Month: November 2014

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SHARING HAS NEVER FELT SO GOOD

Last Saturday, The Body Shop Indonesia invited me and fellow bloggers to celebrate Christmas early. 

Not just a typical Christmas party, it was sharing and playing time with the less fortunate children from Kampung Makassar & Kramat Jati community. With the theme ‘Make Wishes Come True’, we were expected to bring our own presents for the kids at the gifts exchange session. Each blogger was paired with one kid and mine was Putri. Her name is Putri Angelina and she’s the same age as my eldest son, 14 years old, which made it more heartbreaking for me. 

We had sitting lunch together, and when it was served, Putri didn’t even touch her plate until I asked her to. It might be just an ordinary fish and chips for us, but I think she didn’t know what it was. I believed she was overwhelmed by her whole experience that day, visiting one of the most luxurious mall in Jakarta and having lunch in one of the most popular restaurant too. It was really heartbreaking just to think about it, and boy….looking down was truly good for the soul. 

And thanks to The Body Shop Indonesia with their slogan ‘Volunteering is our DNA’, those kids (not just Putri) seemed to enjoy their unordinary Saturday. They had great lunch, sang along with Popzzle and got a Christmas gift from us, bloggers. I decided to give Putri the same Initial Necklace that I wore that day, something personal to remind us of that day. And look what I’ve got: a gift box filled with one of the range from The Body Shop Christmas 2014 Limited edition, “Glazed Apple”. I love the sweet and fresh scent of this all-new special edition. Keep an eye out for their seasonal body care range too, Vanila Brulee and Frosted Cranberry, now available in stores and online. This year, The Body Shop Indonesia teamed up with Wahana Visi Indonesia to send less fortunate children to school. So, for each gifts from The Body Shop Indonesia’s Top 10 Gift Ideas, you’ll donate Rp 5.000. For more about the Top 10 Gift Ideas, check out their facebook page, here. 

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I’M IN FOR ….

Revolutionize my cleansing routine with the latest mask from GLAMGLOW, POWERMUD™ DUALCLEANSE TREATMENT.

Having oily skin, applying makeup almost everyday, can really caused havoc to my skin. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel my skin can’t even breathe (same feeling with the nails blocked by gel nail polish). And yes, I still getting acne, the ones that they called adult acne. I believed it happened because of those buildup from oil+dirt+makeup that somehow trapped inside no matter how clean I cleansed. 

Thanks to Beauty Box Indonesia, they sent me GLAMGLOW POWERMUD™ DUALCLEANSE TREATMENT to try. And boy this is not an ordinary mask. Uniting the power of mud & oil, this deep cleansing and gentle mask was aimed to release those weekly buildup (they recommend to use this mask once or twice a week). Powerful yet gentle natural ingredients were used to make this revolutionary mask. To cut things short, the ingredients are four clays blend and four cleansing oils, velvet mullein leaf and a complex mix of cleansers, astringents & exfoliators. You can read more about the ingredients, here. 

Different from GLAMGLOW previous masks that I’ve tried, the texture of this mask is way thinner. Applied on clean, dry face, it’s as tingly as the other GLAMGLOW masks, but (for sure) the lightest of them all. And what really differentiate this mask from the others is the removal method. I left it for about 10 minutes to dry, apply small amount of water and start to remove the mask with circular motion. Along with its’ fruity smell, I can feel the exfoliating sensation and how it emulsified itself to cleansing oil texture. Beauty verdict: it’s refreshing, it’s practical (it’s sort of combining mask, exfoliator and cleansing oil in one!), and it’s softening. Definite must have for those who love to do weekly treatment and detoxifying your skin.  

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IN 2 WEEKS TIME…

I hope I’ll see improvement in my lashes & brows, now that I’m wearing Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Clinical Lash + Brow Enhancing Serum.

