Tag: launch

SPRING FLING

Don’t you just love Spring makeup? Showered with gorgeous bright colors, Spring translated to be one of the most wearable makeup in the beauty business. Don’t trust me? Check out these looks by Make Up Store.

It’s great to know that our very own Jakarta, Indonesia has the first concept store in Asia which resembled the one in Make Up Store’s native Sweden. When I met Elaine Fong, Marketing Manager Make Up Store for Singapore & Indonesia for the Spring 2014 product launch previously, she said, “Even Singapore & Hong Kong haven’t got one.” Now that they have more than 200 stores worldwide, their Plaza Indonesia store is the must visit ones for beauty addicts. Check out my pics of the store above.

Make Up Store has different collection for each 4 seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. So you can imagine how walking to the store feels like. Lots and lots of makeup products, not to mention they also have range for tools, body care and face care too! This Spring, Make Up Store presents three collections and looks: FUSION, POETIC & DELUXE.

For red and pink colors fans, you’d be delighted with FUSION, a futuristic & eclectic interpretation of two feminine colors.

How to get FUSION look:

  • Blend the new Marble Eyeshadows in Blue Venato & Volcano to create colorful composition.
  • Apply Eyepencil in Not So Dark to complement the eyeshadow shades.
  • For a waterproof result, mix Cake Eyeliner in Dark Grey with Mixing Liquid to frame the eyes.
  • Stroke Volume Mascara to the lashes for that thick luxurious volume without the clump.
  • Pick your gloss. LED Lipgloss in Hot Pink, or Lipgloss Wand Duo in Clementis.

If you consider yourself as an artistic & dreamy, you’ll love POETIC. Sheer, romantic and light, this look also focus on nail decorations, perfect for nail art.

How to get POETIC look:

  • Blend Marble Eyeshadow in Rossi Asiago which is great as blush too.
  • Apply high pigmented Microshadow in Tiffany, Harlequin & Cava to create rich colors & long lasting result.
  • For more intense result, apply Eyepencil in Not So Dark to create that beautiful dark grey color.
  • Decorate your nails with choices of Flowers or Butterfly.

Last but not least, is my favorite look above all, DELUXE. The name said it all, it shows a luxurious look for those who enjoy all the good things in life. Perfecto! I tried the DELUXE look myself (as you can see at the pic above), thanks to Yani from Make Up Store Indonesia.

How to get DELUXE look:

  • Use Eyeprimer before applying Microshadow in Old Lace & Thistle for more long lasting effect, especially if you want them to last the whole day.
  • Complement those colors with Eyepencil in Not So Dark.
  • To add more shimmering effect, dust Eyedust in Sparkle & Umber.
  • Lipstick in Bittersweet will nurture and color your lips in the same time.
  • Top the lipstick with more sparkle using LED Lipgloss in Elegance.
  • Set the brows with Brow Set Fix in Tinted. Your guy can use them too!
  • Color those nails with Nail Polish in Jessica. It screams spring!

For more updates on products or promotions, follow Make Up Store Indonesia’s instagram @MAKEUPSTOREINDONESIA and their Facebook Page: MAKEUPSTORE-INDONESIA

SWEET BODY TREATS

As I love the taste of honey, and legend said that honey was Cleopatra’s secret beauty weapon, the latest range from The Body Shop will definitely be my favorite beauty regimen. 

What a better way to experience the whole range of The Body Shop HoneyMania, than a spa treatment. At the Spa Hotel indonesia Kempinski, I got the chance to luxuriously dip into The Body Shop’s latest body care range. The range contains Community Fair trade honey collected from handcrafted hives in the Ethiopian rainforest, made from the nectar of a thousand of wildflowers, and they carry soap, lip balm, EDT, shower gel, body scrub, body butter and the innovative Bath Melt. 

My treatment at the Spa began with a warm bath. I felt like a queen bee, literally! I love the texture of Bubble Bath Melt, which really resemble honey. So deliciously looking and felt really soothing on skin, thanks to the creamy bubbles it created. And the smell is absolutely luxurious, very rich floral and honey scent. 

After the bath, time to scrub with HoneyMania Body Scrub. Don’t worry about harsh texture as I can feel it’s very creamy. Before the body massage, time to shower with the Shower Gel, my personal favorite! The soap-free shower gel will be the best way to start lathering on the scent. Next step is the body massage, using the Body Butter. I always find Body Butter is very good when my skin is very dry due to harsh weather, thanks to its’ buttery texture. Who knows it’s also good for body massage as it glides on really well? Well, from now on, I’ll bring Body Butter to my regular spa rather than using unknown oil on my body, for sure!

