Month: April 2014

BEAUTY VOTE EUPHORIA

Not just an ordinary vote. This is KISSES FOR CAUSES a vote for your own chosen charity. Yup, you are the part of this beauty universe.

Or as Suzy Hutomo, CEO The Body Shop Indonesia said at the launch event yesterday, “We’re all a share holder of this earth. I believe in 3 P’s. Planet, People & Profit. All connected to each other. Planet’s welfare will become social welfare, then profit will come." 

Back in 1989, founder of The Body Shop, the late Anita Roddick, built The Body Shop Foundation. It’s a charitable company who give money to innovative, global projects working for social & environmental change all over the world, made by profit sales of a charity product. 

In Indonesia, The Body Shop have chosen three grassroots NPOs (Non Profit Organizations) this year to be voted by us (read: customers) during a promotional period in-stores. They are: Komunitas NOL Sampah, ProFauna & Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia which have been selected also by The Body Shop Foundation in UK. Rika Anggraini, Head of Corporate Communications The Body Shop Indonesia said at the event, "The Body Shop chose three charities with strong background, one in animal protection, one for environment and one for human rights.” FYI, last year, The Body Shop Indonesia had collected Rp 988.993.697 from 100% profit of sales of Dragon Fruit Lip Butter & delivered to three NPOs (last year they were: Yayasan Prakarsa Hijau, Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation & KAKAK Foundation).

So, which issue matter for you the most this year? You have the right to choose after you purchased Dragon Fruit Lip Butter, each for Rp 89.000. Yup, by purchasing this super-moisturizing lip butter (which smell amazingly fresh & glides smoothly like butter, by the way), you (as a stake holder of this planet) can support The Body Shop Indonesia’s three charity partners. Your choice & your action will change the world, because all profits from this must have lip butter will go to charity. Visit The Body Shop store near you for more infos and how to get involved.

FROM KOREA TO THE WORLD

Yes, another Korean ‘beauty invasion’, please.

As a little girl, raised by a mother who truly believed in the power of ginseng as traditional medicine, Korean brand SULWHASOO had me at their main ingredient alone. Founded by Sung-Whan Suh (that really sound like the brand, don’t you think?) who as a young boy lived in Gaeseong, Korea, a city known for quality ginseng, SULWHASOO is known as a holistic skin wellness regimen drawn from Korean Herbal Medicine.

Having tested mostly all skin care brands which available in Indonesia, I am a firm believer of Asian brands, as I do believe they’re more skin-friendly to Asian skin. And SULWHASOO is one of them. At their website, I read something interesting: “In Korean Herbal Medicine, it is believed that the body undergoes internal changes every seven years. At each milestone, energies within the body change. Historically at the age of 35, vital energies begin to taper and fall out of balance. As vital energies diminish in the body, the skin becomes prone to dryness, dehydration, and significantly more vulnerable to the aging process.” I started counting my seven years itch after I read those, but relieved to know that SULWHASOO blends the Korean medicinal herbs with science to balance those inner energies of the skin for that final results we’ve all longing for: nourished & healthy complexion.

Thanks to SULWHASOO Indonesia, I’ve got a chance to try their products and one of the brand’s best seller ‘First Care Activating Serum’ (released in 1997). Currently, 9 bottles of SULWHASOO ‘First Care Activating Serum’ is sold every minute. This is not a typical serum, it also a booster to assure optimal skincare results by amplifying the effects of treatments that follows. If you are like me, sometimes you feel like all those serums & lotions didn’t absorb well and stay on the surface only, you’ll love this. The texture is very light and clear, it instantly absorb to the skin without any filmy feeling. As for the scent, I found it relaxing (thanks to those natural herbs such as lavender & ylang ylang). The star product of SULWHASOO is recommended as the first step of skin care after cleansing.

And talking about cleansing, I found my favorite cleansing oil in SULWHASOO, ‘Gentle Cleansing Oil’. Honestly, I was skeptical about cleansing oil as I’m an avid fan of Micellar water. But that changed after I tried the product. Unlike any other brands that I’ve tried previously, it’s not that oily (surprise, surprise!), it doesn’t sting my sensitive eyes and it cleanse well. And unlike any other brands, I don’t have to mix it with water to create that milky texture, just massage to clean the whole face, including eyes area. My beauty verdict: it’s a winner in cleansing oil category.

I also tried SULWHASOO ‘Essential Firming Cream’. Another winner from SULWHASOO Essential Line, for skin refining effects. No feeling of tightness after I applied and the slightly balmy texture didn’t feel heavy at all. It glides easily and absorbs well! Claimed to stimulate collagen for a long term lift, this product can also be used day and night to promote elasticity & detoxify as well.

As I wrote this post, SULWHASOO has two counters in Jakarta, Indonesia: Seibu Grand Indonesia & Sogo Plaza Senayan. Check out my pics above from their counter at Sogo. Well well well, they do carry ‘Men’s Line’ as well as their base makeup line, ‘Evenfair’. They have different lines for specific skin needs, such as ‘Time Treasure’ for anti aging and ‘Hydro-Aid’ for extra hydration. So, make sure you pick the right line for your need.

LET’S JOIN THIS SEMINAR!

