Tag: indonesia

WHY IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TOO START

While I have to thank my mom for introducing me to eye cream when I hit my 17th birthday, I wish someone told me back then to use the complete anti-aging skincare regimen.

Not just eye cream, but the whole thing, starting from cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer and night cream. It is better to stop those wrinkles and any signs of aging on your face before they do appear and become much harder to erase. Especially for us who live with every day sun, pollution and stress exposure that damage our skin constantly. Just note that premature anti-aging regimen is a wise thing to do.

Thankfully (and sometimes confusingly), now there are many beauty brands which can accommodate our needs for a complete anti-aging regimen that work synergistically. Deciding on which, for me is a fun part of being a woman. We are spoilt with choices, ladies.

Earlier this year, January 2013, Amway Indonesia launched Artistry Youth Xtend, a breakthrough skincare which claimed to reprograms the future of skin to delay aging. Who wouldn’t want that? So I decided to give them a try.

And thanks to Amway, I had an unique experience in Amway Experience Center, right here in Jakarta, Indonesia. I had a chance to try on Artistry F.A.C.E.S (Facial Analysis Computer Evaluation System), a very special machine exclusive to the Artistry brand which can personalized our Artistry skincare. The personalize analysis from the UV photo includes: skin type, hyperpigmentation, fine lines & wrinkles, and Porphyrin (aka acne bacteria). Be brave to see the results, it could be quite shocking to see how many bacteria living under that nose pores or those pigmentation spots underneath your epidermis are ready to show. But no worries, there’s always solution. Judging from my results, they recommend me which products will suit my combination skin best. They are a whole range of Artistry Youth Xtend range, Rich Cleansing Foam, Softening Lotion, Serum Concentrate, Protecting Lotion, Enriching Lotion and Enriching Eye Cream. A whole set to cleanse, tone, treat and moisturize (day and night), that will address the first signs of aging with synergistic combination of botanicals and progressive technology.

What’s inside?

LifeSirt : a botanical extract from Mediterranean, known for its skin rejuvenating properties to extend the lifespan of healthy skin cells,

Micro-X6 Peptide : to repair skin’s existing damage and boosting collagen.

African Baobab Fruit Extract : natural moisturizer high in Vitamin A, E and F, which protects skin against future damage.

So, currently this is what I do every day for my beauty regime to achieve more youthful looking skin (and I intend to keep it that way as long as I can):

1 Cleansing with Rich Cleansing Foam. The scent is soft, I love the light creamy texture (which will produce medium foam after water contact) & the result. It cleanse well, zap my oil on the T-Zone Area without making the rest of my skin feels and looks tight or dry.

2 Toning with Softening Lotion. Not an ordinary toner, it’s liquid but it’s not watery. It’s a very light lotion, just pour a bit to cotton pads and pat gently. Instantly refresh my skin, doesn’t leave my skin dry and prep it for the next step.

3 Treat with Serum Concentrate. It will absorb in a jiffy. I just use one pump for the whole face, including neck. Do not neglect your neck, ladies. Seriously.

4 Protect & moisturize with Protecting Lotion. Since I have a combination skin, this lotion was recommended for me, instead of Protecting Cream which I guess is more creamy and suitable for drier skin. I love this, because it contains SPF 15 PA+++, so I can skip my ordinary sunblock and this really help my morning rush.

5 Boosting my skin’s ability to repair itself at night with Enriching Lotion. Surprisingly, I always wake up with more smooth and moisturized skin in the morning. The lotion texture also helps to absorb better than any night cream I’ve ever tried and it didn’t cause me any breakouts.

6 Last but not least, banishing those fine lines on eyes area with Enriching Eye Cream. Super rich texture which works well with under eyes concealer. Use the spatula provided and pat for ultra absorption.

 

YOUR HAIR CAN BE GORGEOUS, PRONTO.

Thanks to Oscar Blandi & his range of hair care products which will hit his boutique in Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, soon.

Jessica Alba, Charlize Theron, and Katie Holmes are just a few famous Hollywood names included on Oscar Blandi’s celebrity clientele list. Even Jennifer Garner once said, “He’s better than anyone at making a woman look like a fancy version of her best self.”

