Leonard Drake Ultra Calming Skincare Workshop

Did anyone of you went to the recent Leonard Drake Ultra Calming Skincare Workshop held at Marriott Hotel?

Yes I did (together with Shirleen) .. and I am sure for those who attended the workshop had benefitted from the information and skincare tips presented by Ms Heather Vounnou.

Here is Ms Heather Vounnou,International Corporate trainer For Asia & New Zealand at the International Dermal Institute. A very knowledgeable and well-spoken lady who truly share the passion of having good skin from inside out.

See the "join FITE" banner behind Ms Heather? She started the presentation by sharing with us a little about FITE which stands for 'Financial Independence through Entrepreneurship". This programme is the brainchild of internationally renowned professional skincare brand, Dermalogica, which helps women entrepreneurs gain economic independence through a microfinance scheme. Check out this video clip about the FITE program:

For every purchase of selected Dermalogica product under FITE program, a small amount of money will be donated to an entrepreneur whom the customer has chosen. However, once the loan receipient has gotten her business up and running, and has repaid her loan, the money is returned and reloaned to another entrepreneur, and so the cycle continues. (Yes, your little contributions can help many entrepreneurs in the third world countries) For more information, visit http://joinfite.org/

We were then given a short questionaire to check our skin's biosensitivity score.

My biosensitivity score is 6, close to 7+, which means my biosensitively is noticeable enough to cause me discomfort. I have to agree that my skin is more to the sensitive type. So what is your biosentivity score?

Next up I am going to share a few slides which were presented by Ms Heather during the workshop:

Some of the things that Ms Heather shared with us regarding other causes of skin sensitivity and skincare tips:

• Using products from different brands (or cherry picking) also leads to sensitive skin. That is why Beauty Editors have the most sensitive skin because they got to try many brands and products from time to time.
• Having sunburns often is also a form of sensitived skin.
• Using too skincare products at one time will increase skin sensitivity.
• Not foaming well your cleanser. (Always remember to lather the cleanser well with water to create enough foam before cleansing, it is the foam that does the job of cleansing.)
• Hot and spicy food will increase skin reactions, so it is highly recommended not to do facials after eating hot & spicy food as it may lead to adverse skin reactions.
• Products with artificial chemical and fragrances will cause skin allergy. 
• Over-processed skin will lead to sensitive skin. E.g: cherry picking and over exfoliation.
• To prevent skin from becoming dehydrated, drink 4 cups of plain water for every 1 cup of tea/coffee that you drink. (Consumption of too much Caffeine will cause dehydration of skin)
• Avoid direct hot steam and extraction when your skin is sensitive.
• Avoid too heavy/rough massage for sensitive and sensitized skin. (as we do not want to further irritate our skin)

Meet the new range of Dermalogica UltraCalming products...

From left to right:

• Barrier Repair - velvety moisturizer melts into skin to shield against skin stress.
• UltraCalming Relief Masque - for quick relief of irritation and flare-ups.
• UltraCalming cleanser (500ml/250ml) - soothes while gently lifting irritating debris.
• UltraCalming Serum Concentrate - restores skin's barrier to increase tolerance against assault.
• UltraCalming Mist (not in picture) - hydrating mist desensitizes while easing redness and stinging.

Here is Ms Heather doing a demonstration of the latest Leonard Drake's New UltraCalming Treatment:

And after the presentation by Ms Heather ended, all the participants were treated to some yummy finger food and pastries. We also indulged in a wide selection of tea from Teekanne. ( too many interesting flavours to choose from! and I chose happy moods!)

Not forgetting the lovely doorgifts to bring home. They include a full size Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser, Dermalogica Age Smart power recovery duo trial pack and a box of Teekanne tea bags from the Wellness Collection.

And thanks to Shirleen who companied me at this workshop...

