Kat Juju

After my post on Nicole Kidman's Beauty Secrets for Looking Beautiful After 40, I was totally intrigued by her drink remedy for healthy hair.

I decided to do a little more digging and found leaps of natural remedies for having healthy, glossy, bouncy hair. Being Asian, my hair is stubborn and straight, and falls naturally flat and limp. If that sounds like your crowning glory, read on.

Here are 5 simple (and interesting) natural remedies for amazing hair using only a handful of basic ingredients that you would find in any kitchen.

Recipe 1: Baking Soda
Baking soda is often used as a deodorizing agent for refrigerators and for baking. But this multi-tasking ingredient has a lot more to offer, especially when it comes to greening up your haircare routine. For extra oil-fighting dirt-stripping power, pour a teaspoon of baking soda (not powder) onto the palm of your hands, add your usual amount of shampoo and lather up. Massage the baking soda-shampoo mixture into your hair and scalp. This will help absorb excess oil and loosen any dead skin cells residing on your scalp. Give your hair a final rinse off with cold water. You will find the lather to be extra rich and your hair to be extra clean and shiny. Recommended for: Oily hair and greasy scalp. This is a recipe you must try!

Recipe 2: Flat Beer
Guys like my husband would say this is a waste of good beer, but apparently beer gives life. It is one of the oldest and most popular techniques to restore bounce to hair. Beer is filled with concentrated proteins made from malt and hops which helps to coat, rebuild and repair damaged hair. For this recipe, you need to use flat beer - that is beer without carbonation (no fizz). Simply shampoo and rinse your hair as usual. Pour warm flat beer on your hair and work it through. Use lukewarm water for the final rinse. You can do this once a month and try using a beer that does not have a strong odor. Recommended for: Lackluster and fine limp hair (like mine) that lacks body, bounce and shine. Fun fact: This is one of Caterine-Zeta Jone's beauty secrets.

Recipe 3: Espresso Coffee
Not only do people drink coffee to wake themselves up, strong coffee like espresso is great for stimulating hair growth and adding brilliant shine to dark-colored hair. Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants that helps to prevent hair damage and strengthens hair cuticle. Make 2 cups of relatively strong espresso and leave it to cool. Pour over dry hair and leave it on for about 20 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water. Don't expect to save money on hair dye if you think a coffee rinse is going to permanently stain your hair to a darker shade. It won't. Rather, it will give your hair that added shine and bring out natural highlights...and hopefully, make hair grow a little faster. Recommended for: Dull-looking dark hair that needs a little wake-me-up.

Recipe 4: Egg, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
If you find yourself making salad, you will most probably have these ingredients on hand. Why not make a hair mask while you're at it? All you need is an egg, a teaspoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Gently, beat the ingredients together and apply unto your scalp and hair like a hair mask. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. This three-ingredient combo works wonders: olive oil contains abundant vitamins for healthy hair structure; egg yolk (and white) contains amino acids and protein to soften hair and lemon juice is a powerful cleaning agent that lifts oil and brings out shine. Recommended for: This is a great conditioning hair mask recipe for all hair types.

Recipe 5: Tea leaves
The next time you brew a cup of tea (preferably black tea), don't throw away the bag. Instead, cut the bag open and toss the loose leaves in a bucket of water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove the boiled water from heat. Once cooled, strain the water and put it aside to be used for washing your hair - in place of normal tap water. For the final rinse, squeeze a little lemon juice into the water. This will give your hair a lustrous sheen. Black tea contains more caffeine than coffee,and caffeine blocks DHT (dihydrotestosterone) - a hormone responsible for hair loss. Recommended for: People prone to hair loss or thinning hair.

I have to admit that slapping on that thick, greasy layer of SPF is not exactly the sexiest thing to do, especially when I have to add another layer of makeup after.

I started to wonder about SPF: Is it the higher the better? Do I have to wear sunscreen even while I am indoors? What is the ideal SPF strength to use? Why are my age spots and freckles still growing?. The truth is I don't know much about sunscreen. All I know is that I cannot go out the front door without it.

Here are 10 commons myths about your SPF sunblock you probably didn't know (I didn't!). For the purpose of this post, the term sunblock and sunscreen is used interchangeably.

Myth 1: Layering products with SPF gives you the combined total count for SPF protection.
Ahem. I used to think that when I combine the SPF count of my skincare and makeup products that I was getting the ultimate protection. Who knew? For instance, moisturizer with SPF 30, sunblock lotion with SPF 50, mineral face powder with SPF 15 and foundation with SPF 20, in total equals to SPF115 (30+50+15+20), right? Wrong! The strength of SPF protecting your skin is the highest one you applied. In other words, my sunblock lotion with SPF 50 is the overall protection I am getting, not the combined total.

Myth 2: You don't need sunblock if you are wearing a hat and covered clothes
Not entirely true. Clothing made from tightly woven fabric offers the best protection against UV rays. Even better than any sunblock. Rule of thumb: The thicker the material, the more protection. The darker the material, the more protection. But, don't throw your sunblock away just yet. Unless you are fully clothed in thick dark-colored long-sleeved turtleneck dress covering your neck, chest, arms, torso and legs, with a wide-brimmed hat that covers your face, ears and neck, you still need sunblock.

Myth 3: Sunblock on arms and legs is good enough.
No. Skin cancer occurs anywhere on your body. It does not discriminate. In fact, most non-melanoma skin cancers develop on sun-exposed (mostly overlooked) areas of the body like ear, neck, lips, scalp and back of hands.

Myth 4: Wearing makeup with SPF is good enough.
Unfortunately, makeup and skincare products that are formulated with SPF does not give you the consistency in texture and concentration in quantity needed to protect your skin completely. Using a moisturizer and foundation with SPF should be viewed more as a bonus than a necessity.

Myth 5: Sunblock lotion is better than sunblock spray or sticks.
Simple mathematics will tell you a bottle of SPF 50 sunblock lotion is the same as a bottle of SPF 50 sunblock spray or stick. All gives an equal protection of SPF 50. The only difference here is the mode of application, and personal preference. Women tend to like sunblock lotions because of they feel more moisturizing to skin, while men tend to go for the sprays to avoid greasy hands after application.

Myth 6: I have applied sunblock. Now, I can leave the bottle behind.
Not so fast. According to research, published in 2001, by the American Academy of Dermatology, sunscreen works best when it is applied before going out into the sun, and reapplied after 15-30minutes of sun exposure. After that, the general rules of reapplication applies. If you are outdoor, reapply every 90 minutes. If you are indoor, use this formula: (# of minutes for you to get sunburn) x (your applied SPF strength). For example, if it takes you 15 minutes to get sunburn and you have on SPF 15, then your sunscreen should last 225 minutes (15 mins x 15 SPF), that's 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Myth 7: My sunblock lotion has an expiry date, and as long as that date is not passed, the lotion is good for use.
First step is to always check the expiration date of your sunblock. But it does not end there. Did you know that sunscreen that is exposed to high temperatures (ie. left on the sun bed or exposed directly to the sun) have a shorter shelf life? Chemical reactions to the high temperature can alter and break down the protective elements against UVA rendering your sunblock ineffective for use. Once opened, try to finish using the sunscreen within the next 12 months. So if you are packing for your annual family beach holiday, make sure to purchase a new bottle of sunscreen every time.

Myth 8: Most sun damage occurs in the teenage years and early 20s.
Actually, it occurs a lot earlier. Most effects of sun damage on skin such as age spots, wrinkles and freckles start to show when we age (somewhere in our 30s onwards). But it is an accumulative effect starting from when we were young as infants, toddlers and preschoolers. No wonder despite my efforts now to prevent skin pigmentation, my age spots continue to grow in size and fresh freckles are always evident.

Myth 9: The higher the SPF, the better.
There are sunblocks you can buy that have SPF 50, 65, 75, 80 even up to 130, but higher does not necessarily mean better. Most experts recommend SPF 15 to 30 for everyday use. The purpose of going higher than the recommended generally is for people under certain medication who may need more protection. Blood pressure drugs and several antibiotics are known to increase the skin's sensitivity, including people who have just undergone comestic surgery. For these selected few, a higher than normal sunscreen protection is necessary. While SPF 15 and SPF 30 remain the conventional choice, there is no harm slathering on a higher SPF if you like. However, never use a higher SPF as an excuse to apply less product, apply less frequently or spend more time in the sun than you normally would.

Myth 10: All sunscreen is toxic
Like other skin care products we use everyday, sunscreens contain chemicals. The real question is 'Are these chemicals safe or are they toxic to human use?. Most sunblock in the market have been tested for safety, with formulations containing titanium oxide and zinc oxide. These chemicals are gentle enough for babies, children and people suffering from sensitive skin. With normal use, they are safe. Very safe. In fact, zinc oxide is found as a food additive in breakfast cereals and titanium oxide is used in food coloring, medicine and toothpaste.

However, there are other ingredients in some sunscreen products that may raise health concerns such as oxybenzone - a possible carcinogen, and nano particles of titanium oxide and zinc oxide. As much as possible, opt for sunscreen that are made with natural and organic filters, and without the usual suspects (alcohol, parabens, alcohol, mineral oil, propylene gylcol, ethanolamines and phthalates). You may find them at your natural organic boutique outlets.

Four weeks ago, I decided to add serum to my daily skincare regime. Twice a day, everyday. I wanted to do this as an experiment to see if adding serum to my skincare regime would result in significant improvement to my complexion. Four weeks later, my complexion is at its optimal best. Well-hydrated, evenly-toned and smooth-textured with no sign of blemish.

