facial

Deep Hydration for the Skin at Astique

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MFP has kindly arranged for a pre-CNY facial for me at Astique Clinic by Dr. Matthew Yap.

Cold weather means flaky skin for the dehyrated skin. Hence, more hydration booster would be needed to keep the skin bouncy and radiant.

My last facial was also probably more than half a year ago, so why not!

Other than their in-house scrub, these were the products used that day – ESTHEMED, which are made in Korea. Well, we all know that Korea is the place for good skincare products!

I enjoy doing facial a lot because it is extremely comfortable, relaxing and at the same time, better skin. The benefits of this facial is to keep the face moisturized and dewy.

The first step is to remove all the makeup by cleansing and scrubbing the face. Scrubbing also remove dead skin cells from the surface, making sure that the skin is absorbing all the nutrients well.

Hydra B3 Spray was sprayed and massaged all over the face before the Hydra B5 Serum.

Following with the Hydra B6 Cream. Okay, I gotta admit, I had this thing for the cream and the masks that came after. They were too goooood! Read on to find out why.

I have read about the mask from Miyake and she commented that the masks actually work like fillers. YES, IT SURE DOES!.

The ASTIQUE Recovery Essence Mask improves elasticity and firmness of the skin, smoothens and softens skin texture, resulting in firmer and younger looking skin.

How?

It locks in moisture, boosting skin cell regeneration and causing skin to glow from within.

The  masks are also retailing at a box of 5 ($155). Definitely worth the money.

It is filled with essence. You can literally see it dripping. So instead of wasting the essence, the beautician rubbed a layer of the essence onto my face before placing the mask on.

Psst: I think I would apply it all over the arms and legs if I were home.

It was left on for a good 20 minutes.

No washing is needed after masking. You can massage the face gently until the essence is absorbed in – as recommended by the nurses/beauticians there 🙂

Take a look at the rest of the photos below at how dewy and bright my skin is! It only took me 60 minutes to see the results. I went out without foundation that day because I was so confident of how my skin was.

You know, whenever I go for facials, I was always told that my skin was rather dull. But not all places promised me results within a visit. But ASTIQUE proved me wrong, anything is possible.

Still rubbing all the good stuffs in….

Close up of the skin… Pictures don’t lie. Neither were they edited. It is as real as the mask and facial.

I was extremely happy with the overall results and this photo was taken right after the facial. Remember, no powder, only eyebrows and eyeliners were drawn.

Big hug for ASTIQUE!

My 1st experience with Botox and Fillers

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I had always wanted a sharper nose and smaller face but never had the guts to do anything about it.

I was very glad to visit Astique for some facial enhancements. All thanks to My Fat Pocket and aesthetics hub! It was like a dream come true for me~~~~

Click here for more information on aesthetics hub and Astique Clinic 🙂

As I was looking into the mirror, I was more determined that I needed a smaller and sharper face. And take a look at the dark circles around my eyes as well. I need to do something about it before it gets worst.

So while waiting for the doctor, I explored the clinic a little. You know, clinics always look like a typical clinic whereby you have the counter, waiting area and rooms. But Astique clinic looks like a little playroom where you get to browse through and try out the different skincare products.


This picture below shows a very clear view of my side profile. I feel that I have a button nose. The peak is a little sharp but the nose bridge just isn’t high enough. And my jaw line, it sure is far away from small and sharp. Lol.

The very young doctor, Mr. Matthew Yap, consulted me and told me what I needed for my face. He was also very friendly and patience towards me. As it was my very first time, I kept emphasizing on the pain score and time and again, he would assure me that it wouldn’t hurt a bit.

He also has very nice complexion himself!

I also wanted to try some fillers to soften the very visible smile lines so that I can look younger as the folds made my face look old and tired. Lesser lines also mean a clearer and cleaner look!

I was also really comfortable with him. He told me all I needed for my nose was a higher nose bridge.

