Review of #RightColorMatters by Chez Vous Hair Salon Singapore

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Have you ever been confused with beauty terms such as "skin tones", "undertones", etc.? It's almost like we can never be certain what our skin tones or undertones are, unless we consult a beauty professional. Even if we do know, how do we ascertain which hair colours are right for us? Understanding which colours flatter our skin tones is important. Different colours produce different vibes and the right hair colour can enhance our facial features, brighten our complexion and improve our style & overall look.

This is where Chez Vous Hair salon comes to the rescue! In collaboration with Goldwell Singapore, Chez Vous designed #RightColourMatters - an Asian-centric hair colour diagnosis methodology that helps to find hair shades that best complement you! 

THE PROCESS

As you can see, I headed to Chez Vous and tried the service myself. The diagnostic test begins with my stylist, Associate Salon Director Readen holding a series of colour charts against my facial skin to demonstrate how the different colours reflect light and work with my skin tone. This is followed by a short consultation session where Readen advised the suitable corrective shades for me.  And I can say that I was surprised to learn that my skin tone is in fact rather neutral so quite a range of colours suit me. (Lucky me!) Something I never knew until this #RightColourMatters test is that Ash Lavender/purple tones also work well on my skin tone and can potentially help me sport a more updated & younger vibe!

To achieve ash tones, bleaching is required. My hair initially contained significant yellow pigments due to all the browns/reds that I have been spamming with for years. It took us two rounds of bleaching to be able to achieve my new dream hair colour. 

Goldwell BONDPRO+ was added to the hair colouring process to strengthen hair fibre as well as to support bond stability, in turn preventing breakage or hair damage. This is really effective. My hair was still going strong and looking healthy, as seen below!

THE RESULT

Stepped out of Chez Vous, feeling like a million bucks, ALWAYS!

First day hair always appears darker and shiner. As days went by, my fresh hair colour faded beautifully to a nice ashy lavender hue (which was closer to my expectations) instead of the deep violet you see above.

MY THOUGHTS

As you'd already know, this is not my first visit to Chez Vous. The good folks there have been taking care of my hair since November 2017, and I am really glad to stick to them. Situated conveniently at the heart of Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City, this trendy salon looks very new on the exterior but in fact they are a well-known brand name for 20 years! All their stylists are director levels with in-depth hair knowledge & vast hair styling experience, plus many awards & accolades under their belts. 

My favourite stylist is Readen. He has a good aesthetic eye for trends, makes accurate diagnosis by putting efforts to communicate and understand his clients' lifestyle, personality, individual style preferences, etc. and provides his clients with valuable advice on aftercare. I picked up so much hair care tips from him! One of which is to mix Gentian Violet into my shampoo to lengthen the colour span of my new Ash Lavender Rose hair.

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Photo Credit: chezvoushair.com

PROMO

From now till July 2018, Chez Vous is running a launch promotion on #RightColourMatters, which is priced at S$299 for above-shoulder-length hair and S$399 for below-shoulder-length hair. It includes a haircut, a #RightColourMatters Diagnosis, and a 3D Colour and Highlights or Balayage. Complimentary items include a Goldwell BondPro+ Hairshots (worth S$55) and an Express Revitalizing Supreme Therapy (worth S$205).

Chez Vous 
391 Orchard Road
#05-05 Ngee Ann City Podium
Singapore 238872
Tel: +65 6732 9388
Email: emailus@chezvoushair.com

Opening hours: Mon to Fri: 11am to 8.30pm; Sat: 10.30am to 7pm; Sun: 11am to 6pm

My Home Interior Design by The Interior Place + Five Tips for Choosing a Good ID

By now I think everyone who knows me knew I just shifted into my first home (matrimonial home), and I was busy with renovations a while back. It's been four months now and I finally got my ass down to blog about our "finished project"!

I will not be showcasing all the rooms in my humble home - just the rooms with most of the ID's carpentry works. My apartment comes in a 'move-in condition' with kitchen, toilets, floor tiles, air conditioners, oven, walk-in wardrobe etc. all done. We decided to minimise hacking works and not have major overhaul since we both like the designs the apartment came in.

**Just to make things clear, this blog post is in no way sponsored nor affiliated to any companies - purely good ol' sharing on my own accord.

