Product Review: Essential Haircare Range

Time for another product review. Previously I've done a review on Essential Sleeping Hair Mask (you can read about it here) and today I'm going to be reviewing on their relaunched haircare products!

Received these products from SampleStore.com a few days ago!

Essential haircare range has relaunched with new, improved formula and technology!
Now, Essential is available in 4 variants to suit all hair needs and types:

• Nourishing Breakage Defense (orange) – for weak & damaged hair
• Moisturizing Frizz Free (pink) – for dull & rough hair
• Light Finish Volumizing (yellow) – for flat and limp hair
• Deep Cleansing Care (blue) – for oily scalp & dry ends (new)

Out of these 4 variants, the yellow and blue variants have technology that caters to people with combination hair – oily scalp/roots yet dry ends.

The concept of ‘combination hair’ is similar to that of ‘combination skin’, where hair condition 

from the same person is not uniform from root to tip. People with combination hair usually 

have oily roots and dry ends. 

People with combination hair currently do not have one haircare product which they can use 

to solve both problems of oily roots and dry ends. Using a rich moisturizing product to care for 

their dry ends usually ends up having too much product buildup on their scalp, resulting in a 

heavy, oily scalp. Using a light, clarifying product to care for their oily scalp will then cause 

their ends to be even drier. 

As a result, people with combination hair will either have only one out of the two problems 

solved, or they have to rotate between using a rich moisturizing product and a light clarifying 

product to achieve a balance.

However, New Essential Light Finish Volumizing (yellow) and Deep Cleansing Care (blue) variants have the optimum combination of Smart Cuticle Care & Sebum Cleansing Technology to target 

both problems of roots and hair ends! 

So firstly how do you choose the correct variant for your hair type?

Ask yourself the two questions and choose from the matrix below:

1. Do you have oily hair roots/scalp?

2. Do you have dry/damaged hair ends?

Deep Cleansing Care (blue) variant has the lightest formula and is suitable for people with very oily roots, followed by Light Finish Volumizing (yellow) variant.

People with very dry/damaged hair should use the richest formula Nourishing Breakage Defense (orange) variant for treatment and mask while the rest can use the Moisturizing Frizz Free (pink) variant which is comparatively lighter.

For me, I have oily hair roots and my hair ends are a little damaged due to the heating hair tools I use occasionally. Hence I would choose the Deep cleansing care (blue) variant for shampoo and conditioner together with the Moisturizing Frizz Free (pink) variant for treatment tube & hair mask.

Treatment Tube
Improved treatment now works its magic on your hair in 30 seconds! The result – deeply moisturized and manageable hair. Perfect for busy days.

Hair Mask
For more intensive treatment to treat those dry/damaged ends, leaving hair softer,
smoother and more manageable.

Do note that you should apply treatment/mask to hair ends only and NOT on your scalp.

So after trying out the shampoo and conditioner, my hair feels really smooth when I finger comb through it whether wet or dry. My hair does not get tangled up too and drying of hair is surprisingly faster too! Oh and did I mention, I love the smell of the shampoo and conditioner!

Apart from the smoothness of my hair ends, my scalp felt less oily at the end of the day after using the shampoo.

And for the hair mask/treatment tube, it worked like a charm! Even after a whole day out, my hair was visibly less fizzy!

The hair mask is to be used twice a week. So on days which I don't use the hair mask, I replace it with the treatment tube and the conditioner alternately.

Hence if you have combination hair, do try out Essential haircare range! Redeem free samples at http://on.fb.me/1pkXmPr.

Also, like Essential on Facebook (www.fb.com/Essential.SG) and follow Essential on Instagram @essentialsingapore (:

Pumpfest XVIII Subcommittee Trip: Berkelah Falls

Photo credits to Sean

Berkelah Falls: The place where I did my first ever trekking trip with 7rek comm exactly a year ago. This year, I'm back there again for another subcommittee trip. But this time, it's with Pumpfest XVIII ! Once again as a subcommittee member but with a whole different committee and seniors. I was pretty excited to be back at Berkelah once more even though in the beginning, I thought it would have been better if we went for a more chill trek. Turned out to be a good decision to go Berkelah in the end! Thankful for all the seniors who came along and helped us along the way.

