beauty review: j&j hair identity x natulique

Was blessed to have have a hair appointment at J&J Hair Identity Salon, on the 9th of October - thank you Sample Store! Unlike most salons, has a range of professional organic hair colors, the NATULIQUE Natural Colours.

NATULIQUE Natural Professional Organic Salon Hair Colours contain certified organic ingredients such as pure natural sunflower seed extract, jojoba oil and apricot seed oil. This enables pleasant to use hair colour with less chemicals and better functionality.

My post today will be about my experience at J&J Hair Identity where they used NATULIQUE's Natural Colours to turn my hair from a boring brown to an exciting colour! The salon even used the range of NATULIQUE Professional Hair Care products to pamper my hair during the process of dyeing, washing and styling.

Did you know? NATULIQUE's Hair Care range is ECOCERT certified. ECOCERT is one of the largest and most respected organic certification organizations in the world.

That's my hair stylist and director of J&J Hair Identity, Jac (the man on the right). I sat there for a whole 6 hours and he was really patient in explaining the concept of the NATULIQUE range as well as the suitable colours for my skin tone.

Loving how clean and minimalistic the interior of the salon is!

Here is a picture of my hair before dyeing, boy, I always get amazed at how straight my hair is. I never had to re-bond it. After a short discussion with Jac, he suggested a medium to light blonde ombre (I really wanted to try blonde). He did not recommend going full blonde as the bleaching process could seriously damage my hair if it was too much.

This is my hair after approximately 1.5 hours of bleaching. What I like most is that the bleach was not smelly nor painful at all. Unfortunately, I was unable to have blonde hair since there were red patches from my previous dye.

Jac informed me that darker hair dyes had red pigment in them to suit the asian skin tone, and therefore, if the pigment was too strong, bleaching would not be able to get rid of it.

He immediately got his assistant to wash the bleach off and proceeded to have another discussion with me for a different hair colour. Look at the hair wash area - dimly lit, it had the effect of a spa.

He explained it really well - it was going to be purple, with highlights and an ombre effect. I left my hair in his hands, trusting him and viola!

Here's how my hair turned out! He even took the extra effort to style my hair by using a curling iron and sat me in-front of a huge light and gently arranged my hair to have that amazing picture you see.

Jac calls it a blend of dark purple, medium purple and magenta!

It was no mean feat for him and his assistant to achieve this. They were really patient and gentle in making sure my hair looked good. Under certain lighting it does look more red than purple, but I was still very amazed at the final colour.

Its been almost a week now, the colour is still going strong (I use purple shampoo and conditioner to maintain the colour) and the texture of my hair was not compromised. It is still the same as before! I was a little worried that too much bleaching and dye so soon would affect my hair texture but I was wrong.

Taken the following day after the appointment. Here you can see the highlight streaks.

4 days after dyeing my hair! Color still looks bright though it seems to have faded a tad little, texture's all good as well!

Final Verdict:

Ambience: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Service: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (thank you Jac and assistant for being so patient and gentle!)

Texture: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (same as before)

Colour: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

J&J Hair Identity is located in Katong Square, Singapore. If you're interested in trying the NATULIQUE Professional Organic Hair Salon Colours, I'm leaving the address and details below so you can give it a try! You can read more bloggers' reviews on SampleStore.com here as well!

J&J Hair Identity Salon

88 East Coast Road

#02-11 Katong Square

Singapore 423371

Tel: +65 6344 2388

Instagram: @jjhairidentity

Facebook: Hair Identity JJ

With love & till next time,
mel ♥

beauty review: eyelash extensions

Me with Bare Eyelashes I've never done eyelash extensions before, and I rely on eyeliner and mascara to make my eye pop! The thing I like about mascara is that it makes me look less sleepy and tired! I feel that my bare eyelashes are quite short and isn't visible in pictures. So when Vanitee contacted me regarding a sponsorship of Eyelash Extensions, I thought, "Why not? Let's give it a go!"

Off I went to Angelxinbeauty to get my eyelashes done - they have two outlets, City Plaza @ Geylang and People's Park Centre @ Chinatown. I was informed that I would need to set aside 2 hours for the whole process. Who knew that it would take so long right? I was assigned to a beauty technician of the name Gena who was gentle with my eyelashes the whole time! When it comes to my face and nails, I really appreciate the technician to be gentle with me. I chose the natural beauty extension as I'm working full-time now. I can't possibly head to work looking like I'm ready to club anytime.