Truly, I have this love and hate relationship with my lashes and eyebrows. Some good days, they looked amazing (especially when eyebrows powder & mascara are added) and for those not so good days, they look blah. What can I say, I was born with sparse lashes and eyebrows. I did eyebrows embroidery (which eventually faded by time) and I did eyelash extension (which eventually fell off by time). Nothing last forever, right? Fortunately, in my hiatus mode from eyelashes extension (I decided to give it a break, because I’m worried I might lost all my own lashes *knock on wood), Kiki from Elizabeth Arden Indonesia sent me this product to try. 

True to its’ name, this specific serum is clinically tested to reveal visibly longer, fuller, more beautiful looking lashes in as little as 2 weeks time if applied daily. With exclusive triple peptide complex, boosted by vitamins, botanicals and lash conditioners, it will support natural renewal cycle, so lashes & eyebrows will look lush, healthy and revitalized. And I do believe that having naturally thick eyebrows and lashes will make us appear younger, no? 

Aging is not the only factor to blame for our thinning eyelashes and brows. Daily use of eyelash curler + mascara apparently will make our lashes starting to thin, too. Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Clinical Lash + Brow Enhancing Serum will help minimize the breakage & recover from this damage too! And don’t worry, it won’t darken eyelids or change iris pigmentation because it’s prostoglandin free. It’s also free of fragrance, colorant and paraben, which I found very practical considering that they recommend to apply this every night. Yup, make sure eyes are clean and free of makeup before applying this every night with its’ own applicator brush. Apply as close as possible to the roots of your lashes from inner to outer corner. And yes, you can apply it on lower lashes as well. Same goes to the eyebrows, apply on clean and makeup free eyebrows with its’ tiny brush. Use short strokes on the desired areas (as for me, I applied on whole brows).  

I have just started using this like two days ago, so of course nothing happened over night. But glad to say that it doesn’t make my eyes irritated, thanks to the fragrance-free factor. The clear texture is just correct, not too thick or too liquid so it won’t drip inside your eyeballs when applied. Being a practical person, the fact that I can use this one product for my eyelashes and eyebrows scored for me! And look at the black velvet pouch that came with the serum (see pic above), it just screams elegant jetsetter. So looking forward to any improvement of my lashes and brows in two weeks time. I’ll keep you posted for sure!

 

 

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BEAUTY ON THE RUNWAY

The Body Shop Indonesia has been the official makeup sponsor of Jakarta Fashion Week since 2011. And this year, they collaborated with three local fashion brands, KLE, CottonInk Studio and Ardistia New York. 

With a theme “Runway to Your Way”, I found this particular show as a very conceptual runway. Sitting there on the front row with The Body Shop Indonesia’s team, I can see why they chose the three local fashion brands mentioned above. Super wearable yet fashionable, not to mention…effortless. Just like the makeup from The Body Shop. 

I love how the multimedia screen projected a very modern clip about the key products from The Body Shop which were used for each brand. For KLE who expressed her Spring Summer 2015 Collection in all white, their key products are InstaBlur and All In One Face Base. To support the CottonInk Studio collection who embraced the essence of confidence with effortlessness, they accentuated with strong eyeliner made possible by The Body Shop latest Smoky 2 in 1 Gel Liner. Last but not least, for Ardistia New York who played with strong lines and bold colors, Colour Crush Lipstick was the main focus of the whole makeup (especially with that wig who covered models eyes). 

Congratulations for The Body Shop Indonesia’s team and their makeup artists who I believed work their hearts off backstage to support this year’s Jakarta Fashion Week. See you guys next year!

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WHAT’S HOT FROM …

BOURJOIS. From their first creations for theatre actors and actresses way back in 1863, this beauty brand surely keep on blossoming. 

Who could resist the power of that iconic little round pots? Of course, the formula has been improving ever since and Bourjois continue to invent, create and design cute yet feminine products for beauty junkies like us. Being an addict for anything Parisian myself, I love how Bourjois made their products accessible for their affordable price but with a great quality of makeup. Not to mention, they have their own counters in major department stores and easily to get in some of major drugstores here in Jakarta, Indonesia. Oh, and they also launches new looks each season with (again) Parisian style advertisement. So you can imagine their wide range of colors (at their website, they noted 400 shades and 100 of them are renewed each year). 

