Shunji Matsuo @ 313; Dark colours

Friends have been telling me how much they love to follow my hair adventures. They can never expect what's gonna come up next from me. And i said, "that's the most fun part about it; expect the unexpected."

And so this time i arranged an appointment with Nich & told her that, "just do what you think it's best for my hair." She went, "you mean you already gave up in choosing the hair colour for your hair?" I quickly rebutted, "no, of course not! I just believed that my hair will be in good hands." She chuckled away..

Yea, this is my hair before i wrote this post. The colour faded off very nicely uh? I like it because it's faded & it's soft. I did lotsa treatment on it because i knew i can't afford to leave it untreated, they'll turn into grass! 

And as usual, the selfies. Haha!

While doing, Nich was constantly explaining what was the idea she has in mind & how it will turn out to be. I asked when did she became to be so long-winded? She defended quickly by saying that she's not long-winded, she's just assuring me that i'll be well-informed that what is she doing to my hair, since i've no idea what will the outcome gonna be like. Tskk!

As anxious as i can be, i can't stop looking at my hair throughout the process. There you go....

I know it looks dark. While looking at it, i can't really tell what colour is it exactly. The outer layer has a slight touch of ash grey while my inner layer is copper coloured & my fringe is red. Besides this, Nich mentioned before that my hair is kinda dried up during those few times kf bleaching hence she's gonna apply treatment on my hair until it recovers. 

And so the process of treatment......

It took me 30-40mins for the entire treatment process. 

Look at my hair~ Isn't it soft & fluffy??

I know it still looks as if it's dry. So my plan is to go for frequent haircut, that way i can snip off my dead ends & have better & healthy looking hair! 

And this is how my hair looks like after 1 week of hair colouring & treatment!

If you're looking for a salon that uses good hair treatment chemicals, you may consider Shunji Matsuo @ 313. I'm totally in love with the products they used & of course their creativity. :)

Shunji Matsuo @ 313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road, #03-26, 313 @somerset
Singapore, Singapore 238895

Opening hours
Mon - Thu: 10:30 am – 09:00 pm (last appointment)
Fri - Sat: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm (last appointment)
Sun: 10:30 am - 09:00 pm (last appointment)

T: 6238 0226

Facebook: Shunji Matsuo @ 313

xoxo,
Queen

My experience with Cutis Medical Laser Clinics

Growing up is a process. But that doesn't mean it takes little effort to maintain what you're born with. We were all born to not look exactly perfect (definition of perfect differs from each). I'm not saying you are not perfect or maybe you are, but most of the time we are never satisfied with what we have. Human are always asking more for, i'm no exception.

Non-invasive procedures are fast gaining popularity in Singapore. It is the norm for urbanites to pop by during lunch or after work for a quick jab of Botox or fillers

Sometime ago i've made an appointment with Cutis Medical. I have no courage to undergo plastic surgery hence i've decided to go for fillers instead. I guess whenever we hear/see the word fillers or botox, you'll probably link it to cosmetic surgery. I must say you're so wrong about it. Alot of times we use fillers or botox to enhance our features, they do not change the existing features which you have. In other words, you need not undergo the knife.

When i first met the Dr Sylvia Ramirez herself, i must say she looks stunning gorgeous! I confidently thought to myself, "it'll never go wrong to have Dr Sylvia doing the consultation & those jabs for me." The friendly Dr Sylvia took a scan of my face profiles, from front to both sides.

She went in a detailed explanation of how my features look like now. With that said, i told her how displeased i was with my face and of course the areas which i've intentions to do fillers at. I specifically emphasized on my nose and i wanted it to look much sharper. I thought it was a lil' too flat. Unlike anyone who has listened to my ramblings, Dr Sylvia was patient with me & she gave a very detailed explanation as of why i shouldn't  even do anything to my nose. In fact she suggested somewhere else where i should have focused on instead.  

Right after saying that, Dr Sylvia went into further explanation on how can fillers help me. With her professional explanation, it put me at ease, laying out a treatment plan with plenty of information about all the procedures and each individual types of fillers & its purposes. And of course i went home to consider about Dr Sylvia's suggestions and digest all the information i've understood from her before i make my appointment for next session.

