Friday, June 28, 2013 :: Let’s Talk About Hair
Do you know that rich foamy shampoos can lead to unhealthy tresses?The myth says that sudsy shampoos are better at cleansing.
But no, you have never been more wrong.
Sulfates (harsh detergents), the foaming agent found in countless hair care products is the ultimate culprit. While it does cleanse, this chemical detergent is too harsh and aggravate your scalp and damage hair fiber. Healthy hair becomes dry and hair colourbecomes dull. Ever wonder why my hair color often fades beautifully with a beautiful shine? This is because I only strictly use shampoos with low or NO sulphate content.
Before I was educated by Salon Vim, I used to think the more “foamy” the shampoo is, the better the shampoo and the cleaner my hair. Years of using sulphate-containing hair products resulted in my hair fibers becoming weak from lack of natural essential oils and my hair was eventually prone to breakage. I never understood it was because of the SHAMPOO used until John stepped in to rectify the issue and changed all my shampoos to those with non-sulphate content.If you face problems with sensitive scalp, your poor scalp will be susceptible to flaking and dryness, which can cause itchiness and ultimately scalp acne. This must be familiar to many because over the years, many customers and readers have emailed me personally regarding scalp acne due to sensitive scalp. Upon my recommendation to switch their shampoos to non-sulphate content ones, they no longer face the above mentioned issues.
So I really have a huge belief in using NON-FOAMY HAIRCARE PRODUCTS and I stand firm in my belief.
The search for affordable premium non-sulphate hair care products in the market has always been one of my to-dos when I go shopping in beauty departmental stores and even Watsons. So I have amassed a huge collection of these products till date (on top of the sponsored ones from Salon Vim). I have to keep on trying till I find good ones to recommend when people approach me for advice right? ;)
I have finally found a high quality sulphate-free haircare product at an extremely affordable price and have tested and tried it out on myself for 7 days. Read on to see the simple test I did to help you understand and recognize products containing high levels of sulphate.
I chose the EverPure range as I am always getting a new color on my hair every month! If you are like me, it is good to note not to use products with harsh detergents that will strip your hair of all moisture resulting in dullness and fading of hair color. Choosing the right product can maintain the vibrancy of your hair color! :)
x
Here’s the test I performed using the following for comparison:1) Commercial Drugstore Brand X Shampoo ($12.90)2) L’Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure Shampoo ($14.90)3) Salon Brand / Salon Standard Shampoo ($39.90)
(Click on the photos to enlarge)
Commercial Drugstore Brand X Shampoo
L’Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure
High-End Salon Brand Shampoo
As you can see from the first 2 photos, the Commercial Brand X Shampoo foams up with craaaaazy amount of suds. If you can enlarge the photo, my hands are dry with NO water. This was the first experience I did and by just rubbing my hands 10 times, this is the amount of suds formed.
In the 2nd experiment using L’Oreal EverPure, my hands were slightly wet and similarly, I rubbed my hands 10 times to get this amount of suds. Compare this with the first experiment. Even with WET hands, the amount of suds formed were visibly lesser compared to the first experiment.
In the last experiment, I used a high end salon brand shampoo which cost me $39.90 for an extremely small bottle. The amount of suds is comparatively similar to L’Oreal EverPure, with all conditions constant (including slightly wet hands).
This experiment is extremely simple and you can do it at home as well to compare L’Oreal Hair Expertise range with any traditional drugstore shampoo. And I can assure you, the results will be exactly the same should all conditions be constant.
At an affordable price, you can enjoy the benefits of a high quality range of sulfate-free haircare products! These products do not necessarily need to be expensive to be good! As long as the ingredients used lack of sulphates, silicones and parabens, your hair will be cleansed deeply without the elimination of essential scalp oils or moisture.
Hope I have managed to educate you on choosing your haircare products carefully! ;) It really pays in the long term to take care of your hair!