So, Jakartans, rejoice. Now, we can look like a fancy version ourselves too. Yesterday, I attend the Oscar Blandi Sunset Rooftop Party in Ampera Six Commercial Building, Jakarta. A very cool setting for a hair care products launch where fellow press and bloggers can feel the afternoon wind blown through our hair.

Introducing the hero products, Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo range, Ina Balasong, Managing Director PT Kreasi Maharani (same group that bring Make Up For Ever to Indonesia) explained to us why they decided to bring Oscar Blandi. “We decided to provide the excellent choice of hair products. This is the only brand that aims the three main concerns of Indonesian women. We want our hair products to deliver fast result, smooth our frizzy hair and lifting our limp hair. This range of dry shampoo will deliver just that. We can be gorgeous in no time,” explain Ina.

At the event, they showed us a short presentation about who’s the man behind the brand, Oscar Blandi. A native of Naples, Italy, his father was also a hair stylist who started Oscar’s interest in hair design in the first place. For over than quarter century, Oscar has been an expert for hairstyling, known for his goal to make hair look sexy and natural. That’s why he’s loved by many celebrities for his full and natural styling. His inspiration for Oscar Blandi products comes from “old world” influences, as they use extracts from plants and organic elements combined with today’s technologies.

There are three dry shampoos from Oscar Blandi Pronto, Dry Shampoo Spray, Dry Shampoo and (my favorite) Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo (retail price Rp 225.000 and Rp 265.000). With the same goal to achieve gorgeously clean and fresh hair in no time, they have various textures and application techniques to fill different needs.

Dry Shampoo: comes with a powder texture and a pointy nozzle tip for instant root application. You can also apply this on a hair brush. Key ingredients are natural rice, oat and tapioca starches to cleanse the hair, Triclosan and Tea Tree oil to help fight dandruff.

Dry Shampoo Spray: a more convenient spray version of the Dry Shampoo. Spray directly on the root, or you can spray on your finger tips and apply. Added to the key ingredients are Vitamin B5 and E to strengthen and protect.

Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo: the latest innovation in dry shampoo with clear undetectable spray. Suitable for all hair colors, it also boosts volume with a very refreshing and cooling effect of Lemon Verbena scents. Spray directly on the roots before brushing thoroughly.

For those (like me) who suffered from an extremely oily scalp even though we wash our hair every morning and can’t avoid limp hair by lunch time, I really recommend to use dry shampoo. It’s an effortless way to get that clean feeling anytime of the day, without worrying about any dry ends. Not necessarily used at home, we can use dry shampoo for touch up during the day for that extra pick-me up. Click here on how to apply dry shampoo correctly.

 

 

 

 

NEW BEAUTY PRODUCT TO TRY

Biotherm White D-Tox Liquid Light (Rp 695.000 for 30ml bottle).

For the never ending search of that perfect complexion, clear, even-toned, flawless, radiant, bright, glowing and smooth. If it seems to good to be true, think again. Before you (and me) give this product a try, you should know that our complexion is largely determined by light. Yup, if we can’t see that natural glow, it could be the color barriers blocked the reflection of light on skin.

There are three color molecules known as chromophores beneath the skin which impact the path of light and play a crucial role in determining the skin’s brightness, evenness and tone. Dark spots caused by excessive production of melanin, resulting a grayish complexion. Meanwhile, that yellowish sallow complexion caused by collagen glycation, which reduce its’ capability to reflect light. Last but not least is the imbalance of hemoglobin which caused a reddish, uneven complexion.

One of the Biotherm’s Whitening Care range, this latest product contains Lumina Marina Complex which targets all three chromophores. This is definitely not a traditional brightening product, with its’ ability to combat the three major color barriers. This tough yet gently brightening serum, with its’ moisturizing and weightless formulas, will help us reach our optimal skin texture and brightness.

 

 

 

BE A DONOR OF LOVE

There’s nothing wrong to love yourself, but loving others and environment will set us to become a better person.

End of February 2013, The Body Shop Indonesia held a media gathering to thank fellow press for supporting them throughout their campaign in 2012, Beauty With Heart. 