- My new liquid foundation made my skin looked so white in this picture.. Wrong shade chosen :(

Before I end this post, let me share with you some of the promotions for Leonard Drake's latest UltraCalming Treatments and Dermalogica products which were launched just last week:

PRODUCT:
Buy any 3 UltraCalming products (new range) and get to enjoy one latest UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial treatment (worth $160)* FREE.
*limited to one complimentary treatment per customer only

SERVICE:
Trial: 30% OFF* any UltraCalming Facial Treatment
*limited to one trial per customer only

Program**:
Sign up any UltraCalming Facial Treatment program (6+1) and receive:
- 6 complimentary UltraCalming Eye Treatments and
- 6 complimentary UltraCalming Neck Treatments (total worth $840).
**limited to one program per customer only

All the above promotions are valid until 30 April 2011.

 

Well, 3 days ago, I went to Leonard Drake at Nex to try out the latest Leonard Drake's UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial which is designed for reactive, highly sensitive, dehydrated, sensitised and allergy-prone skin, using the latest Dermalogica UltraCalming Products from the normal as well as the professional range.

 

The treatment aims to provide long-term relief from flare-ups. calms and soothes skin, improve skin hydration and its barrier repair function, and speed up the skin's helaing process.

 

Previously I tried Leonard Drake's Ultra Sensitive Skin Treatment, and I can say that they are two different treatments. The latest UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial does not include hot steam, extraction and high frequency machine. It is pretty much a treatment to help calm sensitive, allergy-prone skin and/or skin which suffers from acne, as it uses soothing products such as a botanical mist to soothe and provide hydration to my skin. Although there was no extraction, I was given gentle point massage on my face and eye areas to drain away toxins. (Not so much effleurage movements on my face though as the main focus was not to irritate my skin)

A cold massager was also used to soothe the skin. The mask used contained oatmeal that helps to relieve irritation and heal skin from eruptions and rashes. After the 1hour+  treatment, my skin felt smoother and moisturised. Totally no redness since there was no extraction! In fact, I was surprised that the treatment helps to reduce and heal my headless pimples. There were 2 big red irritating pimples, one at the side of my nose and another at my chin, now they are totally flattened and almost disappearing. (and it is only the 3rd day after the treatment). No wonder that therapist told me this treatment is suitable for acne skin because it can calm and heal breakouts at the same time.

 

 

Prices of the latest Leonard Drake New UltraCalming Treatments:

• UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial - $160 (60mins)
• Advanced UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial - $200 (75mins)
• UltraCalming Eye Treatment - $70 (30mins)
• UltraCalming Neck Treatment - $70 (30mins)

The new UltraCalming treatments are available at all 10 Leonard Drake Skincare & Health Spa Centres in Singapore. For more information and centre locations, visit Leonard Drake website.

Thank you Leonard Drake Singapore for inviting me to this fruitful Ultra Calming Skincare Workshop and letting me experience a pampering session of  your latest UltraCalming Barrier Defense Facial. Special thanks to Sheena, Hazel and Christina for your invitation. Also a big thank you to the guest speaker, Ms Heather Vounnou, for sharing with us useful information and skincare tips during the workshop.

 

Review: Lancome Maqui Miracle Natural Brightening Creator Compact Foundation

Not long ago,on a lovely Saturday afternoon, I attended the Bloggers Party of Lancome Maqui Miracle at Cafe Fables/Bar Stories at Haji Lane. Together with these lovely ladies, we had fun playing with Lancome makeup from the latest range and colours for face, eye and lips ......

We were privileged to be the first few to try out the latest Lancome Maqui Miracle Natural Brightening Compact Foundation range (launching on 1 March 2011) as well as the beautiful Ombre Absolue Impact 3D eye colours palettes, and new colours for L'Absolu Creme de Brillance lip glosses and L'Absolu Rouge.


Check out the latest collection and colours...

Lancome Ombre Absolue Impact 3D

Lancome Ombre Absolue Impact 3D new all-in-one palette comes with ultra-smooth and creamy powder combined with sparkles to create a range of makeup looks with intense luminosity. Create a multi-dimensional captivating gaze to reveal wide, expressive eyes using the S-way application with the 5-shade palette. The palettes are available in 4 different colours to let you create natural, chic, classy and high glamour looks. Take your pick (from top clockwise in picture): C10 Reve Du Jardin (Green), A10 Rubis Delices(Purple), F10 Noisette Lumiere (Brown) and G10 Etoile Du Soir (Black). Each palette cost $90.

