Dear readers of my personal blog,

I have officially moved to:

sohgail.wordpress.com

Blogger has been with me for a long time so I'm a lil sentimental right now. I won't be deleting this page but I won't be updating here any more either. Not everything from my archives were transferred over to Wordpress, so if you're looking for an old post it's still good to come here and find it ^^

To clarify, I don't post on my personal blog often because I work mostly from my website with Jem at www.projectweekends.com, so you'll find more frequent posts there instead. Instead, my personal blog will be more on beauty products and reviews, as well as sponsorship and advertorials. Do continue to support me! x

See you guys around, ciao!

xoxo,
Gail.

Wanna wake up to good hair everyday?

TSUBAKI, launched in 2006, has been leading the hair care market in Japan. Recording a total number of shipments of over 270 million units, TSUBAKI is valued as a brand created to serve the beauty of women's hair while enhancing the attractiveness of women.
- taken from their Facebook page

Ever since I stumbled upon this hair brand during my exchange in Seoul last year, I've been hooked. I know I know, it is good to change shampoo brands once in awhile right? But I just can't bear to switch brands, because I love this brand of hair care too much and everything else just won't match up. Hahaha.

Just a fun fact: I am a legit and loyal fan of TSUBAKI and have been so for the past year. I've been paying for all the products myself from last year till now. It was only recently that TSUBAKI Singapore tied up with me, and while I am obviously overjoyed, you girlies should rejoice more. Y'know why?

Because TSUBAKI is having promos in stores soon, starting from 15 March 2015! Read on, you don't wanna leave anytime soon.

On my part, I refrain from perming my hair, because perming really spoils and damages your hair ends. But I still dye my hair every month.

My locks are achieved from wearing curlers at night. From the curls, you can see the shine from my hair, all healthy tips! No more dried or split ends surfacing so often anymore.

TSUBAKI's Hair Oil (60ml) - $26.90

Formulated with high concentration of selected camellia oil to deeply protect, moisturize and repair your hair, so that it will have the "luxurious shine" look day in day out. It isn't greasy also, so those with oily scalp (like me) needn't worry. 

I think that's one of the reasons why I love TSUBAKI so much. It achieves this shine for me without making my hair look oily or greasy. Very impressive. 

How to apply evenly:

- spread an appropriate amount (about the size of a 20-cent coin) onto your palms and work it through your hair

- then, take another portioning of equal size and now focus on the areas that require extra application

- start from the tips of your hair, and work upwards. This is to prevent flat hair!

Head Spa Sparkling Serum (130g) - $18.90

This is a leave-in scalp essence that helps to moisturize, soften and stimulate blood circulation for a healthy scalp. It will settle into your hair and leave a cooling sensation when it penetrates. And this is also not greasy or sticky! Feels very relaxing, like an actual spa.

No need to spend money at salon if you're on budget, just use this!

After shower:

- dry your hair

- shake the bottle horizontally 4-5 times

- position the nozzle about 2cm away from your cleansed scalp

- spray 8-10 spots onto your scalp in a single session

- gently press your scalp with your palms until the sparkling/popping sound disappears

- you're done, now sit down like a tai tai and relax.

Simple as that! You have to try it on your own to believe. And now's a good time because TSUBAKI's Hair Oil (60ml) and Sparkling Serum (130g) are currently having a "$2.70 off" promo, exclusively sold at Watsons only. 

So don't wait anymore! You only have that one head of pretty hair, so take care of that mane. If you don't pamper your hair, who will?

Check out more of my hair on my Instagram, @gailsgeneration.

A woman's hair accounts for 50% of her appearance, so if you've got this lovely shiny healthy locks down pat, half the battle is won.

You know you want it,

xoxo,
G.

The concept of a 'Red Wine Face Mask' began some 10 years ago, when Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu, who once played the role of Shan-Tsai in the popular TV drama Meteor Garden, introduced it in her beauty book -  The Beauty Queen. 

I don't know about you, but I'm sure a fan of that that drama series (uh huh, you've got it, coughs Jerry Yan). 

I relished those nights, because they were the rare times my mother allowed my sister and I to stay up late and catch the drama. That was pretty damn long ago, I think I was only in primary school. Nevertheless, I still remember "Shan-Tsai"'s fantastic complexion in 流星花园 and during the drama promotions.