Crossed customs on Friday night after dinner & grocery shopping at Sheng Siong Supermarket near Woodlands custom. Took a midnight coach from JB Sentral to Kuantan. Tried to sleep on the way but as usual, it was impossible for me to fall asleep on the bus.

Went to some Prata house for breakfast before taking cab to the entrance of Berkelah Falls.

We had walk about 5-10min and crossed a shallow stream before reaching the "official entrance" of Berkelah Falls.

The weather was blazing hot, which was good I guess, since if it rained it would be rather dangerous to be trekking there because of the slippery rocks.

Berkelah is a relatively dry trek which doesn't have any river crossing even though it is a waterfall trek. The only part you'll have to get in contact with water is in the beginning where you have to cross a small stream. But other than that, the rest of the trek is dry. I personally dislike waterfall treks because my feet has to be soaked in water for the whole trek. But oh well, waterfall treks are good for hot and sultry weathers like in the summer. You get to cool your body down in the water.

Travelogue: Korea Day 3 - Haedong Yonggung Temple x Gwangalli Beach

For the past 2 days I was in Korea, we've been buying breakfast/snacks from Paris Baguette and so far, this has to be my favourite: Sweet Potato Steam Cake! Exclusively available only in Korea I think. It's really good! I can eat this all day longgggg... So I had this for breakfast almost everyday hehehe.

So after breakfast, we took the subway to Haeundae Station and got out at exit 7. Walk to the nearest bus stop and take bus 181. It takes about 20-25min to reach Haedong Yonggung Temple.

Look out for this sign at the right side of the bus and get down.

You'll have to walk up this slope to reach the entrance of the temple.

At the entrance of the temple you'll see stores selling souvenirs and F&B. Walk pass these stores to get to the temple.

Travelogue: Korea Day 2 - Taejongdae Resort Park x Gamcheon Cultural Village

Finally decided to continue with my Korea travelogue after weeks of procrastinating!

For day 2 in Busan, after breakfast, we took the subway to Nampo station and took exit 6. Make a right turn and you'll see a bus stop. From there, take bus 8 or 30 to Taejongdae Park and get down at the last stop. Just in case, do have the name of the places you wanna go in Korean on hand and show it to the bus driver when boarding to confirm that the bus goes to those places and most of the time the bus driver will tell you when to get down! (:

After approximately 30 min of bus ride, we reach the bus terminal and you'll see this cafe on the side of the road where the bus stops.

Continue walking down the path, and at the end of it is Taejongdae Park.

Travelogue: Busan hotel stay - Hanwha Resort Haeundae Tivoli

For our 4 day 3 night stay in Busan, we stayed at Hanwha Resort Haeundae Tivoli. My uncle booked this hotel through Agoda for about SGD $200/night for a family one bedroom which can accommodate up to 5 pax per room. It was the cheapest hotel available then since the booking was done almost last minute.

This hotel is about a 10-15 minute walk from Dongbaek Subway Station. Travellers with large/heavy luggage might find it a little troublesome walking along the pavement towards the hotel as some parts are not well-maintained.

How to get there from Busan Station:

1. Take the Busan Subway from Busan Station to Dongbaek Station and get out from exit 1. The journey took about 45 min - 1 hour, with a transfer from line 1 to line 2 at Seomyeon Staiton. (We took this option because of large luggages.)

This is the street you would see upon getting out from exit one.

2. Take express bus 1003 from the bus stop outside of Busan Station and get down at HomePlus. (Takes approx 43min according to Googlemap) From HomePlus, you would have to walk another 7-10min to reach the hotel.

Travelogue: Korea Day 1 - Incheon International Airport to Busan

Came back from my family vacation to Korea about 2 weeks ago! It was my first time planning a free-and-easy trip and well, it was a good experience but really tiring too! Lots of research had to be done, planning the itinerary etc. More details coming up in the following posts.

Took a night flight by Korean Airlines to Seoul International Airport. Dinner was served 1 hour or so after the plane took off and after having a late dinner, it's time to sleep.

Tried to get some sleep but failed as usual. So spent my time watching movie and documentaries till around 5am. Touched down at Incheon International Airport at about 6am.

First thing when we got out of immigration was to find the place to get rental for the Olleh EGG Mobile WIFI which I found out about online! Having a portable WIFI so we could find directions with google map would be really handy since we can't really ask people for directions cause none of us know Korean.