With Love,L’Oréal Paris Hair Expertise retails in supermarkets, pharmacies, and departmental stores islandwide. Find out more on http://bit.ly/1auVA9y
Tricia
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013 :: Japan Travelogue Day 5
Been so busy of late and finally been able to get down to blogging! Worked late into the night yesterday so I can make some time today for myself, to clear outstanding work, to blog and to prepare for VGY shoot tomorrow!Something to rejoice this new week! The haze is finally clearing up! I have so much breathing difficulties during the past week – coughing my lungs out, constant flu, and tightness in chest. I was probably THAT close to an asthmatic attack. But I shan’t complain about the haze. It was quite the experience isn’t it? Haha.
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Decided to blog on just Day 5 in Japan instead as we visited Disneyland on Day 6 and the amount of photos are…I doubt you can even load my blog if I include Day 6 in :/
Day 5 was spent visiting a famous landmark in Japan and getting souvenirs for our loved ones.John planned a day off for light activities so we can get enough rest before Disneyland the next day.My eyes were still swollen and my nose was peeling terribly from the massive use of tissues the previous night!
I enjoyed dolling up in Japan so much seeing countless women on the streets dressed and groomed immaculately even though it is a weekday. I was even more motivated to spend more time on makeup with John’s encouragement to “blend in” haha. He spent time curling my hair and insisted we have to look good on the streets of Japan hee.
I was fascinated by how the trains operate in Japan.
So I ran out to stand in the middle of the tracks to snap a photo once the barricades were up.
It was such a frantic moment because right behind me there was an oncoming train!
Our destination for the day was to visit the newly built Tokyo Sky Tree on the Tobu Isesaki Line and Oshiage Station on the Asakusu Subway Line, Hanzomon Subway Line and Keisei Oshiage Line. It is the tallest building in Japan and second tallest in the world at the time of its completion.
The highlight has got to be the observation decks which offer spectacular views over Tokyo.The view was not clear on this day so this is the best we could see. At this level (350m), we were already on top of the clouds!
A digital screen showing what we were supposed to see when the sky is clear.
There is nothing fantastic about this place but if you are realllyyyy lucky, you may get to see a glimpse of Mount Fuji on Tokyo Sky Tree if the view is clear!
At the base of the SkyTree, there is a large shopping complex with an aquarium. The prices here are pretty steep because it is a tourist attraction area. But it is really nice to just walk around these pretty shops and shop for food and souvenirs.
Took me several fake promises to get John to pose for this hahaha.
This is one of our favourite! Anyone going Japan soon? Please help me get 2 of this! XD
Got these pretty stained glass bookmarks for my angels. I really have a thing for stained glass! Got another 3 of these for myself! But sadly, I lost every single one of them –_- Wonder which of my books had them now.
These Tokyo Bah-nanas are quite the sight, aren’t they? :p We lugged MANY boxes of this back to Singapore for our family and friends!
Took a train back and walked around exploring the streets andddd we found this really cosy alley with many restaurants! (so sorry I forgot where is this place exactly!)
In the alley, there were many people queuing for a seat to eat in every one of these small “restaurants” or rather stalls. It was like Teppanyaki style where the chef will cook your food in front of you. The weather was freezing cold and we realized many people walked into the alley for some comfort food and they will finish their food and leave in 5-10 minutes. It was that fast!
There were many people waiting to eat at this stall so being Singaporeans, we decided to join in haha.
This photo was taken from my seat. There was only one seat available so John had to wait for someone else to leave before he could sit at the table.
Udon noodles soup with fried tempura. The serving was so big I could not finish it on my own.I was guilt-trapped in my seat because everyone around me finished their bowls cleanly in 5 minutes and I felt bad to have to hand the unfinished bowl back to the chef (eeks). As people around me leave and more people were queuing behind me for my seat, I just felt smaller by the minute haha.
Took a stroll out of the cosy little alley and we were greeted with this sight.
We got really hungry quickly in the cold weather. John and I concluded it is because we walked alot (hell we walked alot) and the food digested faster to give us energy to walk and keep our hearts warm. John brought us to this hugeee supermarket where there were many pastries and food stalls – something like the one we have in Takashimaya.