The inspiring program was a huge success, so did their new concept store ‘Pulse’ which look amazingly warm and informative to deliver The Body Shop values for their Indonesian loyal customers (including me).

Rika Anggraini (Head of Corporate Communications) and Ratu Ommaya (PR & Social Media Manager) from The Body Shop Indonesia, announced 9 journalists who won cash prizes for the writing and photo competition. They also gave out many game prizes and door prizes (I won a digital camera, by the way. Yeay!) throughout the press only event.

So, what’s next for 2013? To kick off this year, The Body Shop Indonesia will donate 100% profits from their latest product, Dragon Fruit Lip Butter to three charities in Indonesia. If you buy this super moisturizing lip butter made from shea butter, beeswax and dragon fruit essence, you’ll be given one token and the freedom to vote or choose which charity do you want to support. They are: Green Initiative Foundation, Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation and Kakak Foundation.

Rika said, their sales target for Dragon Fruit Lip Butter (each sold for Rp 59.000) is 28.000 pieces, and it’s already available in store since the beginning of February 2013. So rush to the store before they run out, and make sure you vote.

 

 

UNIQUE EVENT, COMFORTABLE FASHION

Not proud of becoming a citizen of the number 4 most populated country in the world, but if it means top fashion retailers are aiming to open here in Jakarta, then I’m good.

One of those fashion retailers is Uniqlo, brought to us by Fast Retailing Co, a global retailer company from Japan.

Personally, I like their Designers Invitation Project when Uniqlo collaborated with top designers around the world. I had Paul & Joe, Vena Cava, Orla Kiely and their latest Lulu Guinness. I found Uniqlo as one of my favorite casual fashion brand, as they’re very affordable and super comfortable. And I practically collected their HeatTech collection, which are perfect for layering, especially if I have to travel to countries with winter season.

A day before Valentine’s day, last week, Uniqlo celebrated Fashion’s Night Out, when they announced their plan to open their first store by mid of 2013. Reportedly will be one of the biggest store in South East Asia, their first store will be located at Lotte Avenue Shopping Store, Kuningan, Jakarta, Indonesia. With a store that huge, they promised to bring in their complete collection, for men, women, kids and baby.

At the event, they also announced their brand ambassadors, Indonesia’s very own young musicians, Vierratale, the beautiful actress, Shireen Sungkar and footballer, Bambang Pamungkas. Celebrated in Prive, FX, Jakarta, there were fashion shows from Uniqlo SS 2013 Collection and the most fun part for fellow medias: Free Clothes. Yes, Uniqlo was giving away free Uniqlo clothes for all guests that night. Excited? You bet. Mr. Yasuhiro Hayashi, Chief Operating Officer of PT Fast Retailing Indonesia said there’ll be more Uniqlo’s fashion events before the opening of their first store. Wow, more fashion parties. I’ll keep you updated.

 

EVERY WOMAN CAN LOOK BEAUTIFUL …

… with the right foundation.

In the beauty world, there are some people who made mistakes they don’t realize. And the number one mistake is: choosing the wrong foundation shade. Then again, we’re only human, born to make mistakes. And thankfully, some mistakes can be corrected. Thanks to Estee Lauder, now we all can have the perfect shade for our foundation.

Last Friday, six bloggers (including me) were invited by Estee Lauder Indonesia to experience the latest shades of Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup. There are 10 ‘Asian Friendly’ shades available from this 15 hours staying power liquid foundation. And at the bloggers’ event in Metro Department Store, Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, we learned so much about the product itself and how to apply the perfect base makeup, Estee Lauder’s style.

There are three things that we have to remember before buying a foundation. Skin tone, coverage and finish. “Many Indonesian women chose the wrong shades of foundation for their skin tone. They prefer it to be lighter than their own. But we at Estee Lauder believe that you shouldn’t look like wearing any makeup  at all. Foundation is not supposed to be seen,” explained Erfan Haryando, Communication Executives Estee Lauder Indonesia.