To find a product for dry skin is easy, but to find a product suitable for dehydrated skin - that is skin lacking in water (not oil), is actually quite difficult.

For this experiment, I used La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum. La Roche-Posay is not known as a natural or organic skincare brand. Rather, it is famed as a dermatological brand that specializes in dehydrated and sensitive skin. At the heart of every La Roche-Posay product formula is its unique natural thermal spring water.

La Roche-Posay thermal spring water is a combination of water derived from rain that is filtered through thick chalky rocks, as well as, 1,700 year old deep water that flows through deep sands of the Cenomanian period. This water quality is rare due to its concentrated Selenium content - a trace element in the skin's defense mechanism to fight against free radicals, bringing natural soothing and anti-oxidant properties to its skincare formulas.

Not only is this brand committed to dermatology, it is also committed to the environment. And they do this in their own unique way:

They own the land in which the spring emerges and water is collected. This is to ensure the thermal water is permanently and optimally protected, controlled and monitored.
They are in partnership with Eco-emballages, licensed by the French government to organize, supervise and support recycling household waste.They do this by indicating sorting instructions on their products for recycle.

The label describes this serum as a concentrated rehydrating gel that promises to deliver intense hydration - and it really does deliver as stated. More so, this concentrated hydrating gel is paraben-free.

The gel texture is lightweight, spreads well and absorb almost immediately into the skin. I am almost feel my skin soaking the serum up!

There is absolutely no scent to this gel so you don't have to deal with any nose itch with chemical fragrances or stinky aroma. Another important point to note is that this serum has an expiry date!

I really love this serum and highly recommend it to anyone with sensitive and/or dehydrated skin. If you are like me, with regular use, you will surely notice a difference.

Retail price: S$41.90

Available at Changi General Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National Skin Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital as well as major Guardian, Unity and Watsons retail pharmacies.

Head down to APIVITA @ ION Orchard this Saturday! To celebrate Earth Hour, APIVITA is offering 15% discount store-wide to shoppers on regular priced items.

Grecian natural skincare brand, APIVITA, welcomes the public and shoppers to their flagship store @ ION Orchard (#B3-45/46) this Saturday, March 23 from 8pm. You will have the opportunity to:

light an APIVITA 100% natural wax candle (for the first 50 guests);
participate in an APIVITA hamper lucky draw;
learn more about Earth Hour;
receive exclusive door gifts;
AND, GET 15% STOREWIDE DISCOUNT off regular priced items (from 8pm to 10pm).

Their natural, effective and holistic products are made with up to 100% natural compositions. Their skincare and beauty products contain a high concentration of pure natural ingredients such as pure bee products and organic essential oils. Built around the transformative healing properties of the Queen Bee by-product and Greek herbs, APIVITA is a brand synonymous with natural health and healing.

APIVITA is serious about sustainable development. Corporate eco-green efforts are built into their product production process, use of recyclable packaging, as well as investing in energy-saving equipment in their factories.

More than 55 APIVITA products are certified organic by ECOCERT, ICEA & DIO
One of the first companies to use 100% recycled PET in their packaging material
Has a strict internal less-paper corporate policy
All APIVITA products list the percentage of natural ingredients
All APIVITA products do not contain ingredients harmful to the environment (silicone and phthalates)
All APIVITA products do not contain irritant ingredient to human use (propylene glycol, paraffin oil, sls, MEA, DEA, surfactants)
Is against animal testing
Do not use endangered plant species and GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
Continuous corporate effort and resources to develop sustainable, plant-based and "greener" alternative raw materials with the aim to completely replace chemical ones

APIVITA's Earth Hour 2013 media press kit

To kickup Earth hour 2013, APIVITA's media kit is just full of thoughtful eco-friendly surprises! It includes:

APIVITA's 100% natural wax candle made from soya and rapeseed. This is one of their best-selling products! I can smell the delicious candle scent of Orange, Cedarwood & Clove infusing through the box before opening. Wonderfully strong refreshing aroma! These candles are available in other scents such as Jasmine and Lavender; and priced at $100 per 235g and $64 per 80g.

APIVITA is promoting their natural candles as part of their initiative for supporting Earth Hour 2013, a global inititaive organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to turn off lights and raise awareness of climate change. To achieve this, the APIVITA flagship boutique store @ ION Orchard will be lit by candle-lit for an hour between 8:30pm to 9:30pm - adding to a romantic ambience for shopping!

A herb planting kit that includes a plant pot, soil, a pack of calendula seeds and home planting instructions;

A 4GB USB thumbdrive (my personal favorite!) made with FSC certified wood and has carbon neutral certification.

What the heck does that mean? Well, FSC certified wood means the wood used to make this thumbdrive comes from a guaranteed sustainable source or sustainable foresting area. Carbon neutral certification simply means this thumbdrive was produced with a net zero carbon footprint!

Support the Planet.
Support eco-friendly companies like APIVITA.
Make your way down to APIVITA @ ION Orchard this Saturday at 8pm.
And start shopping with a 15% store-wide discount on all their regular priced items!

For more information on Earth Hour Singapore 2013, click here.

I've got news!! Green Living workshops are back again this month!

Green Living is a series of workshops held in Singapore that offer quick and easy everyday tools, tips and tricks on how to start leading a healthier, greener and simpler lives.

Started by two friends, Delphinia Tam-Lower and Militza Maury, who shared a common passion to share their self-experimented knowledge of what works and what doesn't. Their goal is to help families transform everyday household and lifestyle elements into a sustainable eco-friendly way of life. And to make it easy and fun for everyone, even me (God bless)!

Read my interview with them on Women Who Launch: Green Living.

Next week, they will be running two of their most popular workshops: How to Detoxify Your Home? & How to Detoxify Your Skincare?. Both workshops will be held on Tuesday March 26 at separate timings back-to-back, to fill your day with amazing hands-on experience.

Personally, I know (and advocate through this blog) the importance of living an eco-friendly life, particularly when it comes to skincare and beauty. But I am nowhere close to having the kind of simple, practical and easy knowledge that these ladies are about to share at their workshops.

Green Living Workshop #1: How to Detoxify You Home?
The average household uses over 60 different chemical products. This toxic mix we bring to our homes hurts our health, our families and our Planet. Join us at Green Living and learn how to decipher what's in those bottles under your sink and in your cupboards; learn what effects they have on your health and our Planet. You'll also learn the most effective recipes and techniques for how to make your own all-natural cleansers at home. This class is hands-on, so you'll also be making a few of those recipes to take home with you!

Date: Tuesday, 26th March 2013
Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Venue: Bettr Barista, 8 Burn Road, Trivex #13-04, Singapore 369977 (A 5-10 minute walk from Tai Seng MRT on the Circle Line)
Cost: $40 per person (including snack, refreshments and all recipe materials you will be making at the workshop)
For more information: Drop Green Living an email at delphinia@fourcowfarm.com
To book your spot: https://www.facebook.com/greenlivingtoday/app_251458316228

Green Living Workshop #2: How to Detoxify Your Skincare?
Parabens, sulphates, mineral oil and petroleum derivatives are what's in most skincare products, and they are potentially toxic and harmful to your health. Ever wonder what the real difference between that $100 bottle of lotion and the $5 bottle you pick up at your local drugstore? This workshop will show you a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes on in our skincare bottles, and how to read these pesky skincare labels. You'll learn how to make (and get to bring home) your very own skincare products full of wonderful all-natural herbs and ingredients. Learn how to truly pamper and look after your skin. On top of that, you will get a comprehensive guide with all-natural skincare recipes for the whole family!

Date: Tuesday, 26th March 2013
Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Venue: Bettr Barista, 8 Burn Road, Trivex #13-04, Singapore 369977 (A 5-10 minute walk from Tai Seng MRT on the Circle Line)
Cost: $65 per person (including snack, refreshments and all recipe materials you will be making at the workshop)
For more information: Drop Green Living an email at delphinia@fourcowfarm.com
To book your spot: https://www.facebook.com/greenlivingtoday/app_251458316228

Lemongrass House supports Earth Hour 2013 by offering 20% off their bestselling range of Aromatherapy of the Earth. The offer starts today Friday, 22nd March, and ends Sunday, 24th March 2013.

All you have to do is: Go to any Lemongrass House boutique outlets, bring your empty Lemongrass House product containers and/or carrier bags to the store for recycling, and you will be eligible for the above celebratory offer.

Established in 1996, Lemongrass House is a Thai brand with its headquarters in Phuket. Today, Lemongrass House has retail presence in six countries -Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand; and has become one of the leading spa and hotel suppliers in the world distributing to over 28 countries.

Awarded the Finalist of the Green Retailer of the Year last year, Lemongrass House products are eco-friendly and developed based on a deep understanding of natural, renewable ingredients and essential oils. The sourcing and production of its handmade products are 100% free of parabens, chemicals, dyes and sulfates.

Inside a Lemongrass House store in Phuket

The first time I heard of Lemongrass House was when I stepped into one of its retail boutique outlets in Phuket. I remember stepping into a scent-laden shophouse front, and being visually consumed by wall-to-wall of soaps bars, body creams, shampoo and conditioner bottles, candles, essential oils, room sprays and a selective range of locally-made crafts. A fairly typical aromatherapy shop offering plenty of aroma spa products.

What I didn't know however, is how serious this company is with their green eco-friendly corporate values.
Apparently, their Phuket headquarters is a workspace/building that is actually made entirely of recycled shipping containers! Raw materials used to make their products are farmed from renewable resources, and majority of which is sourced from organic farmers. And all packaging (bottles and bags) is made from recycled materials - they even use biodegradable ink for printing!

