Feel so lucky to be able to receive invitations for press events wayy before product launches! Gives me an opportunity to try out the products first hand and give an honest review on them! 

One thing about press events for product launches is there are alot of valuable and in-depth information regarding the product that is rarely readily available where they are sold. We will know what goes into the product, how many times it has been tried and tested etc before the brand's daring invitation to opinion leaders to come down and sample then provide their honest review about the product to their respective social circle. 

And that is why I pay special attention during such events. It interests me to see how brands make, market and sell their products. 

2-3 weeks prior to the product launch, I was at Klapson's Boutique Hotel for Marc Anthony True Professional line of hair products. Marc Anthony himself is a brand. Just like how David Beckham is a brand. 

He is a famous hair stylist in Hollywood who have done almost ALL celebrities' hairstyles in Hollywood and for most red carpet events.
Too bad he could not make it down to the press event or I could have seen him in person :( 

This Caucasian woman below is Justin Bieber's hairstylist and she is responsible for giving Bieber his signature haircut. She was giving a live demo on the efficacy of their products.
Refer to the "before" photo on the projector screen.  

And I saw for myself how va-va voom this model's hair became by the mere use of 1 of their products - Dream Waves.

Clara. Another model used for live demo. She walked out with red carpet ready glamorous curls which had a great texture and movement. 

After the live demo, I was surprised to hear there were 3 awards to be won. 

And I was even more surprised to hear my name being called up for "Best Hair" that I stayed put on my seat and looked really startled haha

With Claire, who became a VGY customer hehe :) 

In this photo below, my hair became really voluminous upon using some of their products which I tested on during the free time. 

So glad that heading to such events give me an opportunity to make new friends! Say hi to Claire! 

I have not used up all the products that I was given but I especially love these few range of products which I swear by! 

For the record, my hair is really flat and limp due to my hair structure. My hair is......stone-Asian. It is extremely extremely fine and it lies down limply on my scalp as though they are one. So any increase in volume is substantial to me. I was really shocked that upon my first use of this product (last wash at night, just before I head to bed), I woke up with volume in my crown. Even John was shocked haha. 

John often complains that the hair at my crown is ridiculously flat. Without the use of matt powder which he recommended, my hair will never be what it seemed in all my photos. Although the product promised 10X volume, there is always puffery involved. However, I got at least a 3X increase in volume, or so I believe. 

For the condition of my hair, I am satisfied with even 1X increase in volume as I have lived with flat and limp hair forever. So, I have been rinsing out my hair in this shampoo once daily (for 2 weeks now) just before I head to bed so I wake up with voluminous hair every morning that really gets me smiling. 

Another product worth splurging will be Dream Waves which many people recommended (during the press event). Tried it once before blowing out my hair to create a bigger volume which can last me all day and I was very pleased with the results. My hair was extremely voluminous and the curls looked healthy and shiny. Sadly, I do not have the habit of blowing out my hair nor apply any product on my hair before I use my curling tong so this product will not be having a space in my daily to-use products. 

Having said that, Dream Waves is definitely worth splurging on :) 

I believe there will be raving good reviews about this product within the next 3-6 months so for those who require a careful read before purchasing, you can wait for reviews on local forums! :) 

Lastly, I often use hairspray after curling my hair to hold the curls in. However, I am very picky in my choice of hairspray. An important factor in choosing the right hairspray is making sure it does not flake. Once it starts flaking in the middle of the day, it will look as though you have dandruff and it can be a really ugly sight. 

So far, I have been using a hair spray from John's salon which is pretty good in terms of holding my curls in and yet does not feel stiff, sticky nor does it flake. This hairspray from Marc Anthony is comparable to the one I am using currently and it also gives a healthy, luminous shine to my tresses. 

So these 3 are the products which I highly recommend.
Do check out the various range of products which Marc Anthony True Professional offers such as Damage Repair, Moisture Gloss and many more. 

I am often skeptical about hair products and will not use any other line of products unless it is of salon-worthy standard. However, I will definitely be adding Marc Anthony into my category of salon-worthy hair products having proven the effectiveness of their products on my flat and limp hair structure. In fact, I will definitely head down to Watsons to buy Instantly Thick shampoo once I finish using my first bottle (which was given to me free). 