Last week, Bourjois Indonesia gathered us bloggers at Four Seasons Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia to introduce their upcoming products. Range of GLAMOUR Eau de Parfum (Glamour Fantasy, Glamour Chic, Glamour Excessive and Glamour Lovely), TWIST UP THE VOLUME Mascara, ROUGE EDITION VELVET & CC CREAM. They also sneak a peek of a few products for 2015. 

Adding to their complexion category is the CC Cream with three new corrective pigments inside a tube: Apricot for anti-fatigue, Green for anti-redness & White for anti-dark spots. It’s very lightweight, blend easily and leaves skin look brighter and more even. What awed me the most at the event was their TWIST UP THE VOLUME Mascara. It’s the first Bourjois mascara with (literally) twistable two-in-one brush. Check out my pics above for the close ups of the brush. Very convenient and time saving, as it will give length, definition, and volume with only one item. Each brush position has its’ own function. Position 1 will lengthen and separates the lashes, while position 2 provides even greater volume. When I tested it myself, I was very relieved for its’ clump free result as I found it hard to find a lengthening and volumizing mascara in one which delivered the same result.  

And finally I got the chance to test their most anticipated lipstick, ROUGE EDITION VELVET. Such a huge rave in beauty bloggers’ world, this latest lipstick came with ultra bold matte finish with super pigmented color. Surprisingly light weight in texture, very easy application and incredibly long lasting, they came in 8 glamorous & sexy bold colors (definitely not for the shy). I love how it initially feels like a lip lacquer but then it evolved to this fabulous matte finish, exactly like the one you see in the packaging. Tip: make sure you moisturize heavily and wipe the moist of your lips before applying this lipstick. 

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SKINCARE BASED ON ART?

For those of you who are still unfamiliar with Diptyque, it was a brand started by three friends with the same artistic mind and creative passion in Paris, way back in 1961. That alone explained why they have such well thought packaging, right down to the fonts. 

Diptyque might be super duper famous for its luxurious scented candles (thanks to Jennifer Lopez who demanded Diptyque candles be placed in her dressing room) but this year, they introduced the latest range of products, skin care.

Named L’Art du Soin for the Face (by the way, they had them for body care as well), the total 5 products is quite a small range for based on the art of infused skincare. Inspired by ‘phytotherapy’, an ancient practice meaning ‘to treat with plants’, every product was formulated with plant and flower infusions for beneficial effects on skin. The range offers to bring out skin’s natural radiance for a complexion glowing with well being. There are 5 items available: Infused Facial Water, Nourishing Cleansing Balm, Radiance Boosting Powder, Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay & Protective Moisturizing Lotion. The main product from this range is Infused Facial Water, enriched with Damask Rose scent. Very multi tasking, as you can use it as a toner, a mask (just soak cotton pads with it) or mixed it with the other products from the range like Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay, Radiance Boosting Powder or Nourishing Cleansing Balm for cleansing purpose. In Jakarta, the price range for this luxurious skincare products, starts from Rp 800.000 – Rp 1.000.000. 

Tested them myself yesterday at The Dharmawangsa Suite, I personally love the textures. All of them, including the most heavy one, Nourishing Cleansing Balm, surprisingly felt very light upon contact with my skin. Mixed with Infused Facial Water, it metamorphosed into cleansing oil texture, which is perfect to remove makeup for dry skin. Radiance Boosting Powder is another favorite of mine. The white clay powder combined with powdered rose, jasmine and neroli petals, not only hydrate my skin. It turns into a creamy lather for face cleansing when mix with water and the black ball sponge provided inside the packaging. This can also be mixed with Infused Facial Water, and the good news is, it may not be rinse if you don’t feel like you have to. Trust me, I’ve tried not to rinse them, and it didn’t feel sticky or itchy. Just wipe the rest of the foam on your face and left it there. 

Coming from the brand that’s well known for their elegant scents, expect the same for this skincare range. And of course, they’ll beautify our bathroom cabinets as well.