Be rewarded for recycling today.

I was recently invited to Talika's launch of its new photo-beauty therapy skincare line. According to Talika's reps, it is the first range of skincare that using technology inspired by aerospace energy - transforming light energy into cellular energy.

The basis of Talika's research is found when astronauts on space missions, came back to Earth with minor skin wounds and conditions that did not heal over the time they were in space. The reason being that, while in space, the astronauts were exposed to very little (if any) source of light. An imperative ingredient for cellular regeneration and growth.

Believing that light is the source of all life, Talika's researchers took this concept one step further. They tried to uncover how to transform light energy into dermo-repairing energy. To do this, they needed a vehicle - which they term as the Photo-Beauty Enzyme (PBE).

PBE is an isolated enzyme naturally found in blue microalgae. Like a photovoltaic cell, PBE is triggered by light and has the incredible ability to naturally transform light energy into dermo-repairing energy, and repair damaged DNA cells. PBE acts as a skin defense mechanism that targets and eliminates dimers, allowing DNA cells to recover to its original form and functional capabilities. Skin begins to regain its optimal performance.

Today, Talika is offering 5 skincare product lines that builds on this PBE technology: the Light Essence, Anti-aging serum, Anti-aging cream, Whitening serum and Whitening cream.

The Light Essence
Acting as a skin equalizer, this cellular activator preps the skin and nourishes it with concentrated PBE. Once exposed to light, the PBE will activate. Light Essence helps to brighten skin's complexion, and diminish the intensity of dark spots by breaking down the damaged DNA structure. It also helps to protect the skin's renewed DNA. Made with hyaluronic acid, gentle fruit acids, rose water and vegetal glycerin, this watery essence relieves skin discomfort and provides hydration.

With one pump, the essence comes out like water. Notice how it appears to run off my palm. But after one spread, the essence absorbs very quickly into the skin. Use this essence after a toner.

Photo-Beauty Therapy: Anti-aging serum and cream
Activated by light, both the anti-aging serum and cream combined the benefits of the PBE with active ingredients such as adenosine, walnut seed and soya beans, to treat all signs of aging from wrinkles, dehydration and loss of firmness.

Photo-Beauty Therapy: Whitening serum and cream
Rich in PBE and brightening active ingredients such as niacinamide and zinc, this range is targets melanocytes specifically to reduce the intensity of dark spots and pigmentation. It is said to brighten skin's complexion within 4 weeks!

The difference in the serum and cream is the product consistency. The serum is more like a lotion. Made from vegetal glyercin, it is lightweight and spreads easily. The cream is slightly thicker and made from vegetal glycerin and shea butter. Good for people who need a thicker cream-based moisturizer, or for night use in an air-conditioned room.

Photo-Beauty Therapy Whitening Cream

Photo-Beauty Therapy Whitening Serum

Talika's Photo-Beauty Therapy Whitening cream (top) and serum (bottom). Notice the texture difference?

Given this is a light-activated product, I wondered how it works at night? The answer: All this product needs is a light source, not necessarily natural light source. It will work with a switched on light bulb or even candle light. As long as there is some sort of light, the PBE will be activated. And the light source does not have to be consistent either. How interesting!

Due to my ever growing presence of pigmentation and freckles on my complexion, I cannot wait to try the Light Essence, Whitening serum and lotion!

To find out more about Talika's Photo-Beauty Therapy new skincare line, head down to Talika's beauty counter at BHG Bugis.

Have you ever stood in front of your bookshelf, and wondered what you are going to do with all the books you've read, kept with no intention to re-read again?

Let's face it, most non-fiction novels are just worth reading once. Maybe twice. But that's it.

For situations like this, I normally find time to box up the books and make a trip down to the nearest Salvation Army donation bin. With the new found space I have created on my bookshelf, it takes about another six months to fill it up again with a new collection of novels. And the cycle continues. Its a cyclical affair with me.

I started to wonder about eco-crafts I can do with my book collection. Here are some inspiring and practical DIY eco-crafts one can do with your old expired book collection. All you need is a book. Only this time, it is not to read.

DIY Old Book Project #1: Rose Wreath
Make a gorgeous rose wreath with old book pages! You just got to learn how to make one rose bud from a page, and multiply it many times over. You can also make the same rose bud and use it as a gift wrapping accessory. Eco-crafter, Stephanie Lynn, shows you how to cut pages from an old unwanted book, and secure the roses with hot glue onto a wreath frame. Go to Stephanie's tutorial here.

DIY Old Book Project #2: Whimsical Paper Garlands
Whether it is for your wedding, home or birthday decoration, Katherine Chong, on her DIY Project Weddings site, show you how to achieve a vintage whimsical look with these beautifully self-made paper garlands.

DIY Old Book Project #3: Book Bag
Don't throw away your book covers! There's a way that you can wear them as a fashion accessory. Country Living shows a step-by-step tutorial on how you can take an old book and totally transform it into a little tote bag.

DIY Old Book Project #4: Book Photo Frame
Here is another creative use of old book covers! Paper & Stitch gives easy detailed instructions on how easy it is to make a photo frame out of your old favorite book cover. That's what I call a picture with two stories.

DIY Old Book Project #5: Book Planter
This is ingenious! Never had I thought you could make a planter out of a book. Apparently, you can. And Russell Brown is ready to show you how.

Touted as one of their best-selling products, KORRES Wild Rose eye cream was sold out for a few months last year and I had to wait a while before I got a tube.

The Wild Rose Eye Cream with SPF 15 is a brightening eye cream that moisturizes, firms and smooths skin around the eye area. The main ingredients are: Wild rose oil and yeast extract. Wild rose oil is a natural source of vitamin C to repair fine lines and skin color disorders; and yeast extract improves blood micro-circulation, reduces under-eye puffiness and dark circles.

If you had read my review on their Pomegranate Scrub & Wild Rose mask, you'd know I'm a fan of KORRES. But after all the hype about this eye cream, I am not sure if it makes my favorites list. However, it is one of the better eye creams I have tried. Especially one with SPF.

With 79.7% natural active ingredients, this product has a clearly printed expiry date on the top of the tube packing, and it contains plenty of exotic natural ingredients such as Honeysuckle Flower extract, Rosemary Leaf extract, Rose Seed oil and Horse Chestnut Seed extract.

I have been using this eye cream for four weeks. It wins as a lightweight moisturizing eye cream with essential SPF coverage. It glides on smoothly and absorbs well without leaving a layer of oiliness. When I apply my eye makeup, the eye powder and liquid liner do not cake up or slide off. In fact, makeup seems to apply on better!

I don't normally have a problem with under-eye dark circles or puffiness, so I am not able to comment on this concern. But I have noticed that when I wake up in the morning having slept only a few hours, this cream does help perk the skin area around my eyes, making my eye area look moisturized and hydrated. The consistency of the cream is very good - light yet moderately thick.

I love the tube application. Most eye creams come in a jar that exposes the whole lot of cream with every opening. With the tube application, you just squeeze what you need. And its narrow size and lightweight packaging is great for traveling. A small tube like this can last more than four-five months with daily use.

Like all KORRES products, this eye cream is free of a lot of things including paraben, mineral oil, silicone, propylene glycol, ethanolamine, petroluem, synthetic dyes, phthalates, alcohol, animal by-products, PEGs and SLEs. Its packaging is 100% recyclable so remember not to just toss it in the bin when its empty!

The real only minus for me is the fairly strong flowery scent. I prefer my creams and lotions to have a more neutral, or therapeutic scent. It is no fault of this eye cream that it smells literally like roses. After all, that is its name and what it is made of. So, if this point is not a problem for you, then this eye cream is definitely one to try.

Retail price: S$69 per 15 ml tube

Available at KORRES retail counters at Parco Marina Bay @ Millena Walk & Raffles City shopping Center.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. Katjuju.com, is not affiliated, in any way, with this company or its products. This product review is written with editorial integrity and honesty; and without influence.

A couple of weeks back, I blogged about two exciting green living workshops going on last month - How to Detoxify Your Home? and How to Detoxify Your Skincare?.

These workshops are hosted by Green Living, run by two friends - Delphinia and Militza, who share a passion for eco-friendly living. Green Living is their way of sharing all their quick tips and knowledge with the rest of us. Read my interview on Women Who Launch: Green Living.

I attended the 2-hour How to Detoxify Your Home workshop. And here's my quick verbal and visual rundown.

The workshop is held at the training center of Bettr Barista Coffee Academy. Once I got into the building and before finding my way to the unit, I literally followed my nose. The workshop space is surrounded by everything coffee, from big shiny Italian espresso-making machines to piles of coffee table books on the art of coffee making. Somewhere in the middle of the room is where this workshop space resides.

We were served with a light healthy breakfast of yogurt, fresh blueberries, granola and, of course, our very own cuppa gourmet coffee - in my case, it was English Breakfast tea.

My workshop table space: notes, breakfast and an empty bottle (a sign of what's the come).

The workshop started off with Delphinia giving a short introduction and discussion of household cleaning products that we normally find at home. From toilet bowl cleaners, all-purpose disinfectant sprays to my favorite scouring cream, Jif (rebranded in 2000 as Cif). We went through the main chemicals these products contain, and surprisingly, how much we feel we almost cannot live without.

Apparently, an average household uses over 60 different chemical products. These are chemicals that we introduce to our homes and expose our families' health to. WHO researchers have discovered direct links between endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) and health issues such as asthma, unexplained infertility issues, birth detects (such as attention deficiency disorder and hyperactivity) and even cancer (such as breast, prostate and thyroid cancers). OMG.