I went back after 2 weeks from the 1st session. This time i was really ready to go through the needles and all. Although i thought it may seem to be a lil' scary to have your face gone through needles and numbing cream!

And so my face is now filled with numbing cream! I had to stay there for at least 20minutes before it takes effect. Then you'd be wondering where exactly am i gonna input fillers at? Read on~

I know i looked like it feels so painful, in fact it isn't. I just had that tiny little bit of fear in me which i can't overcome. I had fillers done up on both my cheeks as well as both sides corners of my lips. The whole process took around 20-30mins.

You'd probably have lotsa questions after looking at those photos above.

Why did i input fillers at my lips? 
Problem with my lips is that it isn't in a proportional triangular shape with both my eyes. It is slightly narrower compared to most of you. Hence

I thought you were displeased with your nose? Why did you input fillers on both your cheeks instead?
I was educated by Dr Sylvia that no doubt my nose is relatively small compared to the an average adult. However it isn't flat to begin with. Actually it's my cheeks which aren't high enough to lift up my entire facial look, so Dr Sylvia suggested i should do fillers at that 2 areas instead.

Was it painful?
Just like any one of you out there, i had this same question running through my mind even until the very day itself. However, rest assured you won't feel really feel that much pain. With the numbing cream applied over the areas which you're gonna do, rest assured the level of pain will be minimised to the minimal. But i do agree that level of pain is a very subjective issue.

How long does it last?
According to Dr Sylvia, i was told that fillers usually last around 9months - 1.5 years, depending on how you take care of the treated areas.

What makes you decide on Cutis Medical?
I usually do my research well enough before i decide on something. Finding out about the doctor's credentials, like the number of years of practice, would actually help to decide if he/she will be the best person.

What preparations do i have to do before the session?
Always be very sure before you commit to any treatment. Request to view before and after photos cases done in the clinic. In my case, Dr Sylvia actually showed me the photos even before i can request for it.

What's the type of fillers you used for respective areas?
For my lips, Dr Sylvia used Juvederm Ultra. This is an ideal filler which will create a soft look and usually last from 6-9 months. As for my cheeks, Dr Sylvia used Voluma, a firmer hyaluronic acid fillers which will result in a firmer lift. They are usually used for cheeks and nose areas.

So, do i need to take time off from work after the treatment?
Of course not! You can make appointment during lunch hours and then get back to work right after it. Usually there is minimal downtime & the nurses there will give you a list of things which you should avoid doing after the treatment. Follow accordingly, you should not go wrong.

Is there any side effects? 
After the treatment, you may or may not experience slight redness/swelling or bruises at the injected area. Do rest assured that these effects usually last up to a week and can be easily covered with usual makeup. In the event should you experience any other side effects, please consult your doctor immediately.

These are the few common possible questions i've thought of. If you should have any other questions, do drop me a message below this post & i'll try to get back to you soonest.

I am really lucky to have consulted Dr Sylvia. She is very skilled, gentle and careful in ensuring that the result looked natural. Ice was also applied to the areas after each injection to minimise the bruising. It was really a good thing that i did not experience any swelling or bruising, whatsoever, though i believe that this will vary from case to case.

This is my face way before i've done any fillers, no makeup too.

And this is my face right after the treatment. Can you see the difference at my right cheek bone? It has lifted up my entire face shape and my lips now looks much fuller than before! I am so glad that now my face finally looks much more proportional than before!

So if have been contemplating if you should really want to make your very first step towards a nicer face, you should make an appointment with Dr Sylvia & also you can actually try this package which is the 3D Non Surgical Facelift by Cutis Medical.

And of course, remember to make your appointment early by calling Cutis Medical clinic. Feel free to drop me any questions if you have, i will try my best to get back to asap.