This is the EGG Mobile WIFI device that kept us connected throughout our 6 days in Korea.

Product Review: Curél Sebum Care Range

Finding the right skincare for people with sensitive facial skin is a challenge for many, and even more so for those with oily or combination skin types.

For this group of people with sensitive facial skin paired with oily or combination skin types, skin sensitivity is seen as a greater issue to be resolved as compared to the excess sebum secretion issue. However, they might not realise that disregarding the latter when choosing skincare products can potentially aggravate skin sensitivity.

However, this is not enough. Excess sebum generated will deteriorate as skin gets more alkaline, turning into irritants to cause flare-ups within the skin layers. Hence it is important to choose products that effectively control skin sensitivity while reducing sebum secretion from the source.

Curél, Japan’s No. 1 brand for sensitive Asian skin, introduces a new skincare range specially formulated for sensitive and oily or combination skin types. The Curél Sebum Care range - comprising a Foaming Wash, Lotion and Moisture Gel - offers the skincare essentials to properly manage both skin sensitivity and sebum secretion.

Product Review: Hacudei Palau White Clay Facial Soap

Received my Hacudei Palau White Clay Facial Soap from SampleStore.com a few days ago, together with Collection Cosmetics Primed and Ready Makeup Primer and Meishoku Detclear Bright & Peel Peeling Jelly Fruits Scrub Wash! (Read my reviews of the other two products by clicking on the links at the end of this post).

Hacudei Palau White Clay Facial Soap is a unique and exclusive White Clay Soap made from the wonder of the sea. It is made from the white clay that is deposited at the bottom of Milky Way of Palau. This natural cosmetic is free from artificial colouring and fragrance and rich in natural minerals, papaya fruit extract, hibiscus essence and other botanical ingredients to soften, smoothen and beautify the skin. Clogged pores can be absorbed by the spongy bubbles of the white clay and the five kinds of botanical extracts naturally moisturise the skin.

Product review: Collection Cosmetics Primed and Ready Makeup Primer

Received my Collection Cosmetics Primed and Ready Makeup Primer from SampleStore.com a few days ago, together with Meishoku Detclear Bright & Peel Peeling Jelly Fruits Scrub Wash and Hacudei Palau White Clay Facial Soap! (Read my review the Peeling Jelly Fruits Scrub Wash by clicking on the link at the end of this post! The other review is coming up soon!).

Photo from press release.

The silky formula provides a light coverage for a flawless complexion and a noticeably natural finish. A 

soothing makeup base, it minimizes pore problems, smoothes uneven skin and hides unsightly blemishes for 

the perfect base.

Product Review: Meishoku Detclear Bright & Peel Peeling Jelly Fruits Scrub Wash

Received my Meishoku Detclear Bright & Peel Peeling Jelly Fruits Scrub Wash  from SampleStore.com a few days ago, together with Collection Cosmetics Primed and Ready Makeup Primer and Hacudei Palau White Clay Facial Soap! (Other two reviews coming up soon. Stay tuned!)

Meishoku Detclear Peeling Jelly is a newly developed skin peeling jelly series that has been introduced to markets around the world. It has a natural fruits derived AHA and plant derived BHA formula that is suitable for dry and sensitive skin. This product is additive-free and will gently peel away melanin-containing dead skin while dissolving black heads and impurities from the pores to reveal a fresh, smooth and radiant
complexion. The resulting “new skin” allows the easy application of your daily skincare and makeup
products. This amazing peeling jelly is especially suitable for people who have dull-looking skin,
blackheads, acne and black spots.

Meishoku Detclear Peeling Jelly comes in 3 variants of mixed fruits, mixed berries and unscented. So
ladies, fret no more as you can now simply peel away your “old skin” and have “new skin” every day!

Travelogue: NTU ODAC Trek Recce (Cave-tubing & Prambanan Temple)

Photo credits to Zul.

Day 6 (Cave-tubing & Prambanan Temple):

We set off at about 8am for Gua Pindul, cave tubing. First time trying this out so I was actually quite excited for it! After putting on our life jackets and changing into the rubber shoes they provided, we were transported by a lorry to the cave. On the way, they were trying out Choong's monopod.

And here is how that turned out.

Photo credits to Choong.

So after a short briefing, we went into the water. We just sat on the tube and went into the cave in a line, holding on to each other's tube.