The numbing cream was applied for 10-15 minutes and I was very skeptical of its effect because I really can’t bring myself to believe that a topical cream can actually stop all the pain that would come later.

I was of course, proven wrong. After the numbing effect has set, it was time for the the jaw botox. I am quite petite in size (but not short!) as you can see from my pictures, but I have quite a fat and big face. Who would complain that they have a sharp or small face anyway?!

I can hit 40kg and still have a chubby face. I don’t know why.

The numbing cream effect can last one for hours. It lasted me for nearly 4 hours i think, so there was no need for another application of numbing cream for the injections.

Biting my teeth to estimate the size of the muscle on my jaw before deciding on the amount of botox to inject.

I tend to chew on the left size of my face more, so the muscle on my left was almost twice the size of the muscle on my right! :O And this can result in a bigger face on the left (which was what happened to me). I realized that my left face was much bigger than my right even before the doctor told me that but had absolute no idea that what was the cause.

I could feel nothing when the needle went in. I did not know and refused to believe that I felt nothing at all! To think that I used to have SO MUCH fears for them.

I can only see the results for botox 2 weeks later. So hold on, I will do up another post to show you the huge difference!

And I am very much in love with the side profile of my face!

For fillers, Juvederm was used on me and it was said that the effect would last me between 6 months to a year.

I was really excited to see the final results. A higher nose bridge was always what I wanted.

You see, I could still laugh, so you should be able to guess my pain score.

To be honest, on a scale of 10, I would gladly rate it between 0 to 1. Likewise for the chin filler.

The chin filler was done to give the face a more almond-shaped kind of feel.

Pretty much the same for both fillers – Injection, Clean and Massage.

Below are some pictures for comparison.

Pre-procedures.

Nothing was done to the face. You can see visible cleave on my chin


Post procedures. 

Do observe the chin in this picture. Cleave gone and the whole face looks sharper. This was exactly what the Doctor wanted to achieve. I really love the prominent chin.

Now, look at the side profile of the nose again. Can you see the higher nose bridge? I look so good in most pictures now! Save me some time on highlighting the nose bridge. Heh.

These procedures have certainly boosted my confidence level and I am really loving how I look now. I can’t wait to hear what Dr. Matthew has for me next!

Astique is located at: 350 Orchard Road #08-00 Shaw House Singapore 238868

You can ring them up to enquire more or make an appointment with them at: 6732 3801

Thank you My Fat Pocket, Aesthetics Hub, Astique Clinic and Dr. Matthew! 🙂

VOV Daily Fresh Mask, only at $2

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Nothing can go majorly wrong with Korean beauty products!

VOV masks are now available in Singapore Watsons with 17 different types of “flavours” to choose from! Wooohooo! Korean masks? In Watsons? YYYYEEESSSSSS!!!


And now, they are having an ongoing promotion from 15 August to 22 August where you can buy 5 masks and get 1 free.

If you missed the promotion period, you can get 1 mask free with every 4 purchased on 28 August.

I know Taiwan masks are cheaper in terms of price, but just to let you kno (for your information), each piece of VOV Daily Fresh mask only cost $2. That’s like only a packet of chicken rice from the interchange!

Nobody ever said that it is always expensive to keep up with youthful skin. And now that the price is so damn affordable, you can just grab a few off the counters at Watsons and give them a try maybe? Maybe you would like it as much as me!

For me, I really liked cute their packaging because it’s like goodness in a jar!

Essential Nature had kindly sent over some masks for me to try and as of now, I have already tried the Strawberry Yogurt Collagen, Coenzyme Q10 Original and Sakura Honey and they smelled really good! Especially the strawberry one.

I have previously included the Black Raspberry Collagen mask in the previous giveaway for a lovely reader to try out this new mask.

They also have this cute mask called the Men’s energen, which I guess would be the mask for men? Hahaha.

As I had said, go on and give them a try, slap some goodies on your face! 😀

For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/EssentialNature

Carbon Laser at DRX Clinic. Let’s go Chao Tah!