As a part of Fimelahood Bloggers from Fimela.com, I’m proud to say that our beloved Fimela.com is about to turn 3 years old. Wow! That was (unbelievably) fast.

And in conjunction of Fimela.com 3rd anniversary, there’ll be a seminar IWOW (Indonesia World of Women) on May 17th, 2014. Let’s join the seminar (see the banner above). FYI, you can order the PreSale tickets through me if you wish. Recommended to buy on PreSale season as they’re cheaper. The earlier always get better in this matter. See you there!

WHAT’S NEW FROM THE HIGH STREET’S DARLING

Like chicken & eggs, which come first? 
For me, number one is comfortable factor, followed by style. But for this particular high street brand from UK, I can have them both. Plus added bonus, their easy to mix n match factor. 

Earlier this month, Dorothy Perkins Indonesia launched a Style Essentials collection in Penang Bistro, Grand Indonesia, Jakarta. With fellow bloggers & press, we were able to see all of the pieces that you’ll love for Spring Summer this year. Well, this season, there are 10 must have pieces: 

  1. The Statement Shirt
  2. The Block Heel 
  3. The Jumpsuit
  4. The Maxi
  5. The Midi
  6. The Cami
  7. The Boyfriend Jean
  8. The Mini Bag
  9. The Soft Trouser
  10. The Lace Top

Judging from my lifestyle, my favorite will be: the soft trouser, the boyfriend jean, the statement shirt, the maxi and the midi. And what I love about this Style Essentials Collection, even though they add Spring Summer 14 to its’ name, they’re actually fashion pieces that will last longer than that. And do you know that Dorothy Perkins Indonesia didn’t carry that much of items on every style? For example, the mini bag didn’t even reach 100 pcs available in stores. So consider them a (very) limited edition. Hurry down to Dorothy Perkins stores to get them, and while at it, do join the competition (see pic above) to win shopping vouchers (Yeay! More shopping). For more infos, follow their twitter account, here. 

ARTWORK ON GLASSES

Earlier this month, Optik Seis invited me to the launch of Dolce & Gabbana Mosaico Eyewear Collection, in conjunction with Fashion Nation in Senayan City, Jakarta.

This could be the first time someone would ever think of applying the art of micro mosaic on eyewear. The tradition of Italian craftsmanship lie since ancient Rome, so no wonder Dolce & Gabbana honors that through their latest eyewear collection. 

Delicate, yet extravagant..the micro mosaic created exclusively for this collection, involves masterly expertise in the spinning of Murano glass. And those tiny tiles were accurately laid by hand by skilled craftsmen. Take a look at the all over mosaico eyewear pic above. Well, it was created with around 1000 micro tiles that embellish the front and temples, with beautiful composition of flowers like pansies, plumeria, gerberas and lilacs. There are only 70 pieces of these Limited Edition items in the world. And…tadaaa! Indonesia had 2 of the precious Limited Edition, only available at Optik Seis. 

I bet by the time I posted this, they already ran out of that two Limited Edition items. But for mere human beings like us, no worries. They have a more commercial options, either sunglasses or optical frames, with bold colors and lesser micro-tiles to adore. My favorite will be the bold red glasses (see pic above). What a statement eyeglasses.You can discover the complete Dolce&Gabbana Mosaico Eyewear Collection only at Optik Seis. 

AN EYECONIC SOIREE

One lovely afternoon me & fellow beauty and fashion bloggers were invited by Wardah Beauty & Fimela.com to celebrate the launching of two Wardah’s latest eyeliners, set at the chic Portico, Senayan City, Jakarta.

Since 1995, Wardah has been accompanying every Indonesian women with beauty products which are made with all natural, premium, halal and safe ingredients. Once a favorite for Moslem women, the brand now revamped to be favored by broader public. And in conjunction with Fashion Nation Event last end of March, 2014, Wardah Cosmetics launched their EyeXPert Series, consists of two eyeliners, Staylast Gel Liner & Staylast Liquid Liner.

Being a fan of gel textured liner for most of my beauty life for its’ consistency and easy to apply formula, Wardah Staylast Gel Liner caught my attention first. My beauty verdict of this liner:

  • Great texture, it’s very soft & creamy so it made easy to apply (especially if you’re a first timer gel liner user).
  • What a black. I mean, really pitch black! Perfect to achieve those bold or cat eyes lines.
  • It’s matte, waterproof & smudge proof! Come on, with our hot & humid weather, what else do we expect from an eyeliner product, right?
  • The packaging is very compact, the brush provided on top.

Moving on to the second eyeliner, it’s Staylast Liquid Eyeliner. Surprisingly, even though I was never a big fan of liquid liner as I found it harder to apply and longer to dry, this product had me at its’ first stroke. This will be the perfect eyeliner for party look as it’s more glossy and a bit shimmery when applied. And thanks to their volatile solvent formula, it dries faster than other liquid liners I’ve tried, without those tight feelings.  

Above all, these two eyeliners are recommended for their performance and very affordable prices. FYI, currently I’m also an avid user of Wardah’s lipsticks for their soft and non-drying formula (I’ll post about their lip palette soon).

For more infos about Wardah, you can follow their Instagram & Twitter @wardahbeauty.