All photos taken by: Junerick Enriquez Photography

Interior Designer: The Interior Place

Design Theme: Modern Victorian

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Living Area

Balcony Next to Living Area

Hallway

The framed photos hanging on my wall are mostly shot by my #InstagramHusband, 

who happens to adore landscape photography. 

Those are countries we visited before or amazing moments captured on print.

Vanity Room

Master Bed Room 

Spot the brown door on the right? 

That is the door leading to my walk-in wardrobe. It's pretty small & basic and we forgot to take photos of that.

Hubby's Study

Apart from my hubby's study room which I have no say in, the rest of the rooms' designs have been conceptualized by yours truly. I know exactly what I like and dislike - and with that, it makes things 30% easier. Haha!

So why do I need an interior designer then, you ask? 

Well, you can know what you want, but unless you're gifted at interior drawings, chances are you still need a professional to draw/map out your dream designs, advise you whether those designs are feasible, help you to do the necessary measurements and make it happen for real! 

My partner & I are hopeless hoarders; and with the common challenge of small spaces of Singapore homes, especially condos, we felt the need to engage professional help to provide ideas & drawings for storage space, i.e. the interior of the built-in storage, cabinets, shelving, etc. Not to mention electrical points, wiring, lightings, etc.

5 Tips for Choosing A Good Interior Designer 

While we are at this topic of home interior design, I thought I'd share my personal experience & thoughts on how to select a good ID for your first home.

 1. Budget & Research 

It is important to work within a comfortable & realistic budget. Your budget is in fact the first question all IDs will ask you on your first encounter. It is better have a design theme in mind and find out if your current budget is in line with your preferred theme before you head down to meet IDs. Do your initial homework by reading online forums such as www.renotalk.com and www.renonation.sg to research on various IDs' price range, reputation, quality of work, etc. Visit ID company websites for their online portfolio and read Facebook reviews (not sponsored blog reviews ok) to shortlist a few IDs you would like to meet.

2. Shop Around (Face-to-Face)

Do not commit to the first ID you meet; be conscientious and talk to more IDs. Find someone whom you think can form a positive synergy with: their working style, personality, specialty designs, skills, ability to keep to your expected schedule - are all essential to make your home renovation experience a pleasant one. After a first meeting with every ID, they should produce a simple 2D drawing on your floor plan.

3. Request for Showflat Viewings

ID showroom offices are only part of the picture; it is there...for show. Besides viewing the ID's portfolio (which they will gladly show you on their PC), you may request to see the real homes of their ex-clients to gauge their skills and the quality & longevity of the materials. Ask your ID if they can show you past projects - both recent & older ones as well. For my case, we visited the homes of our good friends before settling for The Interior Place. My husband's close friend have had two homes renovated by TIP, and that was a real-life positive testimonial which gave us greater confidence in our selected ID.

4. Bargain by Offering your Home to be Showflat.

You'd already knew home renovation involves a huge expenditure. So if you could bargain while shopping for clothes at Bangkok, why not bargain with your IDs? Don't be shy! ASK for discounts. Offer your home to be a showflat after reno is completed and a nice ID may agree to take a grand or two off for that. Besides if the ID is agreeable to this deal, it means they are confident of their work quality and after-sales service, and are interested to maintain a long-term relationship with you.

5. "Black & White"

If you're a newlywed renovating your first home, you would have been through the insane wedding preps where you signed on every contract ranging from wedding venues, wedding photography packages to even your $500 dessert bar. It is not surprising that you will be asked to sign on a contract on this big-ticket item. Make this contract work to your favour. Read every line in detail and whatever the ID promised you, request for inclusions. Double-check the figures; and for the final payable amount, ask for a round-down. 

A good ID will make sure you also receive a work timeline/schedule, as well as a staggered payment timeline. Trust me, that first contract (with a non-refundable deposit) you signed on is just the beginning. There will be MORE documents to sign on as you engaged in more meetings with your hired ID to view 3D renderings, on-site measurements, making payments, etc. 

During actual reno works (where hell truly starts for you!), your ID is likely to add in "extras"; in their industry terminology - on a variation order (V.O). This simply translates to more moolah flying off your pockets. You can imagine if things are not accounted for on paper proper, disputes are bound to arise and the worse scenario is for you to incur a larger-than-life debt before you even stepped into your dream home!