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I am finally back to the land of beautiful skin.

Due to the improvements of the skin conditions:

1. Recovery from ance/pimples outbreak due to haze
2. Constant dehyrated skin

Dr. Yani and Chester arranged a session of Carbon Laser for me. The benefits of this laser includes smoother and more radiant skin, and perhaps, a little effect on closing up the pores. To be honest, I feel that I have enlarged pores so I was really hoping that this would minimize my pore size.

As this laser requires your consent, you would need your parent or guardian to be with you to sign the consent form if you’re under the age of 21.

Make up removed. All that was left was my birthmark and eyeliner.

Next, Carbon was applied to my face. Before the laser, Nurse Zen and Chester explained the procedures to me again.

They told me that I would be able to hear fire crackers cracking throughout and MY!!!!! THAT SCARED ME A LOT. I am someone with extremely low pain tolerance but for the sake of beauty, I must endure!

They assured me by saying “You could only hear the sound and the pain is very minimal.” But of course, I was already biting my teeth and my heart was already pounding like mad.

Still, I still wanna camwhore a bit with this “burnt” black face. LOL. It is not everyday that I have such a black face.

My heart was already in my mouth when I laid on the bed.

My pretty Doctor, Dr. Yani did the laser for me personally. I was still waiting for the cracking of the fire cracker but even the sound was minimal.

Don’t even mention about the pain. It was almost nothing. I think I scared myself for nothing in fact.

The procedure was divided into 2 parts.

Part 1: Laser
Part 2: Laser with cold air

I was practically enjoying myself during Part 2 and I remembered asking Dr. Yani this “Is there even any pain?” Lol!

The cold air was damn relaxing. I don’t mind doing this over and over again!

You can watch it live because Chester has kindly recorded some of the scenes for me for both Part 1 and 2 🙂

These videos would do justice to my words. No frowning or jerking because of the pain as there was NONE at all.


The end result. No redness or burnt mark. As it was my first session, the voltage wasn’t that high yet.

It is recommended to do Carbon Laser once a month with slight increase in the voltage for better and more significant results. We can’t expect miracles with just one session can we?

Despite saying so, my skin was smoother and I could see a slight reduction in pore size 🙂

(I wish I could tear the birthmark on the lower lip away. Stop spoiling my pictures!)

If you’re interested in the Carbon Laser or are you facing any skin problems, feel free to head over to their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheDRxClinic! 🙂

2x $260 Facial giveaway at Spa Elements

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I went to Spa Elements recently and did some treatments which I really enjoyed a lot.

1. Chiropractic treatment
2. Tui Na Massage (which the Spa is famous for)
3. Catabolic Slimming
4. Customized facial for my skin

What makes this spa stands out from others is that they have Chiropractic treatment. Spa is not just about massage or facial. Hence, Spa Elements can treat you inside out.

I was really amazed by the chiropractic analysis as I didn’t know that there was something wrong with my structure, even when I am standing straight!!

Let me share my results with you:

From the first picture, you can see that my whole body is tilted to the right (left in the picture).

From the side, I would say that it looks okay but not exactly straight enough judging from the red line.

According to the doctor, my head is also slightly tilted infront than upright which could be due to my sitting posture when I am using the computer. I believe that I am not the only one having this problem because computer has been an essential part of almost everyone’s life!

Abnormal posture has been associated with the development and progression of many spinal conditions and injuries including: increased muscle activity and disc injury, scoliosis, work lifting injuries, sports injuries, back pain, neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel symptoms, shoulder and ankle injuries as well as many other conditions.

It is for these health consequences you should strive to improve your spinal and postural alignment towards normal.

If your case is not that serious yet, you could perhaps visit the chiropractic doctor and let him take a look. It is always better to treat it early so that you can avoid a surgery!

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The Tui Na Massage ($120 for 60 minutes) was also pretty comfortable, especially when I have been suffering from upper back ache. And I asked the lady if she could focus more on my upper back.