So, I was very pleased to receive this product from The Influencer Network about 2 weeks ago - then again, I'm always happy to receive beauty products - for me to do a review!

This skincare product by For Beloved One launched the upgraded Red Wine Antioxidant Night Jelly, which allows for your skin to indulge in the most luxurious treatment and gain miraculous results. 

I used it for 2 weeks and shared it with my mother and sister to see if we had any differing results.

Mom: Felt that her skin was smoother on the morning after.

Sister: Completely in love with it, so much so that I have gifted her the entire product. /lol/

My personal thoughts: I agree with my mom - my skin feels tight and supple when I wake up in the mornings, and there is this translucent glow to it. After washing it off, my face is soft and ready for makeup to be applied. The only thing I didn't really like: the red wine smell. Not being a fan of alcohol, the smell of wine was pretty strong for me.

Benefits: Anti-ageing and youthful resurrection of skin

Packaging wise: A good shape for gift-wrapping; looks presentable without wrapping also. 

Overall, it isn't as miraculous as it claims to be overnight, but I definitely feel that my skin did not look as tired after 2 weeks. I look fresher, so this is some good wine we can definitely get drunk on ^^

This product is exclusively sold at Sephora, at $78 per tub (50ml). You can follow them on Facebook here.

Many thanks to TIN and Sephora for this! :)

xoxo,

G.

Lush Aesthetics prides itself on using the latest LED teeth whitening technology that uses a non-peroxide gel and provides a quick, effective, painless and non-invasive solution for a bright white smile.

I am pleased to say I was a recipient of this treatment, and I wanna thank The Influencer Network and Lush Aesthetics for gifting me with a nicer smile now!

I don't drink coffee often, nor do I smoke, but somehow my teeth aren't as white as I'll like them to be. So when I was offered the opportunity to be sponsored 2 sessions of teeth whitening with Lush, I grabbed it. The following photos I'll be showing you guys are non-edited/photoshopped; only lighting is adjusted.

Before Treatment

Each session lasts around 30-40 mins, and about 5-8 shades lighter your teeth will be. Mouthwash will be provided for rinsing before and after.

Sorry if this photo freaks you out! Rest assured that it was not painful in any way to achieve this "pose".

What happens is, there is this dental-like device employed to keep your lips apart, and non-peroxide whitening gel is applied to your teeth. Blue gel is also applied to protect the gums. Subsequently, LED light will activate the whitening gel which will in turn brighten your teeth. The upper and lower teeth will be treated at the same time. No heat, needles or drilling will be used during the procedure.

There is even a TV-like monitor above the LED machine that helps to count down the 20-min session for you.

The first session: completely painless with no discomfort. I even fell asleep.

The second session: slight tingling sensations in my gums.

My advise would be to do every session separately, to avoid discomfort on your gums.

After Treatment

12 shades lighter teeth! I am pleased with the visible results, and I am smiling a lot more confidently with my teeth now. Considering going back for another session!

After the sessions, the consultant compared my "before" and "after". From shade 32, I dropped to shade 20. I suppose the lower your shade number, the whiter your teeth is. 

Both taken one day after treatment ^

All in all, I would say Lush Aesthetics are safe and they use only dental-approved products so that our teeth will not be harmed. The only downside is that I have to stay off caffeine-related drinks (meaning coffee, tea and soft drinks), curry and other sauces that may potentially stain my teeth for the next 3 days following the treatment. After that it's back to usual, but remember, your white teeth can only remain white with maintenance, and not if you do not care for it properly!

Usual price of LED teeth whitening: $999/session

Current promo: $188/session

*quote my name when you give them a call at 67374964.

So what are you waiting for? If you've always wanted whiter teeth (like me), then this is the perfect opportunity to get it done, especially before CNY!

So you can show off your perfectly white teeth while giving snarky replies to relatives who have nothing good to say to you during CNY. 

You can also head over to Lush Aesthetics' Instagram @lushaesthetics, where they are currently having a giveaway for teeth whitening weekly till 14 Feb 2015. All the best!

Lush Aesthetics is located at:

Tanglin Shopping Centre

19 Tanglin Road

#06-11, Singapore 247909

Tel: 67374964 / 67332431

xoxo,

G.