**Highly recommend you to check out the useful links below before you sign on the dotted line:

http://dollarsandsense.sg/5-hidden-cost-that-your-renovation-contractor-may-not-tell-you/

http://www.homeanddecor.com.sg/blogs/key-basics-renovation-contract

https://www.renonation.sg/14-questions-every-homeowner-must-ask-deciding-renovation-professional/

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Hope you enjoyed viewing my cozy (a.k.a tiny) abode! Do you have any tips to share regarding home renovation or ID selection? Comment in the box below! If I miss out anything you want to know, feel free to ask. You have my email address. ;)

Review of Eyelash Extensions at Emerald Allure - mention Faith for unlimited lashes promo SGD99!

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In the past, I was never a fan of lash extensions. Main reasons are the resources necessary to upkeep the beauty of the lashes; and also because I do enjoy putting on mascara and reviewing them too. For heavy makeup users like me, usually there is a need to return for lash extension touchup services in less than two weeks' time - totally bleh.

Recently I followed my husband on a business trip to Brisbane, and since it was a short stay, I felt the need for lash extensions as I don't want to spend too much time on makeup. My friend knew I was looking to do up the lashes, so she connected me to a beauty salon which has gain much popularity on their lash extensions services - Emerald Allure.

Located at two locations currently - Roxy Square and Punggol, they provide a repertoire of beauty services that includes lash extensions, facial, manicure/pedicure, henna brow, eyeliner embroidery and even bridal makeup services.

To give you an idea how big the difference is with and without eyelash extensions, I decided that it is useful to include my selfies in all kinds of makeup situations, so you can make fair comparisons.

BEFORE

No lash extensions, no makeup

No lash extensions, light makeup & mascara

So my above shots are without eyelash extensions. Now let's see how Emerald Allure's eyelash extensions transform my eyes and my looks.

AFTER

Day 1: Just stepped out of Emerald Allure. Light makeup.

Day 2. With makeup.

Day 4: No makeup.

MY THOUGHTS

Remember at the beginning of this blog post, I mentioned I never did like doing lash extensions? Now, I have a complete change of heart - all thanks to Emerald Allure! Call me a lash extensions addict now. :)

A picture says a thought words, right? Besides I have so many pictures. I believe those who have eyes to see, can totally tell the EPIC MAJOR DIFFERENCE eyelash extensions did to my looks!

Best part is, I don't need eye makeup at all to look pretty!

I have been to other lash extensions service providers before, so why do I highly recommend Emerald Allure?

• Affordability - with prices at SGD60 for a set natural lashes, their prices are reasonable and doesn't hurt the pockets so deeply.
• Comfort - practically ZERO discomfort during the process where the therapist work on your lashes. (Trust me, there are other salons out there who can make you tear up during the process of extending your lashes.). The lashes used were also super lightweight, with no pulling sensation at all - your brains are practically tricked into thinking these are your real lashes.
• Long lasting - It's been two weeks and I see no need for me to return for touchups! My friend's lashes lasted for 7 weeks with just one touchup.
• Friendly, efficient service - both Elayne and Frennie are very approachable and easy to talk to. And they have superb skills that has garnered loads of authentic, positive reviews from real customers. Read the reviews HERE. You can check their Facebook and Instagram for further reviews!

Easties like me will rejoice. They have a home-based salon at Punggol and a retail salon at Roxy Square, a mall next to Mercure Hotel Roxy Singapore.

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In case you think my lashes are not pretty or my photos are not sharp enough, here are my friends' photos. Yes, my friends' lashes are done by Emerald Allure too!

Photo credit: My friend, Lyn. http://mightyfeisty.blogspot.sg

Photo credit: My friend, Agnes. www.aggylow.com

  _

 

PROMO! Quote <Faith Tan> 

2D UNLIMITED Lashes at SGD99 only! (U.P. SGD108)

Book your appointment with Emerald Allure now to avoid disappointment! 

(They are always packed with appointments, so advanced bookings are necessary.)

Roxy Square II : 8685 0822

Punggol (Home-Based): 9220 0505

Enjoy 20% OFF set menu hair services at Hair Studio Flamingo! Just mention Faith Tan.

Hi lovelies,

This post is not a review since I reviewed this salon before, just a quick "Dayre" type of post update (typing on my iPhone actually). 