Gena snapped this picture of me after the eyelash extensions were done! It's 95 strands on the left and 100 on the right. During the whole process, I felt like I was getting little pokes on my eyelid, but it was never painful. If you're wondering what the white tape is for, it is a tape to isolate the top and bottom lashes from one another.

And viola! Done! My eyes are so huge now.

So this is me after my eyelash extensions are done - notice how curved the eyelashes are, and how long it is! Makes me look like I have eyeliner on as well. Score!

This is me a few days before the eyelash extensions with eyeliner and mascara. Can't even see my eyelashes! So what about my whole experience after the eyelash extensions were done? It was definitely uncomfortable on the first day as I wasn't used to it. Showering was slightly difficult as well because I was trying hard not to rub my eyes less it falls out. Today's the third day and I'm feeling good and prettier! You'll get used to it after a while.

If you want to get your eyelashes done, choose Angelxinbeauty! At less than $100, you can get beautiful eyes without putting on eye makeup, which lessens the hassle of removing eye makeup.

UPDATE: Good news! You can flash a screenshot of my Instagram post and caption on my eyelash extensions for $5 off your booking at Angelxin beauty! Thank you Gena!

Anyway, Vanitee is giving away a free product in conjunction with Singapore's 51st Birthday! All you have to do is to make a booking between 4th and 10th August 2016 and use the code <VTND16>! Limited to a one time use only.
With love & till next time,
mel ♥

x-men: apocalypse x 313@somerset

From left to right: Wolverine, Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, Jubilee, Rogue (Photo taken outside 313 & Orchard Gateway) Last Saturday, I got the opportunity to take some pictures with the Archangel Wings on display along with X-Men cosplayers at 313@Somerset! Despite the rain, the cosplayers kept their smile and energy as we walked to various parts of 313 for photo-taking. Check out Wolverine on the left! He really looks like a Hong Kong version of Wolverine - I was really impressed by his look. He even gave off the feel of Wolverine!

From left to right: Quicksilver, Wolverine, Jubilee, Beast (Photo taken in 313's Atrium) Quicksilver joined us shortly and added onto the mix of the mutants that day!

Check out Cyclops posing with the Archangel Wings! From 10th to 29th May, pose with your most heroic pose with the Archangel Wings and #313XMA on Instagram and the best photo will win a limited edition XMA luggage case - how cool is that?! 3 runner ups will even walk away with $50 313 vouchers each!

The cosplayers and I at the Archangel Wings - felt good to be an angel for the moment! I caught X-Men: Apocalypse when it was out in the cinemas - it was awesome! Marvel movies never lets me down and it just added onto another that I'll rave about. I can't talk much about the movie here because it'll be a spoiler, but I'll tell you what you can do!

Win prizes when you take part in the photo contest. In addition, those who spend at 313@Somerset can participate in the X-Men Apocalypse Instant Lucky Dip to redeem exclusive movie premiums or 313@Somerset vouchers.

Stand a chance to win exclusive movie hamper, 313@Somerset shopping vouchers or the ultimate X-Men Apocalypse VIP Stunt Experience & Adventure to the Pyramids of Mexico in New Mexico!

Go on and try your luck - it's worth a shot! Oh and P.S., let me know how X-Men: Apocalypse is in the comments below!

With love & till next time,
mel ♥

food tasting @ shinkei

A long while back, I had a food tasting session at Shinkei. What I really loved most was the sashimi (Japanese delicacy consisting of very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces) of course!

I'm a huge sucker for salmon because I love the way it feels in my mouth. Such a gross way to explain it, I know. However, salmon lovers would agree with me!

Shinkei is a Japanese ala-carte buffet restaurant located in the heart of Toa Payoh. Unlike the usual buffet of having sushi or dishes via a conveyer belt, at Shinkei, all you have to do is to sit and wait for your dishes to be served to you. The presentation of food is well taken care of and you'll be sure to have Instagram worthy #foodporn pictures!

Thank you Hazel and the Shinkei staff for the warm hospitality! I truly did enjoy stuffing myself!

Shinkei Japanese Buffet Restaurant

600 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh

#01-06/07/10

Singapore 319515

Tel: +65 6255 5598

With love & till next time,
mel ♥

beauty review: mane n' tail shampoo

I'm back after a long hiatus with a new beauty review for Sample Store's Mane 'n Tail shampoo!