Last but not least, spritz of EDT will complete the whole sweet & luxurious experience of HoneyMania range. It’s very light, but if you use the layering technique, the rich floral scent surprisingly last longer than ordinary EDT’s. 

Overall, even though honey is literally the main ingredients for this body care range, they’re different from other honey products. It must’ve been the contribution of a thousand of wild flowers scent which made these products didn’t smell like (literally) honey! I love the scent and the soft silky skin result after trying the whole range. And the packagings was so attractively yellow bright, with deliciously looking honey comb illustration, I believe it’s hard not to touch them on store display. 

Remember, to always watch out for counterfeit products, therefore I always recommend to go to The Body Shop stores near you or for Indonesians, you can shop online, here. 

GOTTA GET THE GLOW

If a beauty product can be such a hot trend because lots of Hollywood celebs are using it, then I don’t see why not follow. 

I remember the first time I read about GlamGlow, the famous mud mask. I read that some of Hollywood celebs (not just the ladies) were using it right before their glam and important event, you name it, movie previews, award shows, etc, to get that ‘glamtastic’ skin. I’m so excited now that GlamGlow is retailed also in Indonesia, precisely in their own stand alone boutique in Plaza Indonesia, Level 4, Jakarta, and at Beauty Box stores (Kota Kasablanka, Grand Indonesia, Mall Kelapa Gading Jakarta, Trans Studio Mall, Makassar and Paris Van Java, Bandung).

Thanks to Beauty Box Indonesia, I got invited to the launch event of GlamGlow and met the husband and wife team/co-CEOs of GlamGlow, Shannon and Glenn Dellimore. They shared stories behind the brand and how they found the product that changed our perspective about mud mask. 

The inspiration for GlamGlow came when Glenn who ran a celebrity event business & spa consultant previously, met Keanu Reeves through a mutual friend. Keanu mentioned his frustration with taking a jet overseas, arriving super tired, having not slept and needing to be camera ready when he landed. Keanu practically wished for a product that would get his skin screen ready. Then, Glenn thought if it would be possible to create a fast acting treatment that would save those problems. To cut things short, Glenn and Shannon came up with common ingredients in a lot of skincare products, mud and green tea extract. Shannon was the first to try the mask. Then, they gave the jar to Keanu (of course!), Beyonce and Lindsay Lohan who were visitors at the Spa when Glenn worked. And the rest is history, viva voce continues as they love the immediate glowing result after they applied the mask on their face. 

At the event, press and fellow bloggers were encouraged to try the Supermud on our noses. I felt the tingling on it, but not for long as it began to dry (it’ll dry in 10-15 minutes depend on your skin condition, the oilier it is, the longer it’ll take to dry). Half dried, I can see the dots which apparently are the oil that the mask has pulled out of my clogged pores. Not a very good sight, but afterwards, I can see my pores on my nose shrank and the skin felt smoother. Not only for pores, and oil problems, GlamGlow Supermud (in white packaging) can also help fight all common skin concerns like blemishes, spots, black&white heads, even razor bumps and in-grown hair. 

This is what I personally called the wonderful life of living in a now beauty world, where they promised faster results. Consider yourself lucky to live in this era, when there’s a beauty product designed as a 10 minutes anti aging facial in a jar. GlamGlow Youthmud is a treatment you can rely on for that immediate camera-ready glowing skin a la Hollywood superstars. Youthmud & Supermud retail at Rp 780.000 each, quite a reasonable price for imported items considering the conversion rate nowadays.

For more infos, you can visit their website, here.

SCENTS & SENSIBILITY

Thanks to Living at The Papilion, I was able to meet the person behind the fragrance I’m wearing.

Francis Kurkdjian, Master Perfumer, Co-Founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris was here in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday. And lucky me, I was invited by Living at The Papilion to meet him and had a chat with him & fellow press. Check out my twitter @shintarosvita for my pic side by side with Francis!

Anyway, Francis was here to introduce Maison Francis Kurkdjian new scented range for the body. Five new body creams were added to his collection: Aqua Vitae, Amyris, APOM, Lumiere Noire Femme and OUD. Each was created in perfect harmony with the same name fragrances.

Why body cream? “Body cream is important. Some people just like to wear body creams only. And I think it’s important to have consistency in the range. They’re a favorite in the US and Europe. Very good for the skin as they’re very rich,” said Francis.