D'skin, one of the leading skin treatment centres in Singapore, has brought in Soft Plus, a standalone PC-powered skin assessment system. They are one of the first skin treatment centres to offer a pH level assessment. 

Why should you care about your skin's pH level, you ask?

Well, a balanced pH level can eliminate usual skin woes such as acne, wrinkles and inflammation. I didn't know that! My usual facial place does not offer this service for sure. 

At D'skin, the therapist will conduct a series of "tests" on my face and explain the results to me. I will get to know about my hydration, sebum, elasticity and melanin levels and how I can improve my skin conditions.

Note that Soft Plus is endorsed and used by medical clinics and doctors, for skin diagnosis and reports, to track skin age and progress following every treatment. 

They offer a variety of treatments to suit each skin type and requirements. 

I also learnt why my skin is constantly oily. Turns out I have combination skin: dry skin underneath and oily skin on the surface. This is because the inner layers of my skin produce oil to counter my dry skin and so my skin is sometimes oily. I always thought I just had pure oily skin and as such, I didn't like to use any oil or gel based products because they made my face shine even more.

In actual fact, for people with skin like mine, we should use more hydration-based products so as to moisturise the skin so that there will not be excess of oil or sebum produced. Now I know!

I am pleased to say I was offered the Oxygenating Treatment (O2) worth $198, perfect for my combination skin. For me, I am usually busy every day and my skin gets tired and dehydrated from running around. With this treatment, D'skin aims to strengthen my skin elasticity, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, diminish pores, and increase my hydration level up to 40%. That was quite a mouthful. 

----------------------------------

My review of the facial:

I thoroughly enjoyed it! Besides the usual cleansing, extraction and mask, the oxygen machine was employed to - how do I put it - "oxygenise" my face. A small pen-like object (I think, that was how I felt it was, since my eyes were closed) went over my face several times at strategic spots like forehead, cheekbones and chin, and was pressed down. I could feel the oxygen entering my face, if you know what I mean? My skin felt cool and relaxed, and after the facial it was obvious that it looked more hydrated, plump and renewed. 

I also liked how they included a neck and shoulder massage, which was very comfortable and good for de-stressing. There was oil applied, which smelled good and helped me relax my tense muscles further. I felt that this is a service that is generously given by D'skin, because it is not usual at facial salons.

I am speaking from a person who has done facials at numerous places and signed countless facial packages over the years. And this one has an "APPROVED" stamp all over it. 

Sure, it might be a little steep in pricing, but honestly, you only have one skin, one face. Choose the best. They offer facial packages that are super flexible, for e.g: 

$2,000 for 2500 credits, at $1 = 1 credit

So this means, they give you 500 free credits (essentially $500) upon signing up of the package, and you can choose from any of their treatments every time you visit them for a facial, and they will deduct the credits (according to the treatment price) accordingly. Some days you just want a basic facial, some days you want a pampering one. Our skin has its up and down days too, so this package is specially tailored to suit every customer's needs.

Other treatments they have (but not tried by me):

- Soft Light / Cold Light Therapy ($498): light of specific wavelengths delivered to the skin to stimulate and activate cellular processes deep within the skin layers. Triggers the production of collagen and elastin, to combat visible signs of ageing.

- Photo Rejuvenation ($348): non-evasive treatment that uses different wavelengths of light to penetrate and treat different layers of skin. Helps in treating acne, skin damage from sun, visible broken capillaries, hyper pigmentation and enlarged pores.

- Supreme CO2 Phototherapy ($468): Treats dark circles and visibly minimise eye bags. Helps to refresh skin tone and restore youthful skin, with no downtime. Cell-detox and also increases blood circulation. 

If you don't take care of your skin, who will?

D'skin is located at:

Kovan

Heartland Mall

205 Hougang St 21

#02-133/135 Singapore 530205

Tel: 62827388

Novena

Velocity (branded under the name "Su Beau Derma Clinik")

238 Thomson Road

#03-03/13/14/15 Singapore 307683

Tel: 62525822

Toa Payoh

TPY Central (branded under the name "D'Faceworks")

520 Toa Payoh Central

#01-54 Singapore 310520

Tel: 62589388

Thank you Brand Cellar and D'skin for this collaboration! Pictures by Jem.

xoxo,

G.