The swatches:

A closer look:

Only the middle and dark shades of each palette were swatched, as the other 3 shades in each palette are the same - highlighting shade, top coat and liner shade. These colours are pretty and easy to match, don't you think so?

A high glamour and sexy eye look that can be created using the black smoky shades palette (G10)


L'Absolu Creme de Brillance

The first cream Sheen enriched with caring actives : Pro-Xylane™ (10 times more concentrated than L'Absolu Rouge); Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin and Moisture Fix Complex.

^The swatches

I brought home a tube of L'Absolu Creme De Brillance in shade 220. As you all know, I am not a fan of lipstick, neither do I have the habit of using coloured lip gloss.. but this lip gloss is awesome! At first when I read from the description that it is a visibly replenishing & plumping cream sheen, I am a bit wary that it may make my already-thick lips even bigger (because it stated plumping!) ... but it turned out to be a really nice soft sweet pink color on my lips..

To show the effect of the pretty L'Absolu Creme de Brillance in shade 220, I applied the lip gloss only to my lower lip. see the difference. The non-sticky and creamy lip gloss smoothen my lower lip and even out my original uneven lip color. I love this lip gloss! L'Absolu Rouge Creme de Brillance new colours include shade 180/220/320 and each retails at $40.



L'Absolu Rouge

                               














An advanced replenishing and reshaping lip color that contains Pro-Xylane™ and SPF 12 sunscreen.

It contains Pro-Xylane™, a complete and powerful replenishing molecule that creates visibly fuller and smoother lips. Now available in new colours- shade 180/285/380 ($44 each)

The swatches:

Last but not least.. introducing the latest Maqui Miracle foundation range ( the main focus in this party -ok, I saved the best for the last!)

The NEW LANCOME Maqui Miracle Natural Brightening Creator Compact Foundation

The latest compact foundation from Lancome, Maqui Miracle comes with AURA-BRIGHT technology to recreate an aura of lively brightness and inner radiance that comes from within. Bid goodbye to dull and fatigued skins and recover a natural, shine-free and brightening translucent finish.

Maqui Miracle contains SPF35/PA+++, the highest UV protection ever in a compact till date, to defend skin from dark spots and premature aging. It offers up to 12 hours of long lasting wear. Its mineral-rich formula is also suitable for sensitive skin.

Miracle Touch in Maqui Miracle... the powder is really ultra-fine and velvety soft, its refined texture adhere to skin for a poreless-smooth finish.

The full ingredients list of Maqui Miracle:

Maqui Miracle is available in 8 Asian Specific shades...

How to apply the Maqui Miracle:

Check out the unique DUO sponge:

Its velvety side helps the powder adhere seamlessly onto skin, while the silky side is used to blend, polish and perfect the look.


And also special mention about the innovative casing:

Like all other Lancome compact foundations, Maqui Miracle Compact foundation (refill) and the case are sold separately. (The foundation refill and case retail at $65 and $27 respectively.) Unlike the normal foundation refill which is a bit troublesome to change the refill pack, Maqui Miracle's refill comes in a snap-on pan for a fast and easy way to fix the refill pan into the case.

Trying Lancome Maqui Miracle Natural Brightening Creator Compact foundation onto my skin:

After applying Maqui Miracle foundation (BO-01), L'Absolu Creme de Brillance (220)  and some light eye makeup on my face:

My thoughts about Maqui Miracle:

The shade that I have is BO-01, (BO-01 and BO-02 will suit people with warm tones and yellow undertones.) At first I was worried that the shade might be a tad too fair for me, last week I tried on Teint Miracle liquid foundation in BO-01 and it was a tad fair for my skin. However, Maqui Miracle in BO-01 seem close to my skin tone.