Surprise, surprise…In my lazy (OK, super lazy) days when I didn’t even bother to spray any perfumes, I always count on my shower gel and body cream. But what do you expect if you purchased those typical shower gels or body creams from the grocery racks? Scents will be gone once you walked out that door. So, imagine my happiness when my favorite perfume now has a scented body cream. Not just enhancing the perfume, the body cream is nourishing and moisturizing (thanks to Shea Butter extract as one of the main ingredient). And lately (thanks to aging), my skin needs more than just ordinary body lotion which didn’t work well like it had before. So, body cream in thicker texture is my skin savior, especially if I have to spend time indoor with AC on for 24 hours. My favorite? Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Vitae Scented Body Cream. Carrying the same fragrance whose name it bare, (Aqua Vitae) with notes like Lemon from Calibria, Mandarin from Sicily, Tonka bean and Gaiac wood, it’s fresh, light yet sensual like a second skin.

Always remember that layering is a trick to wear the perfume you already have, BETTER! This will extend your favorite Maison Francis Kurkdjian scent throughout your day, especially in our weather.

FACTS ABOUT FRANCIS:

  • He teaches (for five years now) at a perfumery school named ISIPCA Versailles (outside Paris), which he graduated from in 1993.
  • Most of his students are female (considering there are more male perfumers out there).
  • Between 1995 and 2013, he already designed more than 40 fragrances for luxury & fashion brands, such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Dior, YSL and Elie Saab.
  • His average time to produce one fragrance is 18 months (even though he admitted that he’s not a very patient person when it comes to work).
  • He only wears a fragrance that he’s currently working on. Once it was created, he won’t wear it anymore. He confessed that he’s only using Maison Francis Kurkdjian Liquid Detergent to wash his clothes.

 

GO GLOSS!

Are you in love with your hair color?

If your answer is no, you should run to your favorite L’Oréal Professionnel salon and try their new service, “Hair Gloss: In Love With My Color”.  At the press conference last Tuesday, Ivonne Vania, Product Manager Color L’Oréal Professionnel Indonesia said, “4.2 million Indonesian women are afraid to color their hair, based on our survey in salons. They afraid coloring might make their hair dry and brittle.” While me, (duh!) colored my hair like once a month. I believe this new service will be great for first timer aka virgin hair that never been colored before, and those who long for natural colored hair, with or without highlight. The difference with other coloring services? Hair Gloss will make your colored hair shinier and softer to touch.

“If you want to covered your grey hair and if you want to make your colored hair look more natural, this service is also for you,” said Yola Sutjiutomo, Business Unit Manager L’Oréal Professionnel.

Three different products are the key for this latest service, DIA RICHESSE, DIA LIGHT & PLATINIUM. Dia Richesse to cover grey hair and create natural colored hair. Dia Light will give extra shine and soft color. While Platinium creates a perfect, natural and soft highlight.

There are 3 looks to inspire & most probably will make you fall in love with your hair color (again): GLOSS HIGHLIGHT, SOFT COLOR GLOSS & GREY BLENDING.

As an addict for any hair color products or services available, I’d definitely try this service. I’ll keep you posted for sure. 

YOU CAN NEVER CHEAT STYLE & ELEGANCE

When I heard the name Carolina Herrera, I automatically think of her classic white shirt that never (ever) wrinkled and her undeniably graceful presence.

She became a fashion designer because of her personal ‘best dressed’ style. So wonderfully dressed, her friend, Diana Vreeland (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue), suggested Carolina to built her own clothing line back in the 1980’s. So successful on the runways, late 1980’s, Carolina developed a line of perfume. And that was the beginning of the CH Fragrances universe.

This year, Carolina Herrera launches CH Eau De Parfum Sublime. The latest fragrance by Carolina Herrera de Báez (that’s Carolina Herrera’s daughter which joined the family business in 1997) inspired by the allure of a sophisticated, elegant and sensual woman (resemblance characters of her mother, perhaps?)

I was at the launch event of CH Eau De Parfum Sublime*, in Hotel Mulia Senayan, Jakarta last July. Held by Multi Wangi Alami Group (the main distributor for CH Fragrances in Indonesia), me, fellow bloggers and medias experienced five different theme rooms, identifying the five qualities of the CH Eau De Parfum Sublime woman. Ingenious, eternal, enigmatic, singular and attractive represented in each note, such as bergamot, rose, orchid, passion flower and patchouli from Indonesia! Apparently, we have the best patchouli (yippee!). And in each room, we were shown different master pieces from Carolina Herrera’s designs such as belt, headband, shoes, hand gloves and clutch, all decorated with a pretty bow.