When it comes to food, John buys me whatever I like hahaha. So I had one of these pretty pastries which I brought back to the hotel ;)
I am in love with everything that is made of milk and cheese so when I saw these cute puddings like the ones sold in Paris Baguette, I couldn’t say no! Got 6 or 7 of these in the end and brought it back to the hotel for snacking at night!
So I got separated from John and went looking for him. When I finally found him, I can’t help but snap this photo. Throughout the ENTIRE trip, he could never say NO to food. When I gave him the death stare, he would go “please please let me try”. I really don’t know whether it is plain annoying or funny haha.
He was queuing up to get some bento set and I caught him grinning to himself while watching the chef prepare the food –__- On his hands, there were already bags and bags of food which he went around like a rat to buy while we got separated.
Like the foods/souvenirs we bought at Tokyo Sky Tree, he just had to open and eat them there and then. SEE!
The weather was sooo cold we decided to head back to the hotel to enjoy our dinner ;)Used our luggage as a table and this was only some of the foods we bought at the food market!
With Love,What a great way to end the night! We headed back to the hotel pretty early at about 9 odd and it was a much-needed rest before we expend our energy for Disneyland the next day! Holidays can be quite tiring because you will usually wake up earlier than you would back home unless you can pace out your activities properly. So thankful that John is always the one doing the planning and even the itinerary! :*) And I am sure I will be completely lost in Japan’s complicated subway and direction maps. John navigated the map like how an earthworm burrows under the earth in dark haha. Not sure if that analogy even exist but he is pretty good with directions and maps ;) Plus plus point for a man!
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I will be back again to blog about Day 5 as the photos are already 3/4 prepared for the post! I have also been attending many events thanks to Evonne and I will blog about them in July! :) Pinky promise! I am really looking forward to July because I am taking an important exam and this can really be the turning point of my life! To add on, I have lined up more VGY manufactured apparels to arrive in Jul onwards so please stay tuned! So many have been asking me to make more maxis and I have prepared three crazy gorgeous designs to be launched between Jul to Sept! I have seen the samples and they are absolutely stunning :*) It is only possible because of all the support I have been getting from the lovely customers who email me and let me know what they want to see on VGY! So please feel free to email me! I may not be able to reply to all but I do take time to read every single one of them and your feedback/thought/opinions influence me to a great extent :)Lastly, please load up on water, and on ventolin inhaler if you are prone to coughs and asthmatic attacks just in case we face another bout of haze! That’s all for now! Have a lovely week! <3
Tricia
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Monday, June 17, 2013 :: Dirty Dancing & Asia Style Collection By StyleXStyle
Thanks to Gushcloud, I was invited to watch Dirty Dancing at MBS so I brought dear Serene along :) Coincidentally, we were having our sale on this day so we left the shop in the hands of our trusty angel heh. But we were extremely tired scuttling from place to place!
Had the honour of touring the backstage and snapped a photo with “Baby” who was resting in her dressing room! She is extremely petite!
The wardrobe backstage!
The iconic main dress worn by one of the lead dancers, Penny!
As usual, I was captivated by everything floral – especially this intricate floral embroidery on one of the costumes.
It was a spectacular musical performance with 73 scene changes, 49 songs and 21 costume changes for Baby. Go catch it if you have not!
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To share some awesome news before the crazy week ahead, I’ll be involved in Asia Style Collection on 22 June! Asia Style Collection is a concert cum fashion styled mega concert held by Style X Style at Singapore Expo on 22 June 2013.
Together with 5 other bloggers – Eunice Annabel, Shine Koh, Naomi Neo, Rachel Wong and Asyiha, we will be sharing the stage, strutting down a 30m long stage with some of the biggest names in Korea and Japan to name a couple, Girls Generation and 2NE1. We will also be brushing shoulders with Zoe Tay, Joanne Peh and many other overseas and local artistes!
That said, rehearsals will be held this week with a morning fitting session later at 10.30am! Gulp, it is going to one hell of a week with my classes and collection launch!
That aside, you can easily win a pair of tickets to this mega concert! Here’s how you can do so!