They have different type of oil for the massage and since mine was muscle ache and all, I picked the Calm (the bottle in blue).

I do not have to say anything else and she went “The muscles on your neck area and lower back are quite tense! Do you have a busy life?” And YUP, BINGO, I do!

The whole session loosened up my muscles and gave me a kind of ache which I love. It’s something like muscle ache after gyming but in a comfortable way. The ache didn’t last long though. Probably only 30 minutes.

Immediately after the Massage was the Catabolic Slimming.

You may go “Aiya, you’re so skinny, what is there to slim?”
But you’re wrong. Tummy fats are the hardest to get rid of!

The Catabolic Tummy Massage is at $100 for 30 minutes which involves a Colonic Massage and Meridian Infra Ray Moxibustion – stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body.

The massage can improve the body’s immune, circulatory and digestive system to restore balance and promote healthy body weight.

Benefits like reduce constipation, promote gastrointestinal motility and flattens the tummy can be achieved.

It was kinda hot at first but as my body gets used to it, it becomes warm and it was very very comfortable. It leaves the tummy with a kind of ache which lasted for half a day.

But the results was surprising. I could see a flatter tummy in just 1 session.

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Next next! The facial room!!

Like the massage room, it was dim and comfortable.

I don’t really have pimples but the irritants from the haze gave me breakout!!! (Espeically on the forehead).

Though dim, you can still see pimples on the forehead (face palm) after removing the make up.

The products they used are all from natural sources and Made in France – Centella Asiatica, a magical herb from India which promotes metabolism and repair skin, both for the face and the body.

Not that I am old, but I was giving the Hazelnut Firming and Hydrating Mask for anti-aging purposes, which smelled really good!

Each facial includes: Light exfoliation and extraction, Cream mask, Acupressure Massage with Chromotherapy Micro Mist Steamer.

For my readers:

I’ll be choosing 2 lucky readers to enjoy 2 facial sessions EACH 🙂
Each session is 60 minutes long and worth $130!

All you have to do is to:
1: Like https://www.facebook.com/spaelements88
2: Like https://www.facebook.com/maybelinesimpage
3. Share and comment on the article regarding Spa Elements
4. Follow me on Twitter @maybelinesim (optional)

Are you feeling lucky? It’s $260 for each of you!!

How do you cleanse and mask effectively?

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I am one of the lazy girls who doesn’t mask diligently. But when I do, I make sure I do it right.

As of now, I am using Beauty Clinic masks.

I.P.I Lightmax for my mom because she has dull and uneven skin tone and N.M.F Aquaring for myself to hydrate my skin.


Masking is not just slapping a piece of mask onto your face and there, lie down for 20 – 30 minutes.

I would say that it is insufficient for all you might not know, your pores might be clogged or clean enough.

Inefficient cleansing can lead to build up of dirt and chemical traces of UV and even make ups!

So step 1: Cleanse your face.

I am using Biore Facial Foam in this picture.

After cleansing the face, change into a set of comfortable home clothes and get ready for a pampering session.

Like I said, cleansing might be insufficient. So I would use Ionic Steamer from Panasonic which uses nano-ionic steam which can be penetrated deeply into the skin to quickly moisturize skin for deep moisture retention.

I would also use this before masking to “open up the pores on the face”.

Well, that’s my own theory, but it kinda work for me.

As things can get a little messy and wet, I prefer to put all my hair to the back.

This steamer is good for deep cleansing! Love the hot steam. It is extra comfortable when I use it in the air-conditioned room.

The hot steam can lift dirt and oil from the skin which hence, enables deep cleanse.

1. Cleanse.

2. Hot steam.

Enough? Yup! More than enough for a home based “spa” 🙂

Not just for cleansing, as the steam can penetrates deeply, it can allow the skin to have deep moisture retention.

It is especially useful for people who put on thick make ups or have dehydrated skin like me.

Sometimes, I get too comfortable that I don’t wanna let go of this steamer. Lol.