Delphinia

Delphinia posed a question to consider 'Does (good) scent necessarily equate clean?.

Personally, I love the scent of lemon on my floors and cabinets, and lavender on my clothes. These refreshing scents trigger the ultimate sense of cleanliness and freshness in my mind. But according to Delphinia, these strong chemically-enhanced fragrances are potentially harmful to our immune system and overall health.

Clean should smell like nothing. Right? Clean shouldn't smell like a bed of roses, neither should it smell like expired milk. Hum. That's true.

Next, Militza took over and began convincing us that we can literally do without all that commercial detergent bottles. Simply by sticking to a handful of essential cooking ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, castile soap and olive oil, we can make all our eco-friendly kitchen detergents from scratch.

Vinegar?! If you are like me, I am not keen on the idea of using vinegar as a spray around the house. The sharp distinct odor is a major turnoff. But apparently, there is a way around that. Militza showed us how to infuse vinegar with some amazing herbs and citrus fruits like orange and lemon peel, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme and even lavender. The longer the vinegar is infused, the more the sharpness goes away (okay, I might try that).

Militza demonstrates how to infuse vinegar

We were given recipes for homemade fruit & veggie spray, leather cleanser, window wash, scrum scrub cleaner (to replace my bottle of Jif), and even laundry powder. For hands-on experience, we made our own fruit & veggie spray cum all-purpose cleaning spray, and infused baking soda.

To make infused baking soda, we had a choice of what we wanted to make and based on that, we got to mix our own concoction of herbs. This was so fun! I wanted to make an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal laundry booster powder and immediately hit the baking soda and herb corner.

After systematically opening all the jars and sniffing the herbs like a kid in a candy store, I decided to mix my filtered bag of lavender, fennel and mint into my brown bag of baking soda. Tada! All prepared and ready to bring home.

Everything I got to bring home

Thanks Green Living for a wonderful morning of home detoxification fun! They seriously made going green seem very easy and doable. I came away from this workshop very inspired to try some of these recipes at home.

A major plus point: Participants were provided with all the information on where to find and buy the essential herbs and ingredients. It is actually not that difficult at all, and Singapore is such a small accessible place.

I highly recommend anyone interested to go green at home to attend this workshop.

The workshops are not regularly scheduled, and may come up from time to time. To find out for about Green Living and upcoming workshop sessions, you can visit their Facebook page.

Founded by Kati Kasza from New Zealand, evolu (spelt with an intentional small 'e') is a botanical skincare brand formed with a core principle of balance; that is, creating an equilibrium between attaining natural healthy skin and using (a handful) of pure bio-active natural ingredients. evolu aims to keep their skincare formulations simple - with a few active ingredients in greater concentration.

Riding the natural and organic skincare wave, evolu has been in Singapore for about two years.

A cruelty-free brand that is free of parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oils, phthalates, sulphates, artificial colors or fragrances, and animal by-product, all evolu products are specially formulated with 100% pure cosmetic grade essential oils specially blended with New Zealand's spring water - what they also term as the 'evolu essence' formula.

Taken from New Zealand Quality Waters, Blue Spring

After a month's use, here's my review of evolu's two day cream moisturizers: Protective Day Cream SPF 15 and Recovery Day Cream.

evolu Protective Day Cream SPF15
This facial day moisturizer is blended with pure essential oil extracts to strengthen skin's cellular structure and natural defenses. It is rich in nutrients and antioxidants that help promote cell renewal, support connective tissue and provide added moisture to skin. The list includes: kiwifruit seed oil (high in Vitamin C & omega-3), wheatgerm oil (Vitamin E & antioxidant), chamomile extract (regenerative properties), green tea extract (natural anti-sun & antioxidant properties), and rose geranium (calming & regenerative properties & improves circulation).

Given its rich botanical infusion, this moisturizer is smells exactly as it should - fresh and therapeutic.

When I first started using this moisturizer, I was worried that I would not get used to the SPF factor of 15. I do not normally wear anything less than SPF50; SPF15 seems a little too low and worrying. But according to experts, SPF15 to 30 is recommended for everyday use. Anything higher would be unnecessary, have a thicker consistency and leaves no room for the skin to breathe. So, with that in mind, I eased myself into its daily use.

Suitable for all skin types, this moisturizer with SPF is surprisingly very light. And watery. It literally pours out of the bottle when the cap is flicked open and tipped to squeeze. So be careful not to squeeze too hard!

When I pick the bottle up and shake, it sounds like I'm shaking a water bottle. To prove my point - you can see from my photo below that within 2 seconds from the time I squeezed some on the back of my hand to the time I picked up my camera to shoot - the product is starting to drip down.

Despite its watery texture, the moisturizer soaks right into my skin making it great as an under layer with or without makeup. It makes a good skin hydrator as well - not too oily and not drying (do you know what I mean?). Perfect for Singapore's tropical and humid weather. So far, I have not noticed any new sun spots or darkening of existing ones - that's good news.

This is not a face moisturizer to use when you have an active outdoorsy day planned. But for regular weekdays when I'm in the office, and on weekends when I'm off to yoga or the shopping mall, I apply this one convenient face cream and I am off!

evolu Recovery Day Cream
Unlike the Protective Day Cream SPF15, this facial day moisturizer is specially formulated with anti-inflammatory and skin-calming properties. Developed specially for people who suffer persistent skin sensitivities or problem dryness, it contains potent botanical actives such as NZ Kawakawa (to repair & detoxify), geranium (calming & soothing properties & improves circulation), lemon oil (anti-inflammatory properties) and kiwifruit seed oil (high in Vitamin C & omega-3).

Let me just say: If you have sensitive skin, prone to occasional eczema and breakouts, you have to grab yourself one of this ultra-lightweight day moisturizer. The active botanical formula is an effective hydrative blend of soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that instantly aims to calm the skin's irritation factor, reduce redness and replenish the skin's moisture reserve.

The consistency of this moisturizer is very nice and light. The cream soaks into the skin almost instantly. I was concerned that its weightlessness would evaporate, and leave my face feeling dry and stretched after a few hours. Instead, my complexion felt hydrated throughout the day and into the night (before bed).

Overallreview: Apart from their weightless texture and ability to quickly absorb into the skin, the thing I love most about these two creams is their scent. Every time I apply the moisturizers on my face, I am reminded of going to a relaxing spa. While both are strong on geranium (sweet and earthy - one of my favorite!), The Protective Day Cream SPF15 has a more calm and relaxing blend, whereas the Recovery Day Cream's blend is more citrusy and refreshing.

Lastly, because all evolu products are made with pure active ingredients, they come with an expiry date!

Retail price (Protective Day Cream SPF15): S$50 per 75ml tube
Retail price (Recovery Day Cream): S$48 per 75ml tube

Available at all Robinson & John Little outlets, selected Guardian, Unity and Metro outlets, and Beauty by Nature boutique stores @ ION Orchard #B3-49, Parkway #B1-75 and VivoCity #01-06.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. Katjuju.com, is not affiliated, in any way, with this company or its products. This product review is written with editorial integrity and honesty; and without influence.

Christine Buyco-Sy, 34
Owner & Director, Human Nature Singapore

One word comes to mind when I met Christine for this interview: Tenacious. Her never-give-up attitude has seen her life through many personal milestones from being a young Filipina uprooting to a foreign country (Singapore), attaining a Master's degree from NUS in Urban Design, becoming a successful architect working for one of Asia's largest architectural firms, transiting to a SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom) with two young daughters, and today - being Singapore's sole distributor of Human Nature, a natural personal care brand. This momprenur is a woman who is always doing something. Even as a young teenager, Christine served as President for the Youth Christian Life Community's (YCLC) pro-poor campaign - a local Catholic organisation setup to help the poor. Activism and a passion for better living has been (and still is) her driving force in life.

How did you get involved with Human Nature?
It started on one of my trips back home to Davao City, Philippines. I walked into a newly opened store selling all-natural personal care products at super affordable prices. I was so excited and ended up buying lots! But learning about the advocacy behind the Human Nature brand, which is to provide sustainable livelihood to poor farmers and communities, helped sealed the deal for me. I wanted to be part of this cause and quickly got in touch with Human Nature to secure the distributorship.

Were you always big on natural products?
I started getting serious when I became a mother. I had learnt about harmful chemicals found in everyday products. Despite doubling our household bills, I started using natural and organic products (and food) for my two young daughters.

When did you launch your online site?
Mid-October 2012

How much investment did you need to start this business?
My husband and I set aside S$50,000.

Is this your first business venture?
This is my first official business venture. I have tried selling children designer clothes on eBay, and had an online shop but supply (from US and UK) at a great discount was inconsistent.

What challenges do you face as a momprenuer?
The most challenging part for me is setting up a business while taking care of my two daughters - a 2-year old and a 6-month old baby (at the time). My husband and I are from the Philippines. We don't have the support of an extended family so I am very hands-on with my kids feeding them, changing nappies, taking them places etc. The only real chance I get to work is when they are sleeping. I hardly have a good night's sleep - sleeping around 2am everyday and waking up every 4 hours to breastfeed my younger one. I lost 10 kilos in a very short span of time!

How do you juggle your time?
I recall a mompreneur being asked the same question, and she aptly replied 'Just sleep less.'. Nothing could be truer! I think planning ahead is the key. My husband and I spend family time going to the park or beach and let the girls run loose. Once their boundless energy is spent, it is followed by a nice long sleep for the kids, and a movie time or dinner date for us.