One thing that amazes me is the ultra-fine powder that feels so soft to touch, and it just glides onto my skin effortlessly. Application is a breeze, especially with the use of the duo sponge provided.  I do find that my pores look less obvious after application. I like how it even out my dull skin tone, and instantly brightens my skin. Although it is unable to cover my horrible big red acne fully, it is able to lighten my acne scar marks. I will prefer to add a touch of concealer to cover my acne scar marks before applying the foundation.

The powder is pretty long lasting, as I find that my makeup still stay fresh after 6 hours. It does not oxide much though, the colour of my foundation remains the same at the end of the day. When I see my skin under the sunlight or in a brightly lighted room, I can see the big difference the foundation has made to my skin -> Flawless and radiant looking skin that looks natural!

Yes, I also love the slim, compact yet chic-looking white case.

Do check out Lancome Maqui Miracle Natural Brightening Creator Compact Foundation from 1st March 2011 (the official launch date), at all Lancome counters here in Singapore.

Good news to share.. your chance to try out Maqui Miracle before its official launch date:

1) A visit down to any Lancome Beauty Counter islandwide where one could get a 2-min Aura Bright flash foundation touch-up and shade matching of Maqui Miracle.

2) Visit Lancome website to register and participate in its "My Miracle Foundation" online poll. 200 lucky participants will each get to receive an exclusive trial size of Maqui Miracle compact foundation.

3) Join Lancome SG Facebook Fanpage to get the latest updates and promotions, and take part in its weekly contests.

Miracle Radiance - a Special Event by Lancome

Pre-look your facial or makeover package ($100, fully redeemable for Lancome Products) at Robinsons Raffles city, before 1st Marach 2011, and receive a four-piece pre-booking gift including an exclusive Maqui Miracle compact trial size.


A Big Thank You to Lancome Singapore for organizing this bloggers' party and giving us the privilege to be the first few to experience your latest Maqui Miracle Compact foundation, and try out your new colours and products. Thank you so much for the lovely gifts too! Special thanks to Cozycot for inviting me to this Lancome party!

Clarins Neo Pastels Spring Make-Up Collection

Spring is here and with it happiness and optimism, a chance to enjoy the moment and its simple pleasures.

Clarins celebrates with subtle pastels, worked in half-tones, for a poetic, romantic make-up look.. soft, light pastels that glow with a halo of light which rekindles desire and emotion.

A few days ago, a courier man came knocking on my door and to my surprise, I was greeted by a Clarins bag containing the latest Clarins Spring Makeup Collection - Neo Pastels, all thanks to the lovely ladies from Clarins Singapore. They just love showering us with lovely surprises, don't they?

Here it is ..the lovely  Neo Pastels Spring Makeup Collection by Clarins..

Neo Pastels Spring Makeup Collection features Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette (Limited Edition), Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour (New), Rouge Hydra Nude Smoothing Cream Lipstick SPF6 (Limited Edition), Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick (New Shades), Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate (New) and also Wonder Volume Mascara.

Now let us take a closer look at each of the product...

Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette (Limited Edition)

Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette houses six eye shadows in subtle, delicate tones, in three monochrome harmonies: browns, pinks and violets. Their specially designed texture can be applied dry for a more subtle make-up look, or with a damp applicator for a more intense look. Any colour combination is possible, to create any look you prefer,simply follow your inspiration. To enhance make-up and give eyes more depth, a black eyeliner is included in the palette.

It is presented in the classic Clarins light gold flat case, with Clarins signature. It contains a double applicator - a foam end for eye shadows and a brush end for the eyeliner. I specially love the pointed firm brush end which works great in picking up and applying the eyeliner that is included in the palette. Very easy to draw!

These six eyeshadow colours are soft and sheer, and come in three harmonies: browns, pinks and violets. Their ultra-fine texture is designed for all colour combinations and blending of shades, for a customized make-up result ranging from the most natural to the most sophisticated. The shades are very wearable for work and play.