That’s when Estee Lauder iMatch Shade Finder comes for the rescue. It’s not what you think it is, it’s not an electronic gadget. It actually reminds me of those Pantone Color Guide. “We use this to determine the intensity and undertone of your skin color, so you can have the exact foundation shade,” said Erfan. And the best thing to try many shades of foundations is to apply on our jaw (seen on the model above), then blend with sponge. If you can’t see it, that means it’s the perfect shade.

After we found our shade, now what? Apply them correctly. Estee Lauder has three exclusive tricks to score a perfect base makeup.

1 Foundation Flower : think of our face as a flower and our nose as the petal. Avoid applying too much foundation by using a foundation brush, instead of our own hands. It will distribute the foundation evenly and reach those difficult areas, like sides of nose. Apply on one area at a time, sparingly.

2 Fatigue Fighter : for that dark circles, mix liquid concealer with eye cream before applying. Use concealer brush.

3 Powder Roll On : tap excess powder before lightly patting by rolling the flat side of the powder brush from one side of face to another. 

AND THE JOURNEY OF LOVE CONTINUES …

 

I practically grow old with this brand, and as some said ‘time makes love grow stronger’, that’s exactly how I feel about L’Occitane.

The skincare and fragrance brand inspired by Provence, southeast of France, is actually founded by Olivier Baussan in 1976. But in my hometown, Jakarta, Indonesia, it has been 10 years since the first L’Occitane store opened.

And they were celebrating it with fellow press, bloggers and VIP customers yesterday, with a theme “Celebrating 10 years of love” in Ratatouille French Bistro, Jakarta. Kudos for L’Occitane Indonesia with their all out efforts to deliver Provence theme to the celebration. From the atmospheres, right down to the meals and the ingredients from Provence, were delivered nicely. Check out more pictures of the celebration here.

Sarah Damanik, Senior Manager of Marketing of L’Occitane Indonesia shared some info that they will open more stores this year, as they’re committed to the Indonesian customers who love this premium yet approachable brand. Currently they have 29 stores in Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bali, Bandung, Makassar and Balikpapan. Their 30th stores in Indonesia will open next month in Grand Indonesia, Jakarta.

Now, you can also order L’Occitane products, including their 3 best sellers in Indonesia: Almond Milk Concentrate, Immortelle Brightening Cream and Shea Butter Hand Cream (the last one reportedly sold every 3 seconds around the world), through Mail Order (order@aba-id.com).

If you’re located in Indonesia and you want to try their famous hand cream, visit  and like their facebook page. They’re also handing out free tickets to Paris, you don’t want to miss this. I know I won’t. 

FROM A LAND DOWN UNDER

 

A range of natural products from Australia just landed here in Jakarta, Indonesia.

What an interesting name, MooGoo. I was invited to their launch last week and found out a lot more exciting info about the Australian brand.

It was made when the founder adapted a cream used to heal cow’s udders to keep them in good condition for milking, to help a family member with a skin problem. And if you’re into that natural products, you’ll be relieved to know that there are no petroleum or chemical based ingredients in MooGoo products. And, they listed all their ingredients on their products as well.

So natural, their lip balm is edible (but, seriously, I won’t eat it out of curiosity). Claimed to have effective ingredients designed for people with skin and scalp problems, like eczema, psoriasis and acne, I was eager to try the Skin Milk Udder Cream given to the guests at their launch event.

Well, it’s the original udder cream that started it all. But unlike the legendary cream that was thick and greasy, this udder cream is more light and non greasy at all. It contains Milk Protein, which claimed to increase skin elasticity 20% more than ordinary cream. First applied, the texture feels like a mixture between balm and cream, but surprisingly absorb really well. The scent reminds me of baby cream mixed with vanilla ice cream. I applied it on the back of my hands (the most dry part of all) and it made them feel soft and smell good like a baby. And yes, even your baby can wear it too, it’s recommended for easily irritated skin for all ages.

We can get them online, or in Watson’s Mall Kelapa Gading 3, Pondok Indah Mall 2, Mall Kota Kasablanka, Lippo Mall Kemang, Super Mall Karawaci, and Summarecon Mall Serpong.