Travelogue: NTU ODAC Trek Recce (Mt. Merbabu)

Day 5 (Mt. Merbabu):

After preparing and changing into our trekking gears in Suroto's house, we set off for Mt. Merbabu at about 12am. We had 6 guides with us on this trek, which actually turned out to be a good thing since we got split into 3 groups (or was it 4) in the end. Originally, we were suppose to climb Mt. Merapi, but due to the recent volcanic activity on Merapi, we changed to Mt. Merbabu instead.

We walked on proper footpaths up till the starting point of the climb. From the starting point onwards, we walked on soft ground. Not sure if it's soil or volcanic ash. Mt. Merbabu is also a volcano but it's a dormant volcano, unlike Merapi, which is still very active.

So, our 5-6 hour ascend began. The terrain was steep too. But unlike Mt. Welirang, it was literally like climbing stairs. Thankfully I had Choong's trusty trekking pole once more, and it became my extended hand, helping me up those steep "stairs".

Stuck with the group though most of the trekking, though my tummy gave me trouble again. Seemed like high altitude is really not my thing cause I was feeling light-headed as we trekked higher. 

Anyway, pushed myself up slowly but well, after 4 plus hours of trekking, I was just too exhausted to carry on... It was getting way too uncomfortable. #girlproblems . The guide who was with us had to pull me up to Pos 3, literally. Hahaha. When he said that there were 7 Pos in total to reach the summit and that the climb from Pos 3-4 (or isit 4-5) is the steepest, I didn't want to move anymore. So, since the sun was about to rise in a few minutes time, we decided to stop at Pos 3 to watch sunrise. The guide seemed happy that we didn't want to continue anymore. Hahaha. 

So he set up a small camp fire and woah the fire was soooo warm! & we waited for sunrise.

Travelogue: NTU ODAC Trek Recce (Mt. Bromo)

Day 4 (Mt. Bromo x Transfer to Yogyakarta):

So we woke up at 2:30am to take a Jeep up to Penanjakan View Point to see the sunrise. It was really crowded when we went up there, which was surprising considering it was a weekday. Hung around outside the shops, getting hot drinks while we waited before heading to the view point. It was already flooded by the time we went up. Just had to squeeze to the front and even so, couldn't really get a good spot. The sunrise that day wasn't that fantastic. We all agreed it was the longest sunrise ever...

That's the best I could get of the sunrise that day. Went over to the adjacent side of the view point to get a photo of Mt. Bromo crater. The view there was much better, after the crowd dispersed a little after the sunrise. The shorter peak in the front is Mount Batok. The one with the smoke coming out is Mount Bromo and the tallest one in the background is Mount Semeru.

Travelogue: NTU ODAC Trek Recce (Mt. Welirang)

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

It felt like it was only yesterday that we were in Indonesia. One week ago, I was in Indonesia doing a recce with 7rek committee. Now I'm back in SG suffering from post-trip syndrome... That aside, I shall do a blog post on this recce trip while my memory is still fresh.


Day 1 (Flight to Surabaya x R&R):

We met up at 9am in the morning at Changi ariport T1 for our 11:15am flight. Was really excited for the trip since it was my first time flying without my parents and my second trip with 7rek after the Berkelah Subcom Trip in September last year.

My whole family accompanied me to the airport to send me off. Felt so much loveeee on a Sunday morning!

Anyway, we checked in when everyone arrived at about 9:45am and went in to eat breakfast.

Photo credits to Denise.

Product Review: BeautyBiotics Exfoliating Jelly

Received my BeautyBiotics Exfoliating Jelly from SampleStore.com about 2 weeks ago. 

Here's the product.

Exfoliating Jelly is a dermatologically formulated gentle exfoliating peel that helps unclog pores, remove
impurities and dead skin to enhance your skin’s absorption of nutrients. It contains fruit derived AHA + BHA enzymes that gently exfoliates skin to restore clarity, brilliance and radiance.

Directions:
Ensure that the face is completely dry. Dispense and apply exfoliating jelly onto the face and massage deeply in a circular motion until you see impurities and dead skin exfoliated. Wash face with water and pat dry. Use once to twice weekly.

Caution:
For external use only. Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light. Stop using the product immediately if you develop allergic reaction. Product ingredients may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen rater SPF 15 or greater every day and avoid prolonged sun exposure.