I just did my hair again at Hair Studio Flamingo and this time I got myself the Korean see-through bangs! 

How do you like it?

Really pleased with how it turned out. Love the brown colour as I am sick of golden hair. What I adore especially is the customised 5-step treatment! If you followed me on Instagram, you'd have seen my IG stories capturing the moments while I had the haircut & treatment.

Marco, the boss, did my hair this time round. His cut is fabulous and I really love it! Communication with him was excellent because both Marco and Ayumi speak good English. 

Click on the below pic to view a video of my next-day hair. After a wash, my hair is still soft & silky!

Update (1 week later)

As you may already know, Flamingo markets itself as a specialist of "easy maintanence hairstyles", and as evidenced in the photo below, my hair really doesn't need any styling at all (ZERO hair cream/wax/straightener/spray etc.) and it still looks so awesomely silky!! Even my bangs do not need blowdrying!! I'm impressed, really. DO NOT miss their hair treatment!

Hair Flamingo is located at:

Address: 7 Neil Rd S(088807)

Contact: 87262116
Website: http://www.hairstudioflamingo.com/

Remember to mention my name for 20% discount off set menu services! Until end October 2016.

Honest, Unsponsored Review of Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Cafe Singapore

Five solid months after the grand opening of the first Hello Kitty cafe in Singapore - Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Cafe at Changi Airport, I thought it would be a good time for an ex-Hello Kitty fan to visit her old friend since the hype would have died down by now.

Well, not really. Hello Kitty is not my friend.

I went mainly because I am picking up someone from the airport, and it's the only prominent cafe I have not dined in at the airport. Also because I think I need some cute photos on Instagram, because my recent IG wall has been plastered with mainly my selfies and I am bored looking at my face. 

Apologies, my photos in this post are horribly-taken by iPhone, because I wasn't prepared to do any blog reviews so I did not bring along my DSLR. Eventually I still decided to review because when I did an online search of blog reviews of this cafe, I saw that many of them were sponsored. I believe there is a sizeable online community, especially overseas tourists, out there wanting real, honest non-sponsored reviews of this inaugural Hello Kitty Singapore cafe. And that's where I come in.

As a beauty blogger, I usually reject doing food reviews, especially sponsored food reviews. I mean, I have nothing against free food but I REALLY enjoy my food...and I don't want to spend half an hour fussing about taking amazing photos and end up eating cold food, unable to totally enjoy the meal. 

Bringing a kitty out to meet another!

See? That elation when food arrive WARM.

So there were only two of us and we ordered:

1. Big Breakfast Surprise (their most popular all-day breakfast)

2. Land of the Rising Kitty (Teriyaki chicken spaghetti) 

3. Iced Salted Caramel Latte

Very fancy names. You will see more fancy names on their menu here.

Not sure where the rising sun is...

That's right - smoked duck instead of ham. What?

MY THOUGHTS

FOOD: The food is bad. I don't care how people masked their words but trust me, the big breakfast is disappointing. I know I shouldn't expect a themed cafe to have excellent food, but smoked duck complementing with sweet waffles really aren't all that complementary. And the dish didn't even arrive warm. It only took us 5 minutes of waiting (why so fast?), and after 3 minutes of photo-shooting that crappy shot, I tucked in...only to realise the food has turned cold and the Kitty-shaped waffle had hardened! I can't even figure out if that piece of yellow stuff is cheese or butter - there was no taste.

The drink tastes diluted with minimal coffee aroma, and I forgot it contains salted caramel?! I kept thinking it is normal caramel coffee drink.

The spaghetti was more palatable but still wouldn't consider that a delicacy or anything near that level.

SERVICE: The servers were quite attentive & prompt but I went during off-peak hour at 3pm on a weekday, so the cafe wasn't too busy for them either. Didn't see any genuine smiles nor felt any warmth but basic courteous service were given to us, so no complaints.

PRICE: Our three items chalked up to S$50. (Airport/SIA group staff are entitled to a further 10% discount.) With or without discounts, I wouldn't say this is expensive - just standard cafe price point in Singapore.