1, 2 or 3 shades? Anything is possible! Apply a single shade and a stroke of eyeliner for simple, quick makeup, or 2 or 3 colours for a more sophisticated look. The eyeliner in this palette is cream-based but upon application using the brush provided, it gives a soft yet defined line. This palette is definitely one of my favourites in  this Neo Pastels collection!... Grab it before its gone, because this is Limited Edition!

Full Ingredients List for Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette:

Price: $72

Contents: 9g/ 0.31 oz


Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour (New)

These 6 new Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colours come in complementary shade pairs, to give cheekbones both colour and light: a matte shade to sculpt the face and an iridescent one to highlight facial contours as it catches the light.

A new generation texture that includes mineral pigments and plant extracts - bamboo powder and tomato extract, add a radiant and healthy glow to the skin. Silky to the touch and extremely lightweight and comfortable, the texture of Blush Prodige delivers endless colour variations, with luminous, long-lasting results and an even, natural makeup look.

Available in 6 shades: 01 lovely rose, 02 soft peach, 03 miami pink, 04 sunset coral, 05 rose wood, 06 spiced mocha

The shade that I have is 01 lovely rose. It is a very soft pastel pink blush, in fact this is the lightest pink shade blusher that I have in my mini makeup collection. I tried to swatch it on my skin but my camera failed to capture the nice subtle pink colour so I had to swatch the pinks on a cotton pad..

On my skin, I had to apply a few times before a very subtle nice pink appear on the apples of my cheeks. It gives the healthy glow from within, because the blush really looks very natural..  I guess lovely rose will show up better on fairer skin tone. I am fair-medium with yellow undertone, and I need to apply around 3 layers. Totally worth the effort and time I took to layer on the blusher on my cheeks when I see the end result.

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating cheek colour comes with a compact brush for easy application and blending of colour when one is on the go. This is the first Clarins blusher that I have that includes a compact brush inside the case. I used the brush to create the below look and it actually works without creating any harsh line.

Full Ingredients List of Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour (in 01 Lovely Rose):

Price: $52

Contents: 7.5g /0.26oz.

Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate (New)

In one click, this clever pen releases a texture enriched with Dermaxyl, a line-repairing peptide. Its high-precision tip ensures targeted application at the heart of the wrinkle, for optimal effectiveness. Skin appears instantly smoother and more even.

Clarins Instant smooth line correcting concentrate is stored in a red pen which uses the same mechanic as the light gold pen of Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector. However, for this, I seem to have turned the bottom part of the tube in clockwise motion for countless rounds before the product was being dispensed onto the soft rubber tip when I first used it. Think be prepared to turn at least 20 times before the product is being pumped up from the tube. Subsequently, it was a breeze to dispense the product.

The texture is pretty similar to that of Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, its beige-coloured cream instantly smelt into my skin creating a smooth canvas. It was amazing to feel the smoothness of my skin after application, my pores looked less obvious and fine lines became more refined. This is definitely a GREAT face primer to use before makeup! For Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch lovers, I am sure you will appreciate this product, as it now comes in a compact and more hygenic packaging that one can slip easily into any bag.

Full Ingredients List of Clarins Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate:

Price: $45

Contents: 3ml/ 0.09oz.

Rouge Hydra Nude Smoothing Cream Lipstick SPF6 (Limited Edition)  

Rouge Hydra Nude smoothing cream lipstick SPF6 incorporates an innovative formula with skin care benefits that moisturises and nourishes lips, repairs and protects them while smoothing and enhancing their beauty with natural tones.

Skin on the lips is five times finer than the facial skin. It has few sebaceous glands and no hydrolipidic film. The epidermis is very thin and the lips have no real protective skin barrier. They are fragile and dry out easily.  Rouge Hydra Nude contains skin care ingredients such as Hydracire S (a combination of 3 waxes: sunflower, mimosa and jojoba), SPF6, mango butter, Vitamins E and A, and Gamma Oryzanol.

4 Available Shades: 01 nude rose, 02 nude coral, 03 nude beige, and 04 nude caramel

Full Ingredients of Clarins Rouge Hydra Nude:

Rouge Hydra Nude is presented in an elegant packaging, with a light gold base and translucent lid that matches the nude shade of the lipstick.