 


WHEN MAGAZINE EDITOR BECAME JEWELRY DESIGNER

 

Meet Myra W Dharyasa, the designer behind Piera by Myra, a jewelry line based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

She’s a dear friend of mine from my previous adventure as an Editor. We met and shared similar beauty products launches, events, trips…you name it. As she got married and had a cute son, she decided to quit her job as an Editor and move on with her passion..her love of chunky yet chic necklaces.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to reunite with her during her label showing, Piera by Myra latest collection. She named them “Contrast” as there are lots of clashing colors and materials for her label. Her website and online shop will be launch earlier next month, so I’ll keep you posted on this matter.

Here’s my chat with her about her jewelry line.

SR : How did you start your line?

MYRA : “Piera by Myra was established on January 2012, it started from an idea of turning my personal liking of wearing chunky and chic necklace pieces to a business. I thought it would be nice if I can create beautiful and unique pieces for people to wear and to accessorize themselves. For me, accessory is one of the most crutial fashion element in one’s style. You can wear a simple top or outfit, and bring on the super chic necklace and voila! It is always nice to see women with style not simply because they wear high end branded clothes but because they can accessorize their body with the right and stylish choices. That’s why I created the label to cater all these needs.”

SR : Where do your ideas evolve from?

MYRA : “Basically ideas come from everywhere, from fashion trend, colour palette and designs that are shown through apparels to fruits, architectural element, sceneries, everything that catches the eyes.”

SR : What materials and techniques do you favor?

MYRA: “Materials such as metallic chain, fabric such as velvet, satin ribbon, crystal beads, acrylic piece, natural stones, synthetic pearls. Techniques: Twist, braids, mix and match, layering.”

SR : How would you describe the line’s style?

MYRA : “Chunky but feminine, chic but sometimes witty, elegant and colorful. I like my necklaces to stand out.”

SR : What’s your design philosophy?
MYRA : “Creative, beautiful, unique, making a statement but wearable, and off course last but not least affordable.”

*Special Thanks and Hugs for Moza Pramita for becoming my model of the day

PIERA BY MYRA
Contact : (62-21)81381241471
BB Pin : 214D72BA
Website : http://www.pierabymyra.com 

 

NEW PLACE FOR CULINARY FANS

If having meal with your family and friends are important to you, check out this new bistro in Jakarta.

Yesterday, I was invited to try out 8 (yes, 8) new menus from MIKA Japanese Bistro. Located in Kota Kasablanka Mall, Jakarta, I love how Sylvia Gunawan (Founder of MIKA) decorated the whole place. “Actually this was my wedding theme also. When I got married, instead of just ordinary wedding stage, I used library as my backdrop. Because I love the homey feeling, so I brought home everywhere with me, including the decoration for MIKA,” said Sylvia. Vintage European interior is the main theme, even when they serve Japanese culinary. Vintage hard case books on the table, gramophone, old clocks, miniatures of Eiffel Tower … interesting, right?

Sylvia is also the creator of all the contemporary Japanese menus, with the help of Japanese chef, Takeshi Kato and Indonesian chef, Nicholas Stanly. Yesterday, they showed the guests how to make Seafood Omurice with Bechamel Sauce through an educating cooking demo. Sylvia also shared her knowledge about Omega 3 eggs, which apparently are the best eggs for omelette, cause they’re more fluffy and the yellow color are more tempting than ordinary eggs. And of course, they’re healthier.

What differs this bistro from other Japanese restaurants and bars which spreads a lot in Jakarta? It’s a perfect place to snacks, mainly Japanese snacks (although they also serve full meals). Because this bistro is presented in a casual café style, you won’t feel intimidated to order a five courses meal. If you observe the menu, they also serve cocktails, beers (aha!), smoothies, and … Espresso Martini (check for me!). They do have kids menu as well, so I can imagine MIKA as the place for everyone, from business people to housewives/bloggers like me.

My tip: try their Ebi cream and rice korokkee, the Fish Katsu on Egg Mayo and various mocktails & smoothies.

Want to see other yummy pictures? Click here. 

MIKA JAPANESE BISTRO
GF Food Society
Mall Kota Kasablanka
Jakarta
www.mika.co.id