What made this EDP (yes they only come in Eau De Parfum) so irresistible? Well, as they said love comes at first sight…just look at the pretty bottle. It’ll surely become a delightful view for our dressing table. Take a glance and you already know that this fragrance captured the sublime essence of a woman’s femininity (just like the creator, Carolina Herrera de Báez said). Fresh, sweet, unique, enigmatic and sensual, all sides of a woman personified in a scent.

 

*CH Eau de Parfum Sublime are retailing at Rp 1.000.000 (for 80ml) and Rp 1.260.000 (for 100ml).

 

MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY BAG

Last Thursday, I was invited to the launch of ANTEPRIMA Mini Lucchetto at their store in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta. 

It was a launch/shopping/fun event. In collaboration with Marie Claire’s Indonesia magazine, I was surprised to found out that this new IT bag from Anteprima is quite affordable. For 2.7 mio rupiahs, the Mini Lucchetto which comes in various colors definitely will add a splash to our wardrobe. Still, I prefer the black one with the ever cute skull brooch (see my pics above). 

The strap is adjustable and removable, so we can carry it as a clutch or sling bag. The most fun part, we can add brooches and attached them to that iconic wire bag material. FYI, you have to order exclusively for that brooches (as they’re not ready stock items in Anteprima Jakarta’s store).

Check out the pics from the event above. 

THE CRISPIEST KATSU EVER

Don’t call yourself one of the Japanese foods’ fans if you never tried Katsu at Katsusei.

Located at two of prestigious malls in Jakarta, Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia, Katsusei just opened their third outlets in Gedung Sentral Senayan 1. And to introduced their latest menus and Special Lunch Set, fellow medias and bloggers were invited to their outlet in Plaza Indonesia, to have lunch with the owner, Sylvia Gunawan (she’s also the founder of MIKA Japanese Bistro which I’ve previously featured here).

Known for their delicious and crunchiest cutlets, Katsusei is a franchise Japanese restaurant from Utsunomiya, Japan and the first and only katsu-specialized Japanese restaurant in Indonesia. “We made our own fresh panko (that’s bread crumbs, btw) at least twice a week to keep the crunchiness of our katsu. Even the vegetables were cut one hour before lunch time to keep them fresh when served. And try our rice, it’s the best quality of Japanese rice,” said Sylvia during the press event last Wednesday.

First, we were served with the side dish, Atuyagi Tamago. Steamed egg rolls come in layers, served cold with shoyu and horse radish. The unique flavors of sweetness from the eggs and saltiness of shoyu made this side dish a good starter before the main course. Then came the hot soup, Miso. No fishy taste and smell, nice soft seaweeds and fluffy tofu made this soup a warm welcome for the long awaited crispy cutlets. What I love about Japanese culinary is their tradition. And Katsusei offers the authentic recipes right down to the DIY making of their secret recipe sauce, Tonkatsu. Small bowl and crushed stick from wood was provided to grind our own Tonkatsu sauce. First, get some sesame seeds, grind with circling motion then add the sauce just the way you like it. I enjoy doing it and hearing the crunchy sound of sesame seeds being grind. And the crunchiness didn’t stop there, as the main course arrived. Mixed Chicken and Shrimp Fry served with lemon slices arrived at our table, looking delicious and so golden, just like those food plastics I’ve seen when I entered the restaurant. Served with the DIY Tonkatsu Sauce, I can feel the crunch (thanks to the fresh Panko) as I bite and the softness of the chicken and shrimp inside. It was like a blast of flavors, a combination of sour, sweet and savory in a bite. And even though I’m not a big fan of white rice, I really love Katsusei’s rice. It wasn’t as sticky as other Japanese restaurants I’ve tried, just a great taste of white rice. I believe because the Japanese people are so picky when it comes to their rice. “All the authenticity of Katsusei’s menu are supervised by our Japanese Head Chef, Mr. Takeshi Kato, so the quality was unquestionable,” add Sylvia.

Another Japanese tradition, after the rich meals, we were served with a complimentary glass of hot Hojicha Tea. They said, it was good to dissolve all the fats from fried food. Even though all the cutlets were fried with Canola Oil (100% fat free), we still want more fat free, right? After sipping the rather bitter but very nice tea, desserts are coming. I picked the Coffee panna cotta, simply because I love coffee after meals. It was a really delightful food adventure day for me. 

SPRING SUMMER, KARDASHIAN STYLE

This is how the Kardashian’s sisters saw Spring Summer through their fashion collaboration with Dorothy Perkins.