Cutis Medical Laser Clinics
9 Scotts Road #03-06
Pacific Plaza

Tel: 6664 8177

xoxo,

Queen

Hidden gem; Table @ Pips

Town is such an accessible area whereby you can reach any forms of public transport within reach. There is also no doubt where all the nice food & restaurants with nice ambience are usually located at. Singaporeans loves food but Singaporeans love to procrastinate even more. Always talking those nice photos of a certain restaurant which your friends posted yet when it comes to the real travelling distance, actions speak more than words.

We all love nice food, don't we? Though i am always screaming for help to slim down yet on the other hand i'm always on the search for new hideouts or hidden gem, in my lingo. This place is 1 of those hidden gems which i would go back again for their food. 

Located down a stretch of shop houses, along with Nooks D.I.Y House of Pancakes. The outlook of the restaurant may seem to evolve a very sophisticated & "atas" feel. Upon stepping in, the interior design resembles any steakhouse which you can find in Italy. With oil paintings on both sides of the walls ushering you down to the seats, the ambience feels very authentic and no you're not in Italy.

Welcome to Table @ Pips. :)

Helping customers to pull out seats don't only happen at fine dining restaurants. Philip, the owner of the restaurant, said that it's only right that every customer should get quality customer service. He emphasizes that these days customer service, especially in F&B trade, has deteriorated tremendously. However you'll get the right kind of service & attitude from Table @ Pips's staffs, even though they don't consider themselves as semi-fine dining restaurant.

I was showered with the best customer service, i would say. Not until they served out the 1st dish; Foie gras.

Foie gras ($9.90), a must order for all lovers of fine dining. Served with sweet glazed apple & raspberry demi glaze, a delicacy which one should not miss. You can only get such authentic taste & big portion at such affordable price, only with Table @ Pips.

While enjoying my foie gras, Philip was sharing with me the concept behind this restaurant; to be able to create dishes for customer is their happiness. Philip is one the few bosses i've known who'll step into the kitchen & create dishes randomly, just for their customers. And if you happen to become their regular, be ready to fall in love with their staffs' attentiveness towards every customer.

Escargot Bourguignon ($6.90), usually comes in 4 pieces. This is very different from the usual escargots which we used to have at any steakhouse. The escargots are removed from their shells & placed nicely on a button mushroom, oven baked it & coated with garlic butter. You don't get this anywhere, only at Pips! The unique way of cooking it not only caught my attention, it tastes really heavenly good! Its crunchy bite goes off especially well with tobasco sauce.

Next served was the minestrone & mushroom cream soup ($4.90). It looks like i can't find any difference from the 1st look at it. However Pips proved me wrong once again. While sipping the pipping hot mushroom cream soup, i realized that it was fully garnished with chopped walnuts. Being curious, i popped this question to Philip who was seated right beside me. According to him, chopped walnuts will soften the whole taste of the creamy mushroom soup. And with that, most of the customers would be able to finish up the whole bowl of soup without feeling too overwhelmed by the creamy taste. I must say this is a very smart way & needless to say, i finished that up as well!

While these were being served up 1 by 1, Philip came to me showing me a plate of raw meat. I was taken aback by his action & he quickly explained that's to show customers they prepare their only upon ordering. So you can expect the pipping hot food whenever you visit Table @ Pips. And are you looking forward to their main course already? Yes i am. :)

Here you go, our 1st course; Rib-eye steak ($21.90). Before this my all-time favourite steak have to be from La Villa located at River Valley Road. Now that i've tried Pips, i am sure they are listed at the top of my list for having the best steak around! No, i'm not exaggerating. It has this herb smell upon chewing the meat yet it is not overwhelming at all! Dip it with their homemade red wine sauce, the taste of it lingers in your mouth and keeps you asking for more. And in case you're wondering, i called for medium-rare done-ness for the steak. :)

Next in line, BBQ Crocodile Rib ($25.90) coated with homemade BBQ sauce. Yes, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. When Philip was introducing this main course to me, i thought my ears were playing tricks on me. Without any hesitation, i had to try it instantly. The meat texture resembles a lil' to chicken breast yet its not as dry as chicken breast is. The homemade BBQ sauce was a lil' too spicy for my liking. But this have to be a try if you're game enough! Who says we can't fight crocodiles? =P

It'd be a shame if you visit a restaurant without trying out any of the seafood item on the menu. Chive Salmon Steak ($14.90), topped with Chive Puree served with Sautêed Leek. Freshness and tender would be the words to describe it. I don't need to describe much on this,just try it for yourself! It's definitely worth your bucks.

