Tag: review

Leave a comment

HOT SPOT FOR HOT POT 

Ideal meal for this gloomy weather at Crystal Jade Restaurant & Steamboat.

I have to admit that I do enjoy warm meal on any days. What can I say, I am not a salad or sushi kind of gal. That’s why hot pot, also known as steamboat (in countries such as Singapore and Thailand) is one of my favorite. Yesterday, I was invited to try the first ever steamboat restaurant by Crystal Jade in Jakarta. What’s more: they also served dim sum till 5pm. 

Crystal Jade offers different sets of steamboats, but I decided to try Set G, which is their Set Steamboat Seafood. For the soup base (yes, you can self-select), I was recommended to try their chicken congee soup base. Not your typical congee, as you won’t see the actual one. The consistency of the congee was not that thick, easy to slurp as it’s lightly salted and smooth. Not to mention, very tasty too! So tasty, I could eat the soup base alone and feel full. But, I don’t want to miss three pieces of live prawns which are a part of the set. When I said live prawn, they’re still alive when served. So they’re really really fresh. The others are cuttlefish, vegetables (napa cabbage & hon-shimeji mushrooms), vermicelli, garoupa fillet, homemade (yes, Crystal Jade takes effort to make their own) cuttlefish ball, bean curd, sweet corn and egg. Even though they’re seafood, but they definitely didn’t taste fishy at all. All these fresh additions made a very flavourful steamboat, indeed! Cooked on a special imported table (named: induction), without fire at sight, I truly believe that steamboat is all about the freshness of the ingredients and the mix of sauces (they have 17 sauces to mix and match). 

As I mentioned earlier, other than steamboat, the restaurant also offer a selection of Dim Sum favorites, made by a Hong Kong chef. I ordered the old-time favorite Siew Mai and Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun. I’m not surprised why there are queues for Crystal Jade’s dim sum, especially on the weekends. They are delicious. Make sure they’re served hot, especially for the custard bun as I can feel the warm golden colored sauce melt inside my mouth. I love how fluffy the dough is, and I consider this dish as a memorable dim sum dessert at Crystal Jade. Another must try for the closing, are their ice blended drinks (I tried Rosemary: a blend of strawberry, banana & milk) and well loved mango pudding. 

Except the yeay factor for the weekday dim sum, as Chinese New Year nearly approaching next month, this is a good spot to have your reunion dinner. Best to have a company of friends and families, judging from their spacious Chinese’ style interior for a more pleasant dining experience. 

Crystal Jade Restaurant & Steam Boat
Pondok Indah Mall Street Gallery 2nd Floor
Jakarta, Indonesia 

Leave a comment

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE…

With SAMPAR The Impossible C-Rum. 

My upcoming beauty resolution for 2015 is to take care of my skin more. Not that I neglected doing so this year, but smarter moves for better skin is very much needed. After all, healthy and flawless skin will always be a perfect base for any great makeup, right? 

But first, let me share some skin facts according to SAMPAR which might freak you and make you want to run to get this serum, stat!

  • Starting at 20, each woman will lose average 1% of collagen each year.
  • Skin aging starts silently around 15 years of age, become visible starting 30 and accelerates by 40-50.
  • Every day, the skin loses 1/3 hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid diminishes by 50% starting at the age of 50 years.

For the everlasting search of a perfect serum, search no more as SAMPAR The Impossible C-Rum reunites 5 serums (hydration, first wrinkles, deep wrinkles, anti-age spots & complexion radiance) in 1. A super concentrated serum with both preventative and corrective powers that promised to reprogram facial youth. With four patented active ingredients, Skin Youth Reverse Peptide, Liposome Encapsulated Vitamin C, Glucosamine-6 and Adenosine, it said it’ll intuitively adapts to cells regardless of our skin age. 

This smart serum comes with a dropper (great hygienic factor) and a light milky texture which absorb quickly. It didn’t leave any oily filmy residue and skin reactions for me. Usually, I use 2 drops for face and neck in the morning and night time after cleansing and before moisturizing. I’ve tried this for about 2 weeks, I feel my skin is brighter, firmer and more toned. 

