic), all done simultaneously within a speedy 90 minutes. The nail technicians were precise in their work, friendly, and professional. The tools were all properly sterilised; the space well-ventilated and roomy. M’Pir also offers a range of toulene-, formaldehyde-, and dibutyl phthalate-free nail polish and gels.  Watch a snippet of how I got my Angelpro gel chrome nails done at M’Pir. ​​ Call +65 6732 9001 for appointments.

Aesop Facial Appointments, Singapore

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In March, we visited Aesop’s Nakameguro store in Tokyo to experience its indulgent face spa.  This month, the brand launches its signature facials at the newly renovated beauty floor on level 4 of Tangs at Tang Plaza in Orchard. As with all Aesop spaces, this one at Tangs is calm, tranquil and cocooning with its dark green accents (the marble is gorgeous), light birchwood shelving, and gleaming brass sinks. Just like the space at Nakameguro, this Aesop spa features a spacious room with a super-sized single bed.  For sure, this is not one of those facial rooms that are sliced up so much that you can barely stretch (or breathe in). The changing area is also roomy, so the experience is complete.  This is why Aesop can only take up to four appointments per day; there is only space for one customer at any one time.  The automated bed that can be adjusted to the curve of your body, is supremely comfortable with warm blankets. Watch for a virtual tour of the space. ​​ About the …