Also, I get most out of my day if I can creatively integrate tasks while looking after my girls. I 'babywear' (carry in my sling) my youngest daugther while running errands and doing household chores. This keeps her contented and she learns a lot from observation. With my eldest daughter, I always bring her to the market with me, and we identify different vegetables, fruits etc. We even do counting of our Human Nature's inventory together.

Who are your customers?
Women in their 20's and 30's and mostly mothers. They find me mostly through the shares and likes of Facebook, especially when I run contests and giveaways!

Having started less than six months ago, how is business for you?
Picking up! We receive regular orders now so traffic is getting better. Also, we have plenty of repeat customers and that helps a lot.

What are your plans going forward with this home-based business?
I hope to distribute my products to natural/organic shops, as well as to baby and kids shops, island-wide. To make natural products affordable in the mainstream market. But the challenge lies in the expected high profit margins needed to place these products on commercial shelves. Human Nature is a social enterprise that believes in the optimization of profits, with the aim to provide livelihood to poor farmers and communities, rather than maximization of profits. Our products are extremely affordable to customers and I don't want to change that. So, that is my challenge.

What advice would you give to mompreners thinking of setting up a business?
I personally learned the hard way that no matter how much time and passion you put into what you do - you have to get the business basics right first. That is, have a sound and well-researched business plan to start. It allows you to sit down, think through carefully and plan your vision, strategies, projections, and most importantly, financing.

Who inspires you?
My parents. They are so supportive in whatever I do. I am also inspired generally by momprenerus. My best friend Jenny Ong is a mompreneur and blogger of Chronicles of a Nursing Mom. Her real life success story is one of many that inspires me - knowing I can take care of my girls, earn an income, and ultimately, balance work and family life.

Since you are a breast-feeding advocate and young mom, what skincare advice would you give to women in your shoes?
When I was pregnant, I had super radiant skin. This was probably from the fish oil (DHA) I was taking when I was pregnant and a few months post-pregnancy. With breastfeeding, I tend to get dry skin and hair from time to time, so drinking plenty of water and eating proper nutrition is important to me. I have also noticed that I get skin breakouts when I do not get sufficient intake of vegetables, fruits and fish.

Honestly, I have a very basic beauty regimen since I embarked on this crazy ride being a WAHM (work-at-home mom). I am lucky if I find time for a facial!

What is your best-selling product? Why?
It is a tie between Natural Kids Shampoo and Wash, and the Strengthening Shampoo. Both contain Philippine Coco Nectar (flower of the coconut) which is a potent source of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Human Nature is the first in the world to use it in a shampoo formula. As with all our products, they are very affordable and really work wonders!

In what ways do you practice eco-conscious living at home?
I am very mindful of the products I use everyday making sure they are environmentally-friendly, conducts fair trading and not tested on animals. To me, it is the little decisions I make everyday.

For instance, I always carry my foldable shopping tote and get away without using plastic bags. When my daughter had her birthday two weeks ago, I explained to her we would opt for latex balloons, instead of foil ones because foil takes hundreds of years to disintegrate. We also used biodegradable disposable plates made of corn starch.

If you could play your part in saving the planet in just one way, what would it be?
We boycott places or products that are not kind to our environment. For example, we don't eat shark's fin soup. And more recently, we don't go to Resorts World SEA Aquarium in support of 'Save the World's Saddest Dolphins' campaign. I want to bring my kids up as faithful stewards of our planet - respecting nature's balance and biodiversity, and hopefully pass that on to our future generations.

As a parent, it must be hard to be seen as denying your kids (and yourself) of fun and experience that other kids are participating in. How do you manage that?
I agree. It is a lonely road. I have to always explain to my kids and help them understand why it is important. For us to be saving the Planet, we need to stand our ground.

Spoken like a true activist. Thank you Christine ♥
To know more about Human Nature's affordable range of personal care products, click here.

Owner of Human Nature Singapore Christine Buyco-Sy and her family.

Can you remember the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? I cannot. It is probably...5 years ago. Ouch. They are definitely screaming 'Bathe me!'

It started two days ago when I suddenly developed a small pimple. That got me thinking about the condition of my makeup brushes.

Makeup artists and professionals always say the state of your makeup brushes can make an obvious difference between a messy/patchy and flawless makeup application. But, truth be told, it can also make a significant difference to the condition of your skin.

Makeup brushes are a huge breeding ground for germs and bacteria. And ideally should be cleaned once every two weeks.

When you use your makeup brushes, you are essentially transmitting germs, bacteria and natural oils from your skin to your brushes to your makeup kit, and back to your skin. Not to mention, this includes the spreading of dirt, dust and grime. It is a vicious daily cycle. So, if you get the occasional breakout like me, consider how clean your makeup blushes really are.

The Quick Fuss-Free Way to Clean Your Makeup Brushes - Naturally

First, before you start, you'll need to get some things:

Used dirty makeup brushes
Shampoo *preferably made from natural and organic ingredients
Small dish bowl
Paper towels (or a dry cloth towel)

Step 1: Wet 'em
Gather your brushes and run them through cold tap water facing down.

Step 2: Pump & Swirl
Give your shampoo bottle a pump or two into a dish bowl. If you can, try using a natural brand of shampoo made from natural oils, and with as little chemicals and artificial fragrances. I used my favorite Coast to Coast Invigorating Shampoo which is made with natural oils of tea tree, lavender and sandalwood. These oils have natural anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties.

Add a little water and stir into a thick soapy mix. Then, dip your brushes into the solution and swirl each brush, one at a time, at the base of the dish bowl. Kinda like painting the bottom of your soapy water dish bowl.

At this point, if your brushes are dirty like mine, you will start to see the water turn into a somewhat icky brown to black color. Once you find the brushes are no longer releasing makeup debris, leave the brushes in for a quick 3 minute soak.

Step 3: Rinse
Now, take the brushes out of the bowl and run them through clean cold tap water again. Remember to have your brushes facing down when running it under a tap! Makeup brushes are expensive and should be considered a beauty investment. So you really don't want to end up with a messy and disheveled brush after wash.

Step 4: Pat 'em & Dry
Hold out each brush, shake out any excess water and give the brush hairs a gentle squeeze to get rid of excess water. Take a paper towel (or dry cloth towel) and pat each brush dry. If necessary, you can re-mold each brush by pressing the hairs between your fingers until it is molded back to its original shape.

Lastly, lay your brushes out to dry. I used the same paper towel, folded it into half and placed it as a base to spread my brushes on. Each brush should be spread away from the next so there is a small gap of space for better ventilation.

People often ask if brushes should dry in an upright position or lay them flat. Personally, I like to lay mine flat. It is just another step (and too much work) to find a jar to hold my brushes in. And frankly, once the brushes are dried, they don't look any different. Just clean, fluffy and shiny.

My brushes dried out overnight and were ready for use the next morning. Awesome!

This is so easy...I am definitely cleaning my brushes out more frequently to keep my complexion flawless.

Photo:Lipmag

This is a shitty post. Pun intended. Literally.

The color of your poo can tell a lot about your state of health. Not a normal conversation topic you would have...not even with your best friend. So, if you don't have the stomach for it, here's the warning: Stop here. Do not continue to read.

I have to be honest: I have been having dark greenish poo the last week or so. I wondered 'Is this a good thing? Or a bad thing?'. So, I called my husband (who happens to be my best friend too...poor guy) and he responded 'What have you been eating?'. Good question. Why didn't I think of that?

I realized that, in the past week or so, I have been consciously adding more green leafy vegetables to my diet. I also started on a daily intake of wheatgrass juice extract. Maybe that could explain my poo's dark greenish color.

More often than not, people do not pay attention to the color of their poo. And why would we?

But simply knowing what normal poo color should be, compared to what your poo color really is, can be a great help in early detection of diseases. This sparked my interest in understanding the different colors of poo. After all, if you are not talking to your girlfriends about it, how else are you going to know?

The Best Of Its Kind: Brown
Light to medium brown poo is the target of good health. The brown color is a pigmentation called bilirubin, which is essential red blood cells that have been broken down in the liver and bone marrow. It is released into the intestinal tract and exposed to bacteria. Bacteria changes the chemical nature of bilirubin, and when combined with poo, it turns brown. This is normal poo at its best.

If you are not getting the nice chocolatey poo colour, then the following is a list of what I call 'Other Shades of Poo'.

Super Light Brown
When your poo is a pine wood brown, that means there is too much fat in your body, possible liver issue or constipation. There is insufficient fiber content in your diet. Try increasing your intake of fiber by eating more fruits and vegetables. Fiber-rich foods include apples, blueberries, carrots, strawberries, nuts and seeds.

Black
If your poo is a dark tarry-black color, it usually means there is presence of dried blood. Possibly intestinal bleeding somewhere along your intestinal tract. Don't panic yet because the somewhat-ok news is, it is far away enough from your rectum that the fresh blood has had enough time to dry. Most likely somewhere in the upper section of the GI (gastrointestinal tract) like the esophagus or first section of the small intestine. This may occur if you consumed a high intake of iron supplements, have had large quantities of blueberries, olives, licorice or alcohol. Knowing this, you can tweak your diet a little and see if the color improves. I have had this before and the color goes back to a normal after two to three days.

Dark Green
Dark green poo (any shade of green for that matter) means there is a large quantity of undigested green vegetables in your system. How so? Well, bile is green in color. And normally when poo passes through the large intestines (at normal speed), it is mixed with bile and turns brown. When poo passes through the intestine too fast, it has no time to turn brown and comes out green. Having green poo is actually not a major health concern. Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive (like me) tend to have greenish poo because we are probably taking in a lot of iron-rich supplements like folic acid, wheatgrass and chlorophyll.