Yes, the second batch from Kardashian Kollection by Dorothy Perkins is coming to Jakarta tomorrow. So, Kardashian’s sisters fans out there, be prepared to go to Dorothy Perkins’ stores in Grand Indonesia and Central Park (FYI, there are only two stores in Jakarta which carry this Kollection).

I was invited to their VIP Preview today at Grand Indonesia, and have a chat with an insider about how successful the first Kollection was. Apparently, Indonesia sold the most Kardashian Kollection Autumn/Winter 2012 compared to our neighbors in South East Asia. Wow, Kongratulations! 

So, what to expect from the Spring Summer 2013 Kollection? Definitely more fresh color, even though there are still black here and there. Graphic prints, body con dresses, light jacket in ombre colors, and a series of cute clutches and sling bags. I can still see the sisters’ individual style in the whole Kollection, like the glamourous body con dresses are so Kim, the loose tops are so Kourtney and the black leather lined leggings are so Khloe. Yes, there is something for everyone. 

THE POWERFUL DUOS

Combination of inspiring story and launch of two empowering products.

End of May 2013, I was invited to an event “The Power of Beauty” by Kiehl’s Indonesia, collaborated with Marie Claire Indonesia Magazine. The event took place at their boutique in Sogo Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, and it wasn’t just an ordinary product launch event. It was a celebration of beauty, not just skin deep but more to the beauty of being alive and healthy.

Me and fellow bloggers were lucky to hear such an inspiring story from dr.Patsy Sanayar Djatikusumo, a nutritionist doctor/cancer survivor. Yes, she’s a nutritionist doctor who got the most terrible news of her life back in July 2011. She said, “I’m the doctor to tell my patients how to eat right and to live healthy. And I’ve got breast cancer? Apparently no one can escape cancer.” She confessed that she was shocked and devastated when she heard the cancer news. “I cried every day until one day my youngest son asked me why did I cry all the time. He said to me even though I was sick, I still look pretty in his eyes. Let just say, my family support made me strong throughout the whole process.” She did chemotherapy, and like others, experienced dry cracked lips and blackened skin. Her friends introduced her to Kiehl’s. “After cancer, I became more picky when it comes to skin care products. Back in the days before cancer, if I got a little black spot on my face, I’d be panicked and instantly wanted to remove the spot. But now, I take things slow, as long as it made me healthy and alive. I’ll make sure I pick more natural skin products which are free from chemicals, colors and preservatives.”

I personally believe that natural ingredients for skin products are expected by many customers around the world who lately become more concern about healthy lifestyle. And Kiehl’s has been doing that for more than 150 years ago when they began as a New York City pharmacy. They keep updating on natural derived ingredients to make our skin healthier and beautiful, naturally. Like their latest invention for the Powerful duos, Powerful Wrinkle & Pore Reducing Cream (Rp 550.000) and Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream (Rp 395.000). Calcium PCA and Copper PCA are the main powerful ingredients in these products, which are also Paraben Free, Fragrance Free and Mineral Oil Free. Known as a skin conditioning humectant to improve skin barrier, calcium also shield our skin from wrinkle-inducing aggressors. Meanwhile, copper acts as a powerful collagen and elastin building mineral that fortifies skin structure for a smoother and more youthful appearance. Combined together, these composition will help to bring our skin’s elasticity back to its’ track, resulting less visible pores, smoothed texture and reduced wrinkles.

Very interesting product to cut time my beauty regime, as Powerful Wrinkles & Pore Reducing Cream is offering a two in one solution for those like me who have wrinkles and large pores to tackle. As we all know, aging can also caused large pores. Ari Martono, Educational Manager from Kiehl’s Indonesia explained at the event, “There are two factors for aging: chronological and external. We can’t defeat the chronological factor, but we sure can slow down the external factor which caused by sunray, stress and pollution to name a few. If we don’t take care of our skin earlier, we could end up looking like a 45 years old when we’re actually just 25. Actually, our collagen and elastin production already starting to decrease when we’re 20. So it’s never too early to start.”

I wish this cream was invented when I was 20. Anyway, here’s my first verdict of the cream: The luxurious cream is as rich as it gets, really hydrating and a pea size is enough for the whole face. Soft yet creamy, it absorbs easily into the skin and doesn’t leave any sticky feeling upon applied. Bonus point, there’s no synthetic fragrance added. As they claimed that within 4 weeks, we’d be able to see visible results on wrinkles and skin texture improvements, I can’t wait for mine to deliver.