My dining companion was going on and on about how full she was and could barely eat any further. However when Chef Philip served this out, her eyes looked at me with brightness, as if she saw a handsome guy who just walked past.

And she went, "there's always room for desserts", ending the sentence with a smirk.

Crème brûlée, topped with raisins & rum. You'll find that this Crème brûlée stands individually on it's own. In my memory, i don't remember seeing any Crème brûlée without ramekins. Hence by the look of it, i was expecting the dessert to be a lil' more harder than the usuals. However, Philp loves to surprise his customers very oftenly. I was very impressed by this Crème brûlée, of it's tenderness upon putting it in mouth yet it can still stand on it's own without falling apart, given that custards are supposed to be soft in nature.

It left me a very deep impression. If you're there, do not miss this dessert!

All girls & women love chocolate, especially when it comes to chocolate fudge. Do i need to say more when it comes to chocolate lava cake? It's a must order whenever you visit every restaurant.

And everytime when i see a lava cake, i can't bear to cut it into halves and leave the chocolate fudge oozing out. The thought of wasting even a single bit of chocolate lava makes me feel that it's such a waste. I'm in love with it & i leave it up to your discretion to check it out. 

Are you ready for the best deal of this whole post?

I present you the king of fruits; Durian chocolate ($7.90) We usually do not find restaurants serving durians due to their fragrance that could almost fill up the whole place. It's a love hate relationship especially if you love the taste of it & yet not their smell.

Do not be surprised if you can't smell anything when this pretty dessert is being served. I stared at it for awhile, trying to figure out how did Philip managed to hide it's pungent smell within this small little body. Then my dining companion didn't want to wait any further & sliced a small piece out, there you go! Scent of durian filled up the air. This is a creation by Philip himself. You can't get this anywhere, only Table@Pips.

I must say dining with Table@Pips has been 1 of my best experience, in terms of steakhouse. Their service, their attitude & attentiveness towards customers has instantly top my list amongst steakhouse. And oh, did i forget to mention that you can request for food which is not listed in the menu. Their impromptu way of catering to customers' needs has instantly increased my confidence with them. I'd definitely go back for more!

Are you already intending to make a trip down? Share your thoughts with me after your visit. Meanwhile, you can continue to drool. :)


Table @ Pips
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09 Kilat Court
Singapore 598139

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am-3pm, 6pm -10.30pm
Tel: + 65-6467 6867
Email: philip@tableatpips.com.sg
Reservations: reservations@tableatpips.com.sg

xoxo,
Queen

Contact lens review; MisakiCon Natsumi Series

We visit the gym, drink lotsa water, eat healthily & sleep early, all just for our health. We should not neglect our eyes as well. As they say eyes are the windows to our soul, they tell people how beautiful you are, how truthful one can be. 

Everyone should learn how to take care of their eyes, especially when we are putting on contact lens. Knowing the right way to take care of your lens is very important.

What Not to Do

• Try not to wear your contact lenses for longer than 12 hours at a time.
• Never use saliva (spit) to clean your lenses. (i know that sounds gross)
• Never use tap water, bottled water, or salt water made at home to store or rinse your lenses. It can cause infections.
• Never mix different cleaners or eye drops.
• Never let lotions, creams, or sprays touch your lenses.
• Don't use eyeliner on the inside of your lower eyelid.
• Never wear lenses when you swim or go into a hot tub.
• Never wear your lenses when you are using cleaning products.
• Never wear contact lenses when you sleep - not even during a nap.
• Never wear your lenses longer than your eye doctor tells you to

What to Do

• There are different kinds of lenses. Know which kind you have.
• Always take your contacts out at night, even if they are made to be worn overnight. Wearing contacts overnight increases the risk of infection.
• Choose daily-wear contacts. They are linked to fewer infections than extended-wear lenses.
• Wash and rinse your hands before touching your contacts.
• Use only the lens cleaners and eye drops that your eye doctor suggests.
• Follow the directions that came with your lenses, lens cleaner, and eye drops.
• Take care of your lens case. Clean, rinse, and dry it each time you take out the lenses. Get a new case every six months.
• Get your eye doctor's OK before using any new or different medicines. Tell your doctor about things you can buy without a prescription like eye drops or lens cleaners.
• Use eye makeup that is safe for contact lens users.