From the product’s info, this serum is dedicated from 20 to 60+ years. SAMPAR The Impossible C-Rum is now available at Sampar Boutique, Kota Kasablanka, Jakarta and Beauty Box Stores near you. 

Leave a comment

MUSK HAVE FRAGRANCE 

Love the particular scent of musk? You’ll fall deep for MODERN MUSE by ESTEE LAUDER.

Here’s the history of my Estee Lauder’s fragrance: First was White Linen and the last one was Sensuous. And now…Modern Muse. Dedicated for strong & confident woman, enhanced by her own intrinsic femininity & individual style, it features a lush blend of rich florals & sleek woods. A contrast blend of exotic mandarin, jasmine sambac, amber wood and patchouli. 

I found this fragrance as an easy to wear and clean scent. Perfect for day use, as Modern Muse is so light (even though they came in Eau De Parfum). First spritz (in this hot & humid weather) lasted for about 3 hours, so might need to reapply. I love the chic packaging with the bow-like top (like a representable display for its’ feminine scent), and yet easy to spritz (with no cap, yeay!). When I said feminine, please do not imagine sweetness, it’s so not. As I’m very picky when it comes to fragrances (who doesn’t as it will stay with you throughout the day), Modern Muse won my attention. And it seems my hubby’s attention too. I always said that if someone (especially loved ones) even bothered to ask you what fragrance you’re wearing, it must be a winner! Don’t you think so?

Leave a comment

LOVE MOTHER NATURE?

If you do, you’ll love BEYOND, Korea’s number one Eco Beauty cosmetics brand. 

I was surprised when I was told by BEYOND Indonesia’s team, that LG (yes that electronic brand from Korea) was behind this eco beauty brand. Apparently in Korea (which sadly I haven’t visited yet), LG also produced household and health care products. 

Committed to sustainable beauty in consideration for our environment, BEYOND was born in 2005. Practically new, but they do have a total care brand which encompasses Face, Body and Hair Care. They even have products for Kids. With their ‘Eco Values’ belief, they went through the entire process from finding raw materials for ingredients to packaging. Natural ingredients stored in eco-friendly containers, and not tested on animals. That’s really BEYOND. 

Thanks to BEYOND Indonesia, they sent me these two products to try: REAL MINERAL BB & Just BEYOND REAL MINERAL Glow Highlighter. As we all (might probably) know, minerals will let our skin breathe more easily and give that special glow like no other. And these two products did just that. The Blemish Balm (BB) is probably the most lightest BB Cream I’ve ever tested. It didn’t feel like a mask and glides evenly when applied. Yet, this triple functional mineral BB cream is still good enough to cover up imperfections like acne scars and big pores. And talking about pores, natural minerals supposedly won’t block pores, which is a good news for those who have sensitive skin or prone to acnes. It really gives that extra dewy skin look, so if you want it to be more matte, you might considered to dust some loose powder afterwards. Only available in one color, thankfully the shade fits me just right. It didn’t give me that greyish or pinkish tone like some other BB Cream I’ve tried. 

Perfect for highlight, is Just BEYOND REAL MINERAL Glow Highlighter. As the name stated, this mineral compact did give skin an extra glow by its’ own. When applied by provided sponge, it showed tiny shimmers particles without making skin look whiter. However, I recommend not to use this as an all-over face powder, especially if you applied BB Cream previously. Apply with contour brush on the high points of your face (bridge of nose, brow bone, cupids bow and cheekbones) to reflect light off your face. 

Overall, these two products are perfect to give us that dewy, glowing and fresh looking skin for everyday makeup. 

For more on BEYOND, click here or visit their cute BEYOND Eco Atelier (that’s what they called their shops) in Indonesia, in Taman Anggrek, Pondok Indah Mall 1 & Kota Kasablanka (just to name a few). 

Leave a comment

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.  

Leave a comment

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!