Anyway, I steamed the face for 10 minutes before passing it to my mom (the recommended time was 6 minutes only).

Juicy mask in the foil. And all the goodness is going to be absorbed into my skin in no time!!

Deep cleansing from the steamer removes the dirt while the juicy masks replenish the required essences.

Don’t judge me!! But this is how all of us look when we mask!! NO NO NO NO???!!!

I prefer to slap the mask on my face evenly so that every part of it gets what it deserve!

Unlike my mom, who is so lazyyyy, she just put the mask all over and NAP!

Anyway, I share most of my skincare stuffs with her 🙂

Don’t you dare judge her hor! She is just an aunty who doesn’t have perfect skin, but to me, she’s perfect just as she is. Just as pretty as she is 🙂

I know most people apply the masks for around 15 – 20 minutes but I prefer to put it longer. For about 30 minutes but never more than 30 minutes because the pores need to breath.

After everything, go to bed and wake up to a QQ skin the next morning!

Even application of make up seems so much smoother 🙂

In case you’re also interested in the Facial Ionic Steamer by Panasonic, you can visit http://panasonic.net/beauty/products/steamer.html for more information 🙂

Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish cream

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Today’s review is Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish cream SPF 40, PA++
Background information: Klairs is against animal testing as well!

Functions of the BB cream :
– Protection from sun
– Whitening
– Wrinkle improvement
– Sebum control

Each tube of BB cream is 40ml long. Heh.
As you can see from the picture, it is actually quite big. Generous amount!

Because Korean love natural makeups, and Klairs is a korean brand,
I am trying to apply as little makeup as possible for the natural look here 😀

Suitable for both dry, oily or combination skin.

And they do not cause:
– Grey undertone
– Cakey
– Darkening

You can replace your current primer or finishing power with this cream which contains sebum control powder that maintains makeup from morning to the afternoon.

Klair’s BB cream is brighter and lighter in colour when you compare it to other brands.

Also, it fits naturally from dark skin tone to light skin tone and it can be re-applied anytime for extra sun protection.

Important: Non sticky.

This picture was only taken after 2 rubs to show you how light and easily absorbed it can get.

My hands look so old and wrinkled in these pictures!

So I am hoping for Klair’s BB cream to reduce the wrinkles as well other than the face.

How to apply?

1. Apply adequate amount onto the fingers
2. Blend in from the under eye area to the cheeks
3. Gently dab around the area for blending

For more information, please visit WISHTrend FB page: https://www.facebook.com/wishtrend.sg

ZO Skin Health

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Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi was in Singapore last month and mine, I must say that I am honored to be able to be present to listen to his speech.

Dr. Zein Obagi believes in the future of skincare and has launch his own medical skincare lines ZO Skin Health. They are exclusively available in skin clinics like Prive Clinic, Cosmetic surgery and other skin clinics. You can’t buy it from the pharmacies outside.


(Credits: myfatpocket.com)

He had treated a lot of patients and brought their youthful skin back. Below is one good example.


(Credits: myfatpocket.com)

He also mentioned that applying too many products to the skin will cause the skin to produce less oil and hence, moisture. I do notice this because my face tends to get oily more easily when I leave house without make up.

I am the type who spam thick makeups on the face, but I still have dehyrated skin. Should I completely stop making up then? 🙁

ZO Skin Health products come in with recommended programmes kit to cater to different individual needs and skin health.

They have the Daily Skin Care Program, Anti-aging Program or Aggressive Anti-Aging program.

I guess what I really needed was the daily skin care program to boost my skin health.

The Daily Skin Care Program provides the essential tools that can be used on a daily basis to help restore and maintain youthful and radiant skin.

The program consist of Offects Exfoliating Cleanser, Offects Exfoliating Polish, Ossential Daily Power Defense and Oclipse Suncreen + Primer SPF 30. (They replaced all the E with O. So cute!!)

Offects Exfoliating Cleanser – Gently exfoliates and cleanses skin, reduces excess oil and neutralizes free radicals. Encapsulated vitamin E provides antioxidant protection and hydration for healthy skin.