Head over to stylexstyle.com, sign up for an account (takes less than a minute!), post your OOTD, then hashtag #stylexstyle #gushcloud to qualify for the contest! It is that easy ;)
Follow me on my Instagram (@vaingloriousyou) as I may post sneaks of this exciting event! With 8000+ expected audience and a worldwide screening to millions, this is going to be thrilling ;)
Have a great new week all!
Tricia
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Friday, June 14, 2013 :: Reebonz GSS Super Sale!
SUCH AN EYE OPENER at the Reebonz Black/Solitare sale preview last night!My eyes were treated to major eye candy galore!Been sooo exhausted of late with full day courses in the day and work at night that I can fall asleep given any opportunity. But I was wide awake like never before and at tiptop condition when I stepped into Reebonz warehouse hahaha!
The first thing that caught my eye was the Proenza Schouler 11’ clutch.So effortlessly chic and convenient!
The Givenchy Lucrezia Duffel Bag in Pink is….sooo feminine! I really love the smooth nappa lambskin leather and its rolled handles which is so comfy to hold in the hands. Usually not a fan of pinks in this shade but this is irresistible :/
Saw this Saint Laurent duffel bag in Japan and was so tempted to get it!
If I’m not wrong this is the Balenciaga City Classic! The pastel buttery yellow tone is such a beauty!
Love the Arena Giant Gold City for its timeless shade of blue :)
I am really a fan of clutches or small sling handbags for their convenience and how they suit my petite frame.And anything nude just melt my heart heh.
This from Tony Burch was at 40%-60% off! So sorry I cannot remember the exact discounted price because almost everything is heavily discounted!
Shoes shoes and more shoes
Kate Spade colourful collection!
I really love this Kate Spade New York Charlotte Street Sylvie Bag! The bright orange hue is sooo eye catching!
And it is dirt cheap at only $414 after 40% discount………oh my.
I was extremely tempted to get this dainty vintage Chanel Black 2.55 Classic Flap Shoulder Handbag and the one below which is shaped like a box and comes with a cute tassel. But I thought about how my life is going to change in the next couple of months - I doubt I can bring these bags out often.
This is really small at 6 or 7 inches long only!
My first choice would be a Boy Chanel and I would have snap it up without hesitation but! It was not available at the sale :(Thankfully I did not charge like a bull haha. Had greater priorities on hand and John preferred a Boy Chanel over these as well! But I was THAT tempted to head down again today!
Another one of my favourite items at the sale is this simple large black YSL clutch. Sucha gorgeous beauty!
Saw one in patent pink as well and it is soooo pretty in real life!
Galore of Celine bags. Reebonz have almost every single brand down at this sale its insane! All the IT bags you name it you can find it (well except for the Boy Chanel) haha.
Mae found a cute monochrome tote handbag from Kate Spade.
The classy Saint Laurent Paris Sac Du Jour Bag!The soft calfskin leather is soooo smooth to the touch.
Can you see those Givenchy bags? ;)
When I saw this small Alexa Mulberry bag, I immediately thought of Tintin…. Haha!No joke okay? Some mothers buy this cute bag for their young daughters!This bag is retailing at $1200 but after discount it is only $960 ;)
Prada long wallets! They have such a variety there!
Mae and I with our favourite bags from the huge selection of luxury bags!
There is this insane deal going on at Reebonz GSS Super Sale – other than 90% off your purchases, there is buy-3-and-get-additional-50%-OFF the lowest item deal! Imagine getting a Prada handbag at less than $1k! This is bang for the buck!Are they even making money from this sale??
There are so many discounts plastered everywhere I was seeing stars!Here is one of them:
If you are tempted already like I am (while writing this post) haha, this crazy super sale will be ongoing till 15 June.You (we all) have 2 MORE DAYS (to charge like a bull) :p
24 Raffles Place, Clifford Centre, #07-07Opening hours as follows:14 June: 12 – 8pm15 June: 12 – 6pm
With Love,GOOD LUCK THERE, HEH! ;)
Tricia
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