Red
If the color of your poo reminds you of red wine or strawberries, it could indicate a number of things such as a bleeding stomach ulcer, digestive disorder, hemorrhoids, colon polyps and possibly even, colon cancer. Any shade of red is not a good thing when it comes to poo. On the other hand, there are certain foods that are rich in natural and artificial colors that can also make your poo go red such as beetroot, tomato juice/soup and licorice. If you haven't had any red-colored foods and this is the color of your poo, you should consult your doctor.

Earth
What I mean by earth-colored poo is any shade that looks orange, yellow and clay. If this is the color of your poo, it generally means several things: 1) A high intake of natural and artificial orange-colored food like carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. 2) An intake of supplements and medication such as Vitamin A and aluminum hydroxide (found in stomach acid neutralizers like Eno, Alka-Seltzer and Mylanta). 3) Poo is passing through the body too rapidly. Reasons for this include diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. 4) Blocked bile ducts. Bile generated from gallbladder is not entering your intestines. As poo passes through your GI, it is not absorbing enough bile to make it turn brown. A blocked bile duct can be caused by the presence of gallstones, inflammation, cysts or tumors. Clay-colored poo is almost always a sign of an important health concern! When combined with symptoms of abdominal or back pain, you really need to consult your doctor.

The above descriptions are by no means to be used as an indication or certainty of a medical diagnosis. It just serves as a quick general insight on your general health status based on the color of your poo. In most cases, simple dietary adjustments should be able to improve your poo's color toward the ideal medium brown. If not, it could be time to consult your doctor.

Intrigued by this topic and wish to read more? You may also want to read Are You Ready For A Colema?

Three days ago, on April 8, 2013, The Baroness Thatcher passed away from stroke.

Apart from being the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century and the only woman who held that office, I don't really know much about this fascinating, yet quirky, woman.

She was famous for her uncompromising politics and strict leadership style. She had a knack for polarizing opinions. Either you loved her. Or you hated her. They even have a brand name for the kind of politics she so fervently fought for and implemented during her time as Britain's Prime Minster as Thatcherism. She was a force of change who transformed British politics and economics with absolute conviction, passion and at many times, intense stubbornness.

But if you strip away the coat of politics, Margaret Thatcher was first and foremost, a lady (and I don't mean the title Lady Thatcher she was given after serving as Prime Minister). How do I know?

Simple. She does not go anywhere without her handbag.

But what was she really, really like? For the sake of this post, I will refer to The Right Honorable Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven simply as, Thatcher.

#1: Her Handbag Had A Life Of Its Own
God only knows how and when Thatcher caught the handbag bug, but her arm champion literally had a life of its own. Known as the Asprey bag from London (where else), her handbag was always black and square. It was a symbol of her power as an uncompromising leader. A Conservative minister once remarked that 'she carried the authority of the office in her handbag'. Though she has been witnessed countless times fishing through her handbag for the most momentous items at the best of moments, what the handbag actually contained remains a total mystery.

For instance, in the middle of her first leader's speech to the Conservative Party conference in 1975, someone in parliament began quoting Abraham Lincoln. At that precise moment, Thatcher reached into her trusted handbag and pulled out a piece of aged newsprint with the same Lincoln quote. She was later quoted to say 'It goes wherever I go'.

#2. She Loved Her Pearls
She has worn one particular set (or at least style) of pearl earrings and necklace since the early 1950s. More than 60 years later, those pearls were still where they had always been - on her. One reckons if she ever took them off, ever. Her attachment to pearls made a lot of sense - the epitome of traditionalism, expensive but not frivolous, classy but not decadent, the portray of reliability and conservatism. In many ways, she was what she wore.

#3. She Could Not Live Without Her Hairspray
There was a time in the 50s to 70s that Thatcher went through a few subtle style changes. But one thing that remained constant (apart from her pearls) was her perfectly coiffed hair. She almost always wore it like a helmet - swept up and back from her face held immaculately together by several cans of hairspray. Her hairdo has been said to withstand even a 4-hour nap on a plane!

#4. Daddy's Girl
Her father, Alfred Roberts, who ran a grocery shop above where she was brought up was probably the single most influential person in her life. As a working class shopkeeper, he worked long hours with few holidays to make a living. His hard work gained him enormous respect from the community, and he subsequently became major of the town. He taught Thatcher the value of hard work, self-discipline and thriftiness. These character building values engrained in her younger days became the very foundation of the person she had become.

#5. She Loved Poetry
Although she was an accomplished pianist from a young age, Thatcher always loved poetry. She would often quote them in parliament, and her favorite poet was Rudyard Kipling, the patriotic poet of the British Empire. However in death, Thatcher chose William Wordsworth Ode: Imitations of Immortality From Recollections of Early Childhood .

#5. She Changed Her VoiceFor Politics
One of the problems for being a woman in politics is that a man can shout, but if a woman increases her voice, she tends to squawk. For years, Thatcher took voice coaching lessons to lower her voice from its original rasping high pitch to a more commanding contralto.This was necessary to make her sound less harsh, and more feminine.

#6. She Embraced Being The Iron Lady
Thatcher's greatest reputation triumphant came when she was busy criticizing the Soviet Union. The Russians later dubbed her 'The Iron Lady'. What they didn't know at the time was that they had branded a legendary icon into the books of history. She loved it so much that she trumpeted the role by addressing a public meeting saying 'I stand before you tonight in my Red Star chiffon evening gown, my face softly made up and my fair hair gently waved as the Iron Lady of the Western World!”

#7. Margaret And Reagan
As architects of a golden age of conservatism, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were kindred spirits bound in the highest echelon of political marriage. He has called her 'the best man in England', and she has called him 'the second most important man in my life'. However, they did disagree on some things. For one, the former American President tried to persuade Thatcher to stop the Falklands war. Once, he interrupted a meeting in the Oval Office to take a call from her. Putting a hand over the mouth piece, he held up the phone so the others could hear her lambasting him. 'It's Margaret' he said amusingly, 'Isn't she wonderful?'.

#8. Everyday Was Sunday
For Thatcher, everyday was Sunday when it came to fashion. She was never, and I mean never, seen in trousers. Her love for formal clothes has her wearing them even at home and to Sunday church.

#9. She Knew Fashion
Although she was not known for her cutting-edge fashion sense, Thatcher knew the technical aspects of fashion at the back of her hands. Her mother was a seamstress so she knew exactly how clothes should be made, how hems should be turned and how stitches should be done. She even named every one of her outfits according to the place where it was first worn. Madrid Pink, Prague Green and Waddesdon Navy all lived in her tidy, well-organised closet.

#10. And A Few Other Things Taken From Those Who Knew Her Best

She used to read the odd thriller novel, although she was most glued to CNN 24/7 (Not BBC?).
She was a fanatically neat person, and would spend a little time everyday tidying her wardrobe and cleaning her shoes.
Unlike Reagan, she had a real bone-dry sense of humor. It was so dry, it was always missed.
She lived a very serious life filled with serious conversations. She ate, lived and breathed politics.
Her personal motto was 'Do your very best, and never follow the crowd'.
Though she could, she was never one to multi-task. She believed in doing one job at a time and with full and complete concentration.
She regarded food simply as fuel for the body and never claimed to be a foodie.
Her home was very do-it-yourself. Don't expect to be served when you visited.

On paper, Margaret Hilda Roberts had little going for her. Born a girl in a lower-middle class family who lived modestly in the remote Lincolnshire market town of Grantham and with very few (if any) influential friends.

Those strikes turned out to be her saving grace - helping mold this small town English girl who eventually became one of the most influential Prime Ministers of the last century.

Last week, my husband and I packed our bags, flew out of Singapore on Berjaya Air and headed for Pulau Redang, a little island off the East Coast of Malaysia, for a much needed getaway.

Berjaya Redang Resort came highly recommended for many years. While I have been to the island Redang before and stayed at one of the resorts along Long Beach, I had never (until now) checked into the Berjaya Redang property. In 2011, Berjaya Redang Resort changed its brand and management. Today, it is known as The Taaras.

I was very excited flying with Berjaya Air! All the rows were 2-seaters (meaning we didn't have to share a row with a stranger) and passengers were served a complimentary light snack of salted peanuts, a red bean bun and water. Even on a 90-minute flight!

On holiday with my all-time favorite read, Vanity Fair.

After landing in the small open-air Redang Airport, we were immediately greeted by our hotel's transfer. Fifteen minutes later, we were checked-in to our room. The flight and ground transfers by The Taaras were seamless. There really is no other way to start a relaxing holiday.

The Taaras is all about holiday luxury, impeccable service, utmost privacy and world-class hospitality.

I never intended to review The Taaras. But after arriving here, I realized that the resort's group re-branding effort centered a lot of the property's nature life, as well as, their organic skincare and bath amenities. I was so impressed by their Voya toiletries range (sourced from Ireland) and made from organic seaweed that I decided this was worth a post on the blog.

And so, here is my holiday review of The Taaras.

The Property
Tucked away in an exclusive alcove of Pulau Redang island, The Taaras has its own private everything. Private beach. Private house reef. Private charter boats. Private tours. Private clinic.

The Taaras is situated on the other side of the island; worlds away from the busier Long Beach strip shared by several smaller resorts. There are lot of things about this resort to love: the beach bar situated right in the front center of the beach, the clean and beautifully designed swimming pool, the rainforest spa, and of course - the white powdery sand beach.

I love the use of natural building elements. For instance, just look at the resort's lobby toilet entrance. It is stoned-walled and sectioned off with this interesting birdcage-looking barrier.