Offects Exfoliating Polish – Ultra-fine magnesium crystals exfoliate dead skin cells and increase epidermal turnover for a cleaner, smoother, more even-toned complexion. Vitamins A, C, E, and C-Esters provide antioxidant benefits to help maintain skin barrier function.

Ossential Daily Power Defense – Time-released retinol, antioxidants, and specialized DNA repairing enzymes work around-the-clock to help minimize UV oxidative damage and uneven pigmentation, while restoring skin function and elasticity.

Oclipse Suncreen + Primer SPF 30 – Using natural melanin, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, Oclipse is also used to smooth and prime skin for a more even makeup application.

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Right now, I am using their Oclipse sunscreen primer. I only apply it once a day, which is before I put on any make up. I have always felt that even if you leave house without makeup, you MUST have your sunscreen on. Other than protecting yourself against sunburn, aging, it also protects you against SKIN CANCER!

Oclipse Sunscreen Primer is retailing at $85 for 40ml.

It was also kinda cute because even the desserts served that day was catered to the theme for ZO Skin Health – Blue!

If you interested to find out more about Dr. Obagi or ZO Skin Health,
Head over to http://www.zoskinhealth.com 🙂

Etude House – I’m Blooming Skincare

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What kind of skincare products are you attracted to most?

Price? Packaging? 
Effectiveness? 
Country of origin?

For me it is definitely effectiveness and packaging!

And do you know that Etude house have very nice smelling and pretty packaging products?!

I went “Omg they are so pretty!” when I saw them. I bet you are going to say the same too.

I’ll let the pictures do justice for the brand/products.

First up, they have facial mist of Pure Green Tea, Essential Flower and Canola Honey.

Each mist serves a different function to cater to the different skin type.

Pure Green Tea: Sebum Control Mist
– Hydrates thirsty skin while controling oil and shine, providing soft powdery skin.
– Contains 95.5% of early summer green tea extract that balances out skin’s moisture level for a moist inside with a soft, powdery outside.

Canola Honey: Deep Moisture Mist
– Provides instant hydrating relief to skin, locking in long-lasting vital moisture.
– Contains 81.9% of Honey extract that delivers deep, rich moisture and nourishment to skin.

Essential Flower: Brightening Mist
– Brightens up dull and exhausted skin and smoothes out rough texture, providing a clear, milky-white complexion.
– Contains 93.9% of flower extracts that add brightness to the skin.

All of them smells really really nice and I can’t really decide on which one is my favorite.
If I would have to, I would probably pick Canola Honey which helps in hydrating my dry skin.

Next is the cleansing series which consist of Moisture Cleansing foam, Clear cleansing water and Brightening water gel.

The clear cleansing water contains plant origin surfactant. It is mild (so do not worry about it being harsh or if your skin can’t take it). Though mild, it is effective in removing thick makeup.

And know what? You do not need to rinse it off with additional water. Very convenient right?!

Imagine wiping and washing your whole face with just clear cleansing water and cotton pads.

Time saving. Very convenient for people who always reach home late and is lazy to remove full make up.

Brightening Wash-off Gel contains flower and plant-origin powder. Suitable for daily wash and gently removes dead skin cells, providing smooth, supple skin. As you wash your face, it strengthens the skin’s natural vitability.

Lastly, the Moisture Cleansing Foam gently removes impurities with its fine bubbles, providing full hydration to skin right after cleansing without any signs of dryness and helps maintain fresh, blooming, healthy skin.

Skincare is not the end. It is also important to use fine and soft pads during cleansing.

Thee cotton pads have 5 layers each and made of 100% pure and soft cotton!

I like this I’m Blooming Bubble Peeling Dual Pad because it was two different textured sides that each have its own function.

One side with foam mesh for moist bubble cleansing and other side with microfiber texture for effective exfoliation and peeling.

Shall we embark on this blooming journey together?

Let’s BLOOM away~