Swatch of Rouge Hydra Nude 01 nude rose on my skin:

Applying Rouge Hydra Nude 01 nude rose on my lips:

Rouge Hydra Nude lipstick is super creamy and sheer that it just glides onto my lips. It indeed makes my lips feel very moisturising and comfortable. I am not a fan of lipstick, but this lipstick is pretty good and it offers sun protection of SPF6 as well. It feels like a lipbalm to me too.  01 nude rose gives a nice nude pink on lips. Know what this lipstick has a very interesting and yummy smell.. it reminds me of caramel chocolate vanilla... or was it my imagination?

A new record for a lipstick formula: 25% skin care ingredients go into the making of each Rouge Hydra Nude smoothing cream lipstick SPF6.

Grab one of these Hydra Nude Lippies before they are gone because they are limited edition products!

Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick

Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipsticks  contain "Extreme Shine" complex to give fuller-looking and luscious lips. A combination of "Maxi-Lip" and "shine activator" pigments gives the colours a multi-facetted effected. Check out the 3 new permanent shades - 12 litchi, 13 cherry and 14 grape if you love that exceptional shine on your lips.

Full Ingredients List of Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant:

Here is one of the 3 new permanent shades - 13 Cherry. When I opened the cover for the first time, my first thought was "this is really one bright red lipstick and it seems to be loaded with shimmers!"

Then I swatched it on my skin:

Swatches of the 3 different Clarins lipsticks that I have:

Rouge Hydra Nude is the sheerest among the 3, Joli Rouge Brillant has the most shimmers whereas I find Rouge Prodige to be the most pigmented among the 3.


and finally on my lips:

This was taken without flash, but with flash, my lips looked like 2 huge sausages ~ hides~ see below and you will know what I mean..

Oh well, I find that Joli Rouge Brillant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in 13 cherry is still too red and shimmery for my liking. The bright red colour and shimmers seem to make my already thick lips even bigger and thicker ( OK, I admit I am conscious about my sausages-looking lips and I wish I have thin lips so that I can carry off bright coloured lipsticks) For now, I shall stick to lip balms and very sheer & nude lipsticks like Rouge Prodige (in 105, Peach Sorbet)  and the latest moisturising Rouge Hydra Nude (in 01 nude rose)

Here are 2 looks I created using Clarins Neo Pastels Spring Makeup  Collection:

Actually in photo 1 and 2, I used the same products, just different hairstyles and clothes. (I used the lilac and violet shades from the Eye Colour & Liner Palette, and Rouge Hydra Nude 01 Nude Rose on lips)

For photo 3, products used were the same as in photo 1 & 2, except that I used beige and brown shades from the Eye Colour & Liner Palette, and Joli Rouge Brillant 13 Cherry on lips.

All Products used for the above 2 looks include:

1. Clarins Neo Pastels Eye Colour & Liner Palette (Violet/Lilac shades in Photo 1 & 2, Brown/Beige shades in Photo 3)

2. Clarins Hydra-Luminous Flawless Powder Foundation (Shade 03 IIY Natural)

3. Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour (01 lovely rose)

4. Clarins Rouge Hydra Nude (01 nude rose) - used in photo 1 & 2 only.

5. Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant (13 Cherry) - used in photo 3 only.

6. Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector (Shade 00)

7. Clarins Wonder Volume Mascara

8. Clarins Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate

Other products used (not shown in above image):

• Double Eye-Lid Stickers
• Freshkon Mosaic Contact Lenses (charming brown)
• Majolica Majorca eyebrow pencil (BR771)

Check out the lovely Neo Pastels Spring Makeup full collection at your nearest Clarins counter today..This collection was officially launched on 14th Feb 2011, which is only yesterday...so hurry down to any Clarins counter and be the first few to try out the products from Neo Pastels Spring Makeup Collection today!('',)

A Big Thank You to Clarins Singapore for sending me these lovely products from the latest Neo Pastels Spring Makeup Collection for me to try out. ('',)