The Rooms
We booked a Garden Deluxe room. It is one of their entry level rooms - but boy, I would book it again! The room's proximity to the resort lobby, restaurant, pool and beach is much closer than the other room categories. The King bed was extremely comfortable and had a luxurious feel with a thick fluffy pillow-top layer and a firm base. Going into bed was one of my favorite moments at The Taaras. Strange I know, but the cotton sheets were so fine, cool and soft; it felt like satin against the skin.

Sidenote: The one other hotel/resort bed that has left years of lasting impression on me was Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. Interestingly, it is another Malaysian property.

The bathroom was super clean and stocked with certified hand-harvested organic seaweed amenities - body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. Normally, I don't gush much about hotel's bath amenities. However this time, I was beyond impressed. The body lotion spreads well and fully absorbs into the skin smelling delicious, and the body wash was divine. All had a complimenting mix of strong seaweed marine and citrus scent.

If you like a hot steaming shower (one that can kill germs off your back kind), this is the place. The shower head is so powerful, you won't be disappointed.

The Beach & House Reef
White powdery sand, crystal blue waters and cool strong breeze is how I would describe The Taaras's beachfront. Every morning, the resort's staffers would do an early morning beach sweep to pick up any washed-up debris keeping their beach pristine and ever so inviting!

Right in the center of the beach front is the resort's signature beach bar. The sunset spot where resort guests lounged like lazy lizards with cocktails basking in the warmth of the sun as it sets, and the cool of the ocean breeze.

One evening as I was walking along the beach, I found a few fairly large holes in the sand. Curious, I had a look down one of the holes and found a crab in it!

We spent our entire holiday like a couple of beach bums - just snorkeling, eating and sleeping. Snorkeling at The Taaras's adopted house reef was simply wonderful. We saw lots of beautiful corals and marine life - turtles, baby black-tipped sharks, barracudas, angel fishes, butterfly fishes, lizard fishes, damsal fishes, clown fishes (nemo), needle fishes, parrot fishes, rabbit fishes, sweetlips and a gigantic grouper the length half of me! Click here to see photos of the most common marine species found in Redang.

One of our house reef snorkeling highlights was having a school of spade fishes (commonly listed as promfret fish on dining menus) follow us as we snorkeled. Like water tour guides, some of them swam ahead of us, some under us and most were behind us making sure we didn't lose our way. How I know they were following us? Because when we decided to stop swimming ahead and just floated on the water, they circled around us instead. Strange but true. Looks like I won't be ordering my favorite steamed promfret fish anymore.

Inspired by my feature on Nicole Kidman's Beauty Secrets of Looking Beautiful Over 40, I bought myself a new surfer's top and matching bikini bottom for this holiday. I am so in love with the neon pink strips of my bikini bottom. The promfret fishes must have loved them too!

Another highlight was seeing a pair of turtles mating on the water! We were lucky to be there during turtle mating season and saw lots of turtles.

With all that snorkelling and being out in the sun for long hours, yes! I did get a little burnt on my forehead. Luckily, I brought along this organic recovery moisturiser that literally saved my skin (read Margherita Ghel: Renewing Cream). I had five awesome days in the sun, and came back to Singapore with a healthy radiant glow. No dry parched skin to worry about.

The Spa

The Taaras Spa is just a stone's throw away from our accommodation. Nestled deep in the resort's rainforest garden setting, The Taaras spa can put a slight dent to your wallet. So, come prepared.

My husband went for the 3-hour spa package that included an interesting seaweed thermal wrap, while I went for the 2-hour body massage and organic seaweed facial. For my facial, they used certified organic seaweed ingredients. I ended my spa session with noticeably clearer complexion. Even my husband commented about how smooth and healthy my skin looked post-facial - that's got to say something when even a man notices a change in your complexion.

Just to give you a sense of how relaxed this place is - around the corner from the spa, we spotted a little pond with a monitor lizard sunbathing!

The Staff
One thing I have to say about The Taaras staffers is they are well-trained and serious about their level of guest services. During our entire holiday, we never passed a resort staffer without being greeted with a 'hello', 'good morning' or a smile. Everyone was friendly and very accommodating. We never had to ask for anything twice.

The Guests
There were a lot of young families and older couples. Most of them are expats from Europe stationed in Singapore for work. Because there were not many of us, we saw many familiar faces over the course of our stay and struck friendly conversations. We met people from all of the world - Taiwan, Italy and even Kazakhstan.

The Dive Centre
The Taaras operates their own private dive and snorkeling tours from their dive center. We booked a couple of snorkeling trips with them, and they were just great! Reliable, efficient and right-on-time. We didn't waste time waiting on other people or doing other resort pick-ups. In fact, the resort has their own private jetty where their snorkel and dive tours takes off from.

The Clinic
The resort has its own stand-alone clinic for both guests and employees. I'm not sure if this is a good sign that we can get immediate medical attention, or a bad sign that we might have to get immediate medical attention.

Special Mention: The Wildlife
The Taaras is surrounded by lush tropic landscape. It would be hard to imagine that one would not encounter some sort of wildlife on the property. During our 5-day stay, we saw lots of wildlife on the resort's property from butterflies, monkeys, monitor lizards (big and small), squirrels, crabs (on the beach shown in previous photo), eagles and even a baby snake.

If you venture out of the resort's property into the town's main road, within a minute you will find yourself walking pass many goats and calves. In fact, you will probably see them as you arrive into the property.

Leaving The Taaras and Pulau Redang was very difficult. My husband and I have a general holiday rule that we don't visit a place twice. But we both unanimously agreed that The Taaras and Redang would be our exception.

At check-out, a couple of the resort's key management people whom we had come to know came out to greet us. From Azmi (Guest Services Manager) to Mr Gulab Rai (Resort Manager). They were all smiles and wished us a safe journey home. Like family, they held our hands and told us they hope to see us back again. I just wished I had taken a photo with them *knocking my head*.

Sehingga masa yang akan datang, terima kasih.

View from above of Pulau Redang from my window seat

For more information on The Taaras, you can visit their website.

Following on from my previous review on The Taaras, I wanted to highlight a few room categories that the resort offers for readers who may be interested.

When it comes to room types, guests are spoilt for choice. The Taaras has over 13 luxurious room categories to choose from. Here are 4 of the 13 that I saw.

The Grandest of Them All: The Tarras Villa
Going up to The Taaras Villa, you would need some form of transport like a golf buggy. Or you can opt to hike up about 15 minutes from the hotel's main beachfront. Up to you. But I reckon if you are booking this villa, you won't be stepping out its front door much because everything you need is right in the villa! Except the beach.

Designed by the billionaire owner Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan's wife, The Taaras Villa exudes a comfortable luxury that is elegant, simple and contemporary. As you walk through the main entrance, you are greeted by sky high ceiling and a generous living space furnished with lots of wood elements in its decor, building material and furniture.

This super grand, large, two-storey, five-bedroom private clifftop residence has both indoor and outdoor verandahs that overlook the island's bay and resort below; not to mention a sweeping view of the South China Sea.

The design of the villa is awe-inspiring. The main floor is equipped with an indoor home gym and yoga studio, 16meter infinity pool and indoor and outdoor lounge areas. Decorations were mostly subtle with at least one decor talking piece in every living space.

Villa's gym

Villa's gym and yoga area

Villa's fully equipped kitchen

Villa's kitchen overlooking the open-concept dining and living room

There are 4 guest bedrooms and one grand master bedroom. Each guest bedroom is the size of an entire studio apartment with their own walk-in wardrobe, lounging and dining area.

Villa's guest bedroom 1

Villa's guest bedroom 2

Villa's guest bedroom individual lounge area

The master bedroom located on the second floor is probably the size of two guest bedrooms put together. This room has been used by former guests including the Princess of Jordan and Andy Lau, who is a close personal friend of the owners for many years.

Villa's master bedroom

Villa's master bathroom

Villa's master walk-in wardrobe space

Probably the most stunning of all about this villa is its poolside view. Access to the villa's infinity pool is on the first floor. Here, you can see everything from the resort below, bay, house reef and out into the ocean.

With a room rate of RM30,000 per night, this grand villa comes with an in-house elevator, 24-hour butler service, two housekeeping maids, a private security office and a private Chef.

Villa's elevator

Oceanfront Studio
Location-wise, the oceanfront studios beat all the other room categories hands down. It is literally five steps away from the beach. Each studio looks out unto the bay with its own private verandah. Contemporary-styled with french bay window concept, each room has a walk-in closet and an over-sized bathroom with a free-standing spa bathtub and bidet. Perfect for a lazy holiday by the beach.

Cliff Seaview Premier Suite
This is one of their most requested over-sized suites on the property. These rooms have separate living, dining and bedding areas. Each suite comes with an over-sized balcony overlooking the bay and South China Sea, as well as walk-through bathrooms with tons of walk-in wardrobe space. You can get these rooms to interconnect with a Premier Twin Room for families and friends traveling together and want to stay close.

Cliff Seaview King
The Cliff Seaview King is the studio version of the Cliff Seaview Premier Suite - basically an inflated version of a bachelor pad with a freestanding tub overlooking the ocean. They come with a separate over-sized bathroom, monsoon shower, walk-through closet and bathroom rest area. These rooms have wall-to-wall glass windows giving guests a panoramic view of the resort, bay and ocean beyond.

Do not be surprised if you see this "Cheeky Monkey" sticker on the sliding glass door to the balcony. It is against the law in Malaysia to feed the monkeys. Staff at The Taaras have plenty of stories to tell of previous guests and their entertaining, but most times - nuisance encounters with these wild monkeys.