 

 

Leave a comment

FOR GREAT MAKE UP, WE ALL NEED A SMOOTH CANVAS OR CAMERA FILTER, NO?

Camera 360 watch out…we might not need you anymore. Thanks to THE BODY SHOP All-In-One INSTABLUR.

Shine Controlling, check! Reduce appearance of pores, check! Blemish hiding, check! Complexion Unifying, check! Make up extending, check! Sound like missions for beauty apps, no? Apparently not, as now, getting a flawless looking skin in an instant is just a swipe away on your own skin! At the launch event of InstaBlur last week, me and other fellow bloggers and press were told how to apply the latest All-In-One 5 Action Perfector. One swipe was actually all that it needed, to avoid the crystalized form of this face perfector (made from Community Fair Trade Marula Oil). The balmy texture felt super silky and not sticky at all when I tried it on my face. Instantly, I felt the softness when I applied my concealer and foundation afterwards. I do recommend this for those who love to use primer to keep your makeup less shiny and last throughout the day. As for blemishes, especially the raging ones, you still need to apply concealer on top. Tips: a small squeeze of InstaBlur was all that you needed and apply where you needed the most (for me it’s definitely the T-Zone). 

And don’t just blurred the face imperfections, apply the other InstaBlur for your eyes too! At the event, I’ve also got the chance to try the other InstaBlur, All-In-One Tinted Concealer + Primer Colour Intensifier. Now this will complete your whole makeup. Not an ordinary eye primer, as you can use this for eye lids and under eyes to blur that ugly dark circles (as it contained yellow toned concealer). As I believe lots of us are dealing with oily eyelids which made eyeshadows hard to last, this specific InstaBlur is a winner! It also neutralises the appearance of redness on eyelids, and it did intensify the colors of eyeshadows I was wearing. Apply this before your usual under eyes concealer, and notice how it won’t create any single crease. It just blurred as stated, literally. Tips: same like the face perfector, a tiny squeeze was all that you needed. 

WHO ARE YOU CALLING ‘CHUBBY’?

Cute when you were 4, not so much when you hit 40. Thank you Eternel Concept Indonesia for a ‘new me’. 

For a woman who had done 2 caesarians, I made a pact to myself (God help me) not to go through any more surgeries for the rest of my life. Pronto! So, needless to say, I am not into plastic surgery. Though sometimes (I have to admit) I thought it’ll be great to have smaller nose and cheeks. But the thought of going under the knifes one more time, it scared me. I am such an open minded person when it comes to beauty treatments (as long as it didn’t involve any cutting and bruising). Once, I went for PRP treatment to fix my chicken pox scars (I had them at 28 years old, so it’s rather impossible to let my skin go back to its’ natural condition). At that time, I realised (in a most hardest way ever) why people said “Beauty is Pain”. It was so painful, I left the clinic (I won’t mention name) with green and blue bruises like I just went through domestic violence. And the bruises stayed there for more than a week, so yeah, it was a traumatic experience. 

I was terrified of needles, injected on my face, worrying that it might left me with the same result as PRP. And boy, I was wrong when I visited Eternel Concept. Located at Jalan Gunawarman 16, Jakarta, I braved myself to try their Face Lifting. Thanks to Titidianti, their Marcomm and Dr Irene, they both assured me that most of their customers didn’t even show any injections wounds after treatment. “It’ll be done with a very tiny needle and what you’ll see was just injection holes. If they’re red, they’ll be gone in 30 minutes till 1 hour,” explained Dr Irene. 

The procedures were very simple and super quick (I can imagine working career women doing it during lunch time and went back with a slimmer and lifted face!). They applied anaesthetic cream and left it on for about 15 minutes. Then, Dr Irene injected that tiny needle with Eternel Concept’s special serum on several spots on my face (not much, I think it was about 10 overall). Did it hurt? Nope, it was just like ordinary injections on your (pardon moi) bottom or hands. I was relieved to see my face reacted well to these injections. What was injected in to my face? It was a special serum (like I mentioned earlier), natural without any silicons. It was made from natural extracts of Echinacea, Guarana Herb, Okra, Pulsatilla Vulgaris, Boswelliaseratta Herb and Astaxanthin (the later is a protein occurred naturally in sea animals’ skin, with clinically proven anti-oxidant properties that are 500 times stronger than vitamin E). The serum is made in France with Nano & Pico technology, that make smaller molecules to enter our skin layers easily. This natural serum will add collagen and protein to our skin, as we lost them along the way (thanks ageing!). That explained the glowing skin bonus, as mentioned by Dr Irene earlier. 