Talking about this, this month when i opened up my new box of contacts lens from MisakiCon lens i saw this. 

To see this, it kinda made me feel that MisakiCon is being very thoughtful to their customers. This little guide here will come in very handy, especially for those 1st time trying out contact lens. Not only they listed out all the precautions, they also included steps on how to wear contact lens correctly. Helpful x1000000! *Thumbs up!* :D

So this is how my Natsumi Blue series look like~ :)

I like how Natsumi series lens are able to enhance my eyeballs & made them look perfectly natural. I've tried a few brands of coloured lens however none of them are able to make my eyes pull off a very natural look~ I must say MisakiCon really does a good job for this! I'm already considering of getting a few more boxes of different colours for myself already, i'm addicted to MisakiCon now!

But this aside, i must still emphasize that please please please take lotsa care of your eyes. They are very important to all of us. Do not underestimate the power of GERMS!

You can visit their facebook for more updates of their promotions or visit their website for more details of their products & all.

Till then, i'll try keep you guys updated with my life. :)

xoxo,

Queen

Shunji Matsuo @ 313; Kiss purple goodbye

My purple head has been with me for half a year. From a tie-dye purple blue to whole head of purple till i shaved my right side & not until i chopped my locks off, it accompany me through all my different phases of hairstyles.....

 I just couldn't bear have a change of new hair colour but i know i have to, goodbye purple. :)

Say HELLO to candy pinkish red. :D

I kinda like this photo. Tsk~ Can you see my dark roots growing at such scary speed & also my faded purple. I mean, not that it doesn't look nice at all, in fact i love this faded purple. But i really had to change a hair colour. I don't wanna be known as the purple head girl!

This time i wanted something pinkish yet red. I didn't know how to explain to Nich & of course i had a hard time trying to look for the photo references online. But i'm glad without all those, Nich still managed to capture what i wanted.

This time round i used 2 different types of dye, both Elumen & Matrix. Elumen was for my purple streaks in between my hair & Matrix was used to achieve the kinda of candy pinkish red which i wanted.

Saw that black equipment behind me? That's actually a steamer, it's a kind of treatment for hair. It's not hot, in fact you don't feel a thing at all. I love that because it helps to soften my hair so much more compared to almost a year ago, before i even came across Shunji @ 313.

Can you see my purple streaks within the bunch of messy hair?

Whoa! Pardon me for my sleepy look. I was really very tired from work. I have been working non-stop for 1 month w/o off days! Life of an interior designer. :( Anyway, i'm lovin' this pinkish red so so so much! And oh, i added purple streaks into it just so i thought it may blend off well with the red and probably i will not look as if my hair is on fire. Hahahaha!

I am still very amazed by how well Nich is able to capture my interest for hairstyles & colours. Besides understanding, she is always listening to my opinions on how i want my hair to look like, very patient with my lor-so-ness. Hahaha!

Almost a year with Shunji Matsuo @ 313, i'm still a very happy customer. To be frank, i've never had such good experience with any salons throughout the years, besides Shunji @ 313. :)

Don't forget to quote "Quinie Ong" to get 10% discount off all chemical related services & remember to call for an appointment in advance with Nich!

Shunji Matsuo @ 313 Somerset

313 Orchard Road, #03-26, 313 @somerset

Singapore, Singapore 238895

Opening hours

Mon - Thu: 10:30 am – 09:00 pm (last appointment)

Fri - Sat: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm (last appointment)

Sun: 10:30 am - 09:00 pm (last appointment)

T: 6238 0226

Facebook: Shunji Matsuo @ 313

xoxo,

Queen