Hillside Twin
The Hillside rooms (choice of Twin or King bedded) are similar to the Garden rooms that I stayed at. They all come with a private balcony overlooking the island's lush green landscape and resort's garden areas. Again, notice the beautiful use of wood furnishing in this room. All bathrooms come with a separate bathtub and rain shower facilities (and see through glass wall into the bedroom - for privacy, don't forget to pull down the blinds!). The main difference with these rooms is they are slightly further from the main beachfront area; but because it is situated on higher ground, you can get a great aerial view of the property and inviting ocean breeze.

For more information on the rooms at The Taaras, visit their website or drop them an email.

Lately, I've been experimenting with sweet potatoes (especially organic sweet potatoes when available) to substitute meals with rice and white potatoes like Shepard's pie and mashed potatoes. And I love it!

Sweet potatoes are often regarded as the healthier alternative to white potatoes. It is kinda like comparing what brown rice is to white rice.

While texture remains the same, the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes beat normal white potatoes hands down. But there are so many varieties (and colors) of sweet potatoes it is hard to decide which ones to get; from white, yellow, pink, red, orange, violet, and purple.

Apparently, the general rule is: the darker the shade, the sweeter it probably is. For instance, the white and pale yellow varieties are generally less sweet and moist than those with red, pink and orange flesh. If you want to know more about the different types of sweet potatoes, read 16 Shade of Sweet: A Sweet Potato Guide. It provides a great description of each type of sweet potato with an accompanying photo.

Here are 3 good reasons why you should consider switching from white potatoes to sweet potatoes.

#1: Higher Concentration of Vitamin and Minerals
For the most part, the difference in vitamin and mineral levels of both white and sweet potatoes are relatively marginal. The most significant difference is in sweet potatoes' incredibly high source of Vitamin A and beta-cartonene. Take a look at the general comparison below based on a 100-gram serving of each:

Vitamin A: 10 iu (white) vs 19,218 iu (sweet)
Vitamin C: 12.6 mg (white) vs 19.6 mg (sweet)
Vitamin K: 2.7 mcg (white) vs. 2.3 mcg (sweet)
Calcium: 10 mg (white) vs 38 mg (sweet)
Phosphorus: 75 mg (white) vs 54 mg (sweet)
Potassium: 544 mg (white) vs 475 mg (sweet)
Folate: 38 mcg (white) vs 6 mcg (sweet)
Beta-cartoene: 6 mcg (white) vs 11,509 mcg (sweet)

Vitamin A (Retinoid) and beta-cartonene is important for a healthy immune system, vision (eye) health and cell growth. They are extremely powerful antioxidants to help prevent and fight cancerous cell formations. But before you go mad on sweet potatoes, know this: too much vitamin A and beta-cartonene can be toxic! The recommended daily allowance for adults (RDA) is 2,310 iu (or 0.7 mg) for a woman (more if pregnant) and 3,000 iu (or 0.9 mg) for a man.

#2: Lower Glycemic Index
Sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes; meaning its natural sugar is released slower into the bloodstream. This prevents the roller coaster ride of blood sugar spikes and falls which have a direct link and results in fatigue and weight gain.

#3. Lower Salt & Fat Content
This point is not so much the type of potato we choose to eat. Rather, it is the way we prepare them.

White potatoes, due to its lack of a distinct flavour, are most commonly prepared fried; served as potato chips or french fries. Not only does frying potatoes in oil increase its calorie content, but the accompanying salt content that comes with such preparation is high too. Even when baked or mashed, most white potatoes are topped with butter or sour cream, increasing its overall fat content.

Sweet potatoes with its natural sweetness, are often roasted, boiled or baked. There is a much lower chance of adding salt, butter or sour cream to sweet potatoes because it would only mask the natural sweetness (and why would you want to do that?).

Margherita Ghel - what a cute name. The name Margherita is the French word for Daisy, and Ghel...I don't know. Gel, perhaps? I have never heard of this brand, so I was curious and had to find out more.

Based on a strict organic skincare philosophy, this French skincare brand uses ingredients from biological agriculture and natural plants that are certified by Écocert (the first organic certification organization founded in France). Its key ingredient, daisy. Specifically, white organic daisy organically cultivated in the Pyrenees of France.

Unlike the more popular botanical species of lavender, tea tree and rosemary in skincare, I have also never heard of daisy being used as a primary healing extract. Apparently, daisy petals were used in World War I given as first aid to wounded soldiers when medical supplies ran out. During the Song Dynasty in China, daisy was also known as 'chuju' - an ingredient added to royal rice cakes preventing rot when presented to the Emperor. Imperial princesses bathed and soaked in chuju petals for everlasting beauty and youth.

I was asked to review Margherita Ghel's Renewing Cream. Knowing I was going away on holiday (read The Taaras) where my skin would be exposed to prolong sun and salt water, I thought it would be a good time to see how well works.

Developed as a highly concentrated moisturiser to give the essential nourishment to skin to prevent from ageing, this cream is made from key ingredients such as daisy extract (of course!), aloe vera extract, sunflower seed oil, borage seed oil, calendula and evening primrose oil.

The fact that aloe vera juice is the second listed ingredient, I am not surprised it made a noticeable difference to my skin during and after my beach holiday. After the first day of snorkeling, I ended up with an obviously dark tanned patch (burnt skin) strip across the top of my forehead near the hairline - the part that was not covered by my snorkel mask - despite using SPF 75++.

So, I applied the renewing moisturizing cream that night before bed. The next morning, the burnt portion of my forehead recovered almost instantly; it looked less red and felt less parched. Four days of continuous snorkelling and using this moisturiser really saved my skin. I came home with a healthy glow and radiant complexion - no sign of uneven tan lines or sun-burn.

Scent-wise, I would say, is subtle. There is no overwhelming aroma to detect besides the occasional faint whiff of shea butter, sunflower seed oil and calendula.

Texture of this moisturiser is creamy, firm and fairly thick. As you can see, this is one pump and the cream sits firm on the back of my hand.

The cream does take a little bit of spreading before it settles into the skin. Even so, you may notice a thin layer of cream on the skin's outer layer. It is a comfortable layer, not the sticky or oily kind. While this moisturiser is meant for day and night use, I used mine mainly as a night cream in an air-conditioned room.

I like its lightweight recyclable packaging. And the twist-top lock pump is super convenient! The product expiry can be found under the bottle.

The only thing that annoyed me is that the bottle's label does not have the ingredients listing. Instead, you will find it on the box. So, if you are interested to read or refer to the ingredients list, make sure you don't throw out the box it comes in!

Lastly, it is good to know that Margherita Ghel guarantees effectiveness of all their products, and do not use genetically modified organisms, petro-cehmical ingredients or test on animals. They also free of paraben, mineral oil, silicone, Phenoxyethanol, artificial perfume and colour.

Retail price: S$99

Available at SuperBerry, 181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central, #03-29

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. Katjuju.com, is not affiliated, in any way, with this company or its products. This product review is written with editorial integrity and honesty; and without influence.

If you are battling with the premature aging pigmentation (sun spots), you really must get your hands on this.

Going into my 30s is when I started getting a lot of emerging small, dark spots on my cheeks and nose area. Besides the option of undergoing laser treatment, nothing I do is able to erase these spots. Despite applying SPF 50+ daily protection and testing plenty of whitening, anti-aging and spot erasing creams to combat this problem, the spots keep multiplying in numbers, growing in size and getting darker.

Until I discovered Coast to Coast's Outback Cellular Recovery Radiance Serum. Okay, so the name is long but who cares...it works.

Since my first introduction and review of Coast to Coast products such as their Coastal Rejuvenating Facial Exfoliant and Invigorating Shampoo, I have not stopped recommending this brand to all my girlfriends, and even blog readers who have emailed me to ask for skincare advice.

This is another one of their amazing products that work. Granted, it has not completely erased my spots. What it has done, after one month+ use, is lightened my once dark brown sun spots into an almost like faint translucent spot shadow. The effect is not immediate so you have to be patient. I only started noticing the difference almost a month into it, having used up about half the bottle.

Here is my review.

Outback Cellular Recovery Radiance Serum is a vitamin C booster serum that contains rich anti-oxidants like Kakadu Plum and Desert Lime. It is specially developed with a unique formula that contains skin-brightening agents to induce a significant lightening effect on the skin, and aid in the treatment of irregular pigmentation. Combined with plant peptides and hyaluronic acid, this serum boosts skin's collagen production, smooths away dull skin and protects the skin from environmental damage and premature aging.

Although it states to apply a few drops every morning under a face moisturizer, I used this serum every night as well. It has a lotion-like consistency and is dispensed out of a dropper applicator.

One drop per use is enough to spread evenly over my face. With smooth and gentle massage strokes, the serum absorbs very quickly into the skin.

The only gripe I have about this serum is its distinct (and hard to describe) smell. Made from Kakadu

plum (a native fruit flower of Australia) and listed as the eighth ingredient, it does not have the usual sweet and soothing aromatherapy of lavender or geranium.

Instead, it smells like salty plum - for lack of a better description. The smell does not last long because once it is absorbed into the skin, the scent is gone. This serum does contain good smelling extracts like orange flower water, chamomile, sandalwood, and bergamot. If you are interested in this serum, I suggest you go to the retail store to sample a drop on your hand.

Scent-aside, this serum is so effective with lightening pigmentation. Ideal for all skin types with first signs of premature aging.

This serum is a strong contender to make my 2013 Best Products Reviewed list (click here to read last year's 2012: Kat's Best Products Reviewed).

Retail price: S$112 per 30ml bottle

Available online or at their Coast to Coast retail boutique at VivoCity, #01-08.

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