LOCATION & AMBIENCE: Situated at Changi Airport Terminal 3, Level 1, Arrival Hall, you can't missed it when you touch down from a flight into Singapore. The cafe is furnished with different types of orchids (Singapore's national flower for those of you non-Singaporeans.) and it really feels like a garden with the beautiful overhanging greenery. Not the usual pink & girly decor or childish vibes associated with Hello Kitty - this cafe exudes much more elegance and not too over-the-top. Two designated photo-taking spots stood two life-sized Hello Kitty figurines. The most special part of the Hello Kitty figurines? There are two bows on their heads - you don't get to see any authentic Hello Kitty with two bows anywhere else, do you?

Hello Kitty merchandise are available for sale; and since it was around Mid-Autumn Festival, there were mooncakes too! I heard Hello Kitty merchandise were snagged up pretty fast during the opening, but they have since been restocked.

There wasn't a crowd as it was off-peak hours when I visited, but when I left at about 5pm, the cafe was already 70% full. We imagine the queue will be significant during dinner time over the weekends.

Other Information: 

Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Café
Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 Arrival Meeting Hall Central #01-22 Singapore 819663 (Public area)
Tel: +65 6241 6127
Operating Hours: 24 Hours
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Mandatory shot with our friend here

Will I recommend this cafe to you? Yes and No. For die-hard Hello Kitty fans, or for those who love orchids(seriously?) - you will enjoy taking photos here. For flight passengers waiting for their flight and have nothing better to do, there is no harm heading there to contribute to our Singapore economy as the food is not too expensive (Thank you!). For the rest, do yourself a favour and just chill out at Yakun or Heavenly Wang - they have better, cheaper food & coffee. Just bring along your own Hello Kitty travel pillow for photo-taking, if you insist.

Till then, happy mid-week!X

Shop with EZBuy and SAVE SAVE SAVE!

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Me and my new Victorian-styled chair from Taobao!

Hello Lovelies!

Remember in my previous posts, I mentioned I just moved into my new home? And as you know, shifting is a tedious task and to top it off, shopping for furniture and furnishings can  be stressful when what you have in mind are not accessible in your country. Even when they are available, they may be priced out of your budget due to high shipping costs or high markup by local sellers.

That's why I decided to source my home stuff from Taobao. If you're an avid online shopper like I am, you'd have heard of Taobao long ago. If you're new to Taobao, then read on! 

Why Shop from Taobao

• Goods are MUCH MORE Cheaper because you are buying directly from the country of origin. (You know many stuff you use are Made in China right? If you hear any sales talk about their goods are from Hong Kong - that means it's from China. Some dishonest sales people claim their stuff are from Taiwan, but sorry, truth is many are also from China. FYI, there are Japanese, German and other European brands with production factories in China.)
• There is a HUGE variety of stuff available - so huge you can't imagine. What you can't get in Singapore, you can try Taobao - I bet you can find what you want, 80% of the time! 

 

Saw this on my IG right? The tray, feathers, coaster, pearls are from Taobao!

 

For folks who already heard of Taobao, but have problems navigating through Taobao.com due to language barrier, EZBuy is your saviour! Evolved from 65Daigou, they are the largest and most popular shopping service provider in Singapore. They have been featured on local media as well as social media. Apart from Taobao website, they also can help you buy and ship items to you from USA, Taiwan and other China websites.

EZBuy has launched their PRIME service - an exclusive membership club in which members will be able to ship their parcels at a flat rate of SGD2.99!

Benefits of Prime

• Prime offers you an unlimited shipping fee at only $2.99! Regardless the size, weight or quantity.
• Save tons on shipping fee and best for purchasing heavy stuff like furniture
• Instant upgrade to SVIP membership to enjoy 50% savings off agent fee on Prime orders
• Includes all Buy-For-Me services such as Purchasing, Inspection and After-sales support

You may refer to the below links for more information on Prime:

https://ezbuy.sg/Prime_Introduction
https://ezbuy.sg/prime_why_prime
https://65daigou.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/ezbuy-prime-unlimited-shipping-taobao/https://65daigou.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/11-fun-facts-taobao-shoppers-should-know-about-prime/

 

All cutlery and some tableware in this pic are from Taobao! Dreamy, princessey hi-tea session, anyone?

Last but not least, another good deal to share:

$10 Shopping Voucher for you to shop on EZBuy 
here: <bit.ly/faithyvanity65>

Happy Shopping! Comment below if you need the links of the stuff you see in my pics. :)