Frankly speaking, I never done any Botox or Filler treatment before. But according to Dr Irene, this Face Slimming Injection is different from the similar beauty injections. “You will still look like yourself, with a slimmer face. And you can do free expressions on your face, too. Some will feel a bit stiff but it’s only temporarily because the serum is working,” said Dr Irene. I’m glad that there were no down time at all after the treatment, I even went to pick up my kids at school afterwards.

Check out my before after pics above. The after pic was taken 5 minutes after the injection, and my chubby cheeks that I had since I was born looked slightly slimmer with a longer chin as a bonus. Dr Irene also mentioned that glowing skin will be a bonus for this treatment as well because of their special serum. 

“Some customers showed an instant result like you, but mostly it’ll show significant and gradually result in about 7 days. The result will stay on for 6 months till 1 year, depends on customers’ age, their skin condition and their lifestyle. If you don’t smoke, don’t eat junk food, and doing regular exercises, it will stay longer,” explained Dr Irene. She also reminded me not to do facial massage for at least two weeks after this treatment to keep the serum in its’ original place. And for those who had Botox, Filler, or any other facial treatments, make sure you wait for another 6 months before doing this face slimming so it won’t overlap. 

Natural without any scars, pain of injections that I can tolerate, instant result, I can’t wait to try other treatment at Eternel Concept. Visit their website here for more infos. 

HOME COOKING ALLA ITALIANO

Newly opened TREDICI RISTORANTE fulfilled my latest craving for delicious Italian cuisine.

People go through culinary phases. Lately, mine is Italian. I’m not a big fan of any food retail chain where you can eat Pizza and Pasta inside a mall. I prefer a homey restaurant with Italian feel, like you’re eating in Tuscany. Yes, atmosphere and ambience count. It’s a great bonus if the head chef was Italian too.  Perfetto!

I was invited to Tredici Ristorante’s opening this week and all of those factors I mentioned above were there. Tredici means thirteen in Italian and Sylvia Gunawan (owner & founder of Tredici Ristorante) mentioned that she was also preparing to open a lounge/bar on the second floor which will be named “13 Monkeys”. Of course, Tredici is on the first floor, located at a (very) busy street, Jl. Suryo 42, Senopati, Jakarta. 

The head chef, Mario, is Italian who have worked in Indonesia for more than 20 years. And that day (boy, was I glad I came with an empty stomach) he and his team was preparing lots (and I mean it) of Italian home made cooking for me and fellow press. Overall, I did try 3 appetizers, 3 different pastas, 2 main courses, 4 slices of pizzas and 2 desserts. And they served everything fresh. The red of cherry tomatoes, the green from spinach for their Ravioloni and the pink of salamis. I could go on and on. 

When I chat with Sylvia, she said that everything was local, except the cold cuts. And right down through the beverages, they infused by themselves. So fresh, they also used fresh pastas, not the dry ones. I can tell from how chewy and soft the pastas are. “They’re not just delicious, they’re healthy too because we’re not using MSG at all,” said Sylvia. Great, I’m thinking to bring my boys here soon.

Anyway, if I have to break it down to my own favorite meals, it would be: Pizza: I love the crispy dough, the scent of freshly baked from the oven and the saltiness of their pepperoni & salami. Piccante is my favorite, but if you love seafood, try their Mare Pizza (it’s so unique, they served the mussels with their shells as a pizza topping). 
Pasta: My favorite will be the Linguine. Served with Baby Squids and Toasted bread crumb topping, it’s delicious and a bit spicy. And the pasta is not al dente, perfetto!
Dessert: Being a sweet tooth that I am, I had my choice at their Panna Cotta. Soft but not watery Cream Pudding, the right amount of sweetness mixed really well with the sourness from their fresh strawberry sauce. And it looks beautiful on their white plate, don’t you think?