Mane ‘n Tail Singapore provides a range of 5 specially formulated shampoos and conditioners - Original, Herbal-Gro, Deep Moisturizing and Gentle Clarifying & Replenishing. This shampoo brand has been awarded several highly recognised beauty awards including “Best Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner” by Woman’s Weekly and “Best Everyday Shampoo & Conditioner” by CLEO Magazine.

Having tried the Herbal-Gro shampoo which states that breakage will be reduced, here's my thoughts on this mint green shampoo. 

Picture credits: Elliewritesandsnaps 

The Herbal-Gro shampoo is said to provide the following benefits:

1. Gently cleanses, leaving the hair shiny, silky and healthy looking

2. Prevents breakage, frizz and spilt ends, thus leaving the hair stronger and longer (due to the micro-enriched protein formula)

3. Safe for relaxed, permed, colored or chemically treated hair

Herbal-Gro Shampoo

The Herbal-Gro formula consists of a blend of natural herbs and olive oil is designed to leave hair stronger and longer (yes, I'm always concerned about how slow my hair grows and so I was excited to try it)! Awarded the “Best Strengthening Conditioner” by Cosmopolitan in 2013, this formula contains no strong smell at all - perfect for a scent sucker like me!

I've also tried the Deep Moisturizing range and it has very much surprised me - after a simple conditioner, my hair has become more silky and soft! It looks really great too! 

Before

The Deep Moisturizing shampoo is said to provide the following benefits: 1. Locks in moisture (due to being micro-enriched with deep hydrating botanicals) 2. Fortifies the hair (due to Vitamin E & Pro-Vitamin B)

Deep Moisturizing Shampoo

After

However, my favorite range is still the mint colored Herbal-Gro shampoo and conditioner! It's amazing how at the first touch after washing off the shampoo feels dry but after drying, it feels healthier than ever. Not to mention, my breakage has definitely reduced and lesser hair is dropped each day (my mother would definitely approve)!

P.S. I do not blow dry my hair but instead sit under the fan and wait for it to dry - I heard it's better for your hair this way. For those with low immune systems, I wouldn't recommend it as you'll fall sick easily.

Final Verdict: 

Color: ♥ ♥ (I'm not a fan of anything green)

Moisturizing: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (creates a dry touch, but moisturizers after) 

Scent: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

You can purchase Mane ‘n Tail for $15.90 at Watsons, Guardian, major Cold Storage, 

Robinsons, John Little, BHG and NTUC or buy it online via their E-store Maimee's Corner.

Or simple get your FREE sample on SampleStore.com here! 

With love & till next time, 

mel ♥

beauty review: peri's tint crayon

Purchasing new lip colors online are always risky. You don't get to touch the product, or see it in real life. What's worse is that you can't test the color to see how it looks on you. Before I go on, this is not a sponsored post. I got this lip color using Althea's sponsored credits but was not asked to do a review on any of the chosen products.

I thought I would share this with you as I really, really love my new lip color.

I was real lucky with Peri's Tint Crayon from Peripera! From Althea's sponsored S$50, I picked the Pure Red tone from the range of five colors. I've always wanted to pull off a bold, red lip (cue pictures of Caucasian actresses).

First of, the application is easy, peasy. The crayon has a few angles - I call it the thick side and the thin side. The thin side helps to line your lip, whereas the thick side helps to fill in. Simply turn the crayon as and when needed. Not to mention, Peri's Tint Crayon fits my hand perfectly.

Secondly, the finishing is amazing. The color glides on with a creamy and moisturising texture. I placed a piece of tissue over my lips after the application and dusted some powder over for a matt-ier finish.

Like I said earlier, purchasing lip colors online is risky; you never know how it'll turn out. My experience with Peri's Pure Red Tint Crayon wasn't how it looked like in the picture above. This picture is on Althea's page when you browse Peri's Tint Crayon. Instead, it was redder, bolder and more vibrant than what it was made out to be.

Hence, I decided to go with the bold red look for an event by ELLE (ELLE x Fossil event). Paired with The Closet Lover's maxi dress with a slit (I love slits so much, by the way) and a pair of wedges, the lip color definitely brought out the glam in my outfit.

Final Verdict:

Color: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (absolutely in love with the color)

Vibrance: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (110% vibrance)

Texture: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (creamy and moisturising)

Scent: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (no scent at all)

Application: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (easy to apply, with the angles of the crayon to help)

Price: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (only S$8 per pop)

I do really have to thank Althea Korea for the chance to finally find a red lip color that suits me - thank you, Althea!

P.S. More details of the ELLE x Fossil event will be up soon!

With love & till next time,
mel ♥