Let me know of your reviews if you have tried their products as well! ;) 

I have been on a 14-day regime to test out the efficacy of L'Oreal's White Perfect Laser range after an invitation from Loreal to its launch event. 

The selling point of this product claimed that "100% of the women who used this white perfect laser combo for 8 days would delay their planned IPL session" due to the effectiveness of this product range.  

Now that really got my attention. 

I was pretty intrigued during the hour long presentation on the effectiveness of this product range so I decided to stay on a strict 14-day regime to test out the products. I hope that this 14-day regime test is sufficient for me to give a honest review on these products! 

To do so, I actually stopped using my usual skincare regime which includes products from Laneige, Curel and SK2. 

On the left, all round protection whitening cream retailing at $32.90

On the right, anti spot brightening essence retailing at $39.90

The first step is to apply the anti spot brightening essence (tall bottle on the right). This product is known to lighten dark spots. I used to have pigmentation on my cheeks which gave me a natural flush  (all for the wrong reasons) when I go bare-faced. It started to surface when I was around 15-16 years old. I realized that upon starting a course of supplements from Sato Hakubi, my pigmentation actually started fading away. I do not know if I can credit these Loreal products for the disappearance for my pigmentation as at the end of my 14-day test due to the interference from my oral supplements. However, my skin became visibly fairer and my pigmentation is close to 100% gone. 

A visible result which I definitely see in the day (upon my first application in the morning after cleansing and toning) is a fairer and radiant complexion. The skin on my face is thoroughly moisturized and it appears dewy-looking - an end effect I like when I use my Chanel Vitalumiere liquid foundation. 

This is the all round protection whitening cream which is slightly pinkish in color. I like that it contains SPF19 PA+++ as it provides powerful protection against the UV rays. I am not one who likes to apply sunscreen so I especially love products which provide UV protection.

I attribute the result of smoother skin, increased radiance and less visible pores to this magical product. I believe that with continued use, the condition of my face will definitely improve. 

During the presentation, it was mentioned to us that it is recommended to use both products together as clinical trials of this range (tested on Asian women who were preparing to do IPL) made the test subjects use both products together. Tests were not done separately on each product. So I believe that both products actually compliment each other to a large extent! 

On the other hand, from the company's perspective, they definitely will market the use of both products together so there is a possibility that using just 1 product on its own will also deliver the results it promised ;) 

We shall see ;) 

YOUTH CODE ESSENCE WORTH $39.90

Our call time was 10.30am in the morning. By the look of it, we were all pretty drowsy and dazed when we reached. I was struggling to stay awake as I was up studying the night before. 

There was no time for rest. I was in my heels the entire day with one rehearsal after another. When we thought it was finally time for a break, we were quickly ushered to have makeup done.  

I think my hair grows at amazing speed. It was just a few weeks ago when John dyed my hair but you can already see my black roots from this photo! 

Really love this girl, Audrey! She is so warm and friendly! 

It was quite a chaotic scene backstage as we get closer to the event. 

See the notes I am hanging on to? 

Was trying my very best to study for my exam but I was stuck at page 1 from the start till end of day

We heard at 8pm, the club was half full. 

While we had our chaotic moments backstage, outside in Zouk, there were live makeup counters set up to provide free makeup services. 

And just outside Zouk, they had an ice cream booth set up! I love soya ice cream! Felt so upset I missed this! 

The crowd when the event was about to start

Opened the show with this outfit. It was such a terrifying experience to be the first to walk! But definitely one packed with adrenaline rush!

We had our eye makeup dramatized on stage for the 2nd outfit by a celebrity makeup artist.  

Picture credited to copyrighted logo 

Agri from Agrivelt.com. And on the left, Tiffy.

Our IC and stage manager. I was beaming with joy seeing her in Marquis Toga Sleeved Chiffon Dress from VGY Kissjane! And so many complimented her on her outfit! 

Thank you Maybelline for this opportunity!

<3