Neutrogena Celebrates 60th Anniversary with Neuwomen

Posted on July 10, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

How often can you hang out with a beauty brand’s team to share your personal thoughts and experience? Neutrogena recently celebrated its 60th anniversary with a fun session of sharing and pampering among “Neuwomen”

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I’ve been converted back into being a Neutrogena fan a few months ago when I tried its Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion, Deep Clean BlackHead Eliminating Daily Scrub, Deep Hydrating Mask and Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock. I’ve known Neutrogena since I was in my teens, used their acne product and found it to be very effective. I guess with the tons of beauty brands in the market, I just lost touch with Neutrogena while going through my journey of testing different brands to suit my ‘aging’ concerns.

Beautiful wall mural at Neutrogena 60th Anniversary

It was happy news to be invited to Neutrogena’s 60th anniversary celebration. This private event was an opportunity for all “Neuwomen” (a term coined by the brand for Neutrogena users and fans like me) to share their experience with any of the products.

Host Joanne Kwan

The event started with lively greetings from lovely host, Joanne Kwan, who herself also shared personal skincare and beauty habits with the rest of us. It’s amazing how we, Neuwomen, found common ground with similar habits that we have, both right and wrong, when it comes to taking care of our skin, or at least trying to, haha!

Neutrogena brand manager, Grace Teoh

Neutrogena brand manager, Grace Teoh, talked more about each Neutrogena skincare range and what concern each one addresses. Grace encouraged us to share our experiences and feedback about the products that we have tried while she listened intently to what we had to say.

Cindy Teh conducting skincare pampering demo

Neutrogena had a guest speaker, Cindy Teh, a beauty specialist and makeup artist, who gave more advices and tips on how to properly use skincare products. Cindy also conducted a pampering demo where she showed best techniques step-by-step on taking care of the skin. To ensure the efficiency of the products we use, it is very important to apply each one in the right order and in the right way.

A lot of women nowadays want everything to be fast or 3-in-1 or even 7-in-1. But as Cindy reiterates, skincare is just like cooking a dish. You cannot dump all ingredients in the pot and expect it to the taste the way it should. It has to be done step by step and in the right order; otherwise, your dish wouldn’t taste right. With this, I totally agree. In the morning, I do skip some products because I’m in a hurry but I still use them step-by-step. At night, I apply my full range of 7 different items, which I religiously do as a routine. To be honest, I’m surprised when some people say that it takes too long to apply beauty products when in my 21 years of doing this (I started skincare at 13), it will only take between 10-15 minutes each time. Like Cindy, I also apply my products while watching TV at night; whatever show my son is watching. I’m a working mother so I have to manage my time in taking care of my almost-5-year-old son after work, study with him, do some house stuff, do my blog which involves taking photos — editing photos — writing an article, then spend time again with my son, get him to bed, wake up early to get him ready for school while I myself also get ready for work. But I still allot 5 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night for my skincare routine. I think that at this age and technology, it’s a matter of time management, or rather task management, that we all should learn. If we want to keep our skin healthy and youthful, we need to work on it, don’t we, ladies?

Neutrogena showcased their range of products during the event, including the range that I’m most intrigued about at the moment—AGELESS, Neutrogena’s Age-Fighting Solution.

Neutrogena Ageless Anti-Aging Skincare Range

I haven’t tried the Fine Fairness range yet but I’m excited to test the Brightening Serum and Brightening Cream once I finish my current whitening products. Hope these solve my dark spots (oh, sun, sun, why do you torment me so…)

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Neutrogena Fine Fairness for Brightening

All blue and looking cool, the Hydro Boost range provides optimum hydration to the skin. I’ve tried a sample of the Hydro Boost SPF30 and I loved it. It smells great and fresh, and it’s a non-sticky SPF.

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Neutrogena Hydro Boost for Skin Hydration

The