 

WHO HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIR?

Adam Reed, Celebrity Hair Stylist and one of the owner of PERCY & REED, answered: Cara Delevingne.

Of course, I couldn’t agree more with him. And I was too lucky to meet Adam personally (thanks Sephora Indonesia) this week. Surprised, surprised, they offered me if I want to have my hair cut and styled by Adam. Of course, I accepted the (too) generous offer. You see, Percy & Reed hair range products are coming soon to Jakarta, Indonesia. Precisely by late October 2014 in Sephora Jakarta’s stores. What’ll be available here? Their core products (for hair care & styling too), including (the most awaited product I supposed) their dry shampoo! For you who have been living inside the cage, Percy & Reed started from duo celebrity hair stylists, Adam Reed and Paul Percival (that’s when the brand’s name came from) with a leading hair salon in London and unique hair product range to follow. And I remember quite clearly, my first encounter with the brand was actually when I visited London about two years ago and bought Glamour UK magazine. By that time, Glamour UK was giving away free samples, and it was Percy & Reed (I believe it was their conditioner). First, I was attracted by the pretty illustration of a woman with gorgeous hair on the packaging and it blew me away when I tried it and it worked really well. 

Let’s move on to my glorious hair day experiment with Adam, shall we? Adam is just lovely, we chat a lot while he cut and styled my hair. He love Asia, he said. Especially the food, while he can’t stand the heat and the worst traffic that he’d ever seen in Jakarta. LOL. Being me, I asked lots of questions and tips. And being me, I was kindly enough to share them with you here.
Me: “What do you think differ Asian’s hair and Caucasian’s hair?
Adam: "Actually they don’t differ at all. The difference is within the weather. Your weather here is just bad for hair cuticles. The humidity and heat will make your hair cuticles open all the time. That’s what made your hair limp and lifeless. What you can do is keeping your hair cuticles closed by blow drying with cold, not hot hair. And use oil before blow drying, that should help to keep your cuticles closed.”
Me: “Should I permed my hair? I love the volumizing look it gave me.”
Adam: “Never ever permed your hair. It will make your hair look dull and lost their shine. Keep them straight. If you want to make your hair look more volumized, spray your hair brush with hair spray and brush them through. That will make your hair look volumized but still has movement, not stiff.”
Me: “You know, I colored my own hair.”
Adam: “What? Really? I mean, it was a nice color and look good on you, but you should never colored them yourself. Go to hair salon.”
Me: “What was your recipe for great hair everyday?”
Adam: “Great hair products and great tools.”

Indeed! Since my hair was colored, they used Really Rather Radiant Colour and Shine Shampoo and Conditioner on me. Frankly speaking, I was surprised that they did cleansing too (I was expecting cut and style), but hey, every great hair styling need a clean hair, no? The wonderful soft smell last long throughout my day that day. Since I decided to keep my hair long (and I thought Adam agreed too), he trimmed and layered a bit of my hair. 

And talking about tools, Adam used GHD’s products to blow dry my hair, right down to the brushes (it seriously remind me of Mason Pearson’s brush). I want! Check out the tools spread on my pic above. FYI, he only used the hair dryer and a big hair roller brush, not even straightening iron or curling iron on me to create my look above. 

It will be a perfect world if I can have all of Percy & Reed products to care and style my hair every day, but I do recommend these as a starter (and feel free to extend the list any day now):

  • Shampoo and Conditioner (for the types that suit your hair, click here)
  • Hair Oil. Their no oil, oil is super great! No stickiness, I never washed my hands after I applied it on my hair. 
  • Hair Spray. Must have. Remember the tips from Adam? 
  • Shine & Fragrance Spray. OMG, in this heat, it seems that hair got smellier easier. I have the travel size in my bag now.