The latest addition to the "Korean Street" in RWS has arrived! 

Presenting to you the arrival of Insadong Korea Town, a Korean-themed restaurant set to mimic the "Insadong" streets of Korea, selling an assortment of authentic Korean and Korean-fused-with-Chinese-Japanese-Western cuisine.

RWS calls it the "Korean Street" because Trick Eye Museum (hailing from Kimchi land) and Missha (a Korean cosmetic brand) also recently opened their doors to visitors.

It comes as no surprise that this will officially be my favourite street in RWS.

Naturally, I am as hyped as the next Korean-food lover, so let's check them out shall we? :)

Ordering kiosks at the entrance. Typical Korean self-service style.

When Oppa and I tried the machine out for ourselves, we found it pretty laggy and not as "touch-sensitive" as I'll like it to be. Also, the menu seems pretty messy and if the restaurant is crowded, the line will be hogged up with people trying to make their orders and decide. I think there needs to be a more efficient system for this!

How the menu looks like ^

Signs around to direct ^

As you can see, the whole place is bustling with workers (some authentic Koreans so you can go ahead and converse with your oppas and unnies)

There are also "street stalls" around selling Korean snacks - namely fried tempura, spicy rice cakes and fish cakes in soup!

Now, on to the food!!

Korean side dishes - Kimchi is ON POINT. One of the very rare times in Singapore that I find good kimchi.

Kimchi Pancake - YES! Tastes exactly like the Korean ones. You can trust me, I ate god knows how many kimchi pancakes during my exchange in Korea.

Toppoki - These are the Korean rice cakes I was talking about just now. Very spicy, very Korean. It burned my mouth and lips but I just kept going back for more.

Ginseng Chicken Soup - There was no ginseng taste at all for this, sad to say. The broth was bland and unsavoury. But it was slightly better after we spliced the chicken open and mixed the broth again. I would say this dish leaves much to be desired.

Bossam - sliced cold pork to be wrapped with kimchi, green chills and korean thick paste inside the veggies. The pork was not as tasty as it should be, and was a bit tough.

Xiao Long Bao in Kimchi Soup - Ah this one is good. Tangy kimchi soup with piping hot xiao long baos. Very unique pairing but I daresay it sat well with all.

Pumpkin Spaghetti - It tastes a lot like salted egg actually. The paste/sauce is thick and creamy. But I still feel something's off. You definitely have to eat it hot, because it tastes quite bad when it turns cold and the spaghetti clumps together.

Beef Bulgogi Baked Rice - Stay away from this.

Mushroom Beef Bulgogi Hotpot...

... cooked by the head chef!

Tadah! Final product!

Tastes as good as it looks. The vermicelli is springy and the beef is perfectly bite-sized. The only bad thing is that I think the hotpot is too small...? Everything was just flying about while cooking.

Mixed Fruits Shaved Ice - Korean bingsoo. I was sorely disappointed about this because it looked so good? But tasted so bad :( 

The ice cream was not creamy (how can it right??) and everything else was just wrong. How can shaved ice go wrong?

Red Bean Pancake - On the other dessert hand, this was superb. Very crispy exterior and the red bean was warm in my mouth.

First star of the night: Watermelon soju!

Oppa has been dying to try this out for the longest time, but couldn't really go with me because well, I don't really like soju. Though I think he actually can finish the whole thing by himself la, lol.

I still tried this though, and surprisingly it was good (by my low alcohol standards). Very mild! Good for non-lovers of alcohol.

Second star of the night: J-cone!

This is hugely popular in Korea, and I had it in Sokcho while on exchange. In Korea, the J-cone is one side vanilla, one side chocolate. That was good! For Insadong, they only have one option of vanilla. Still good.

With the pretty Kaiting who sat with Oppa and I the whole night, together with her boyfriend Ken! Fantastic company :)

Overall, I would say this place is worth a visit if you're in Sentosa, simply because most of the food is good! There is authenticity, and quality is also up there. My rating: 8/10.

Insadong Korea Town

26 Sentosa Gateway #01-30/31/32/33

Singapore (098138)

Tel: 62388221

Web: http://insadong.sg

Operating hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)

Remember to hashtag #insadongsg and tag them @insadongsg when you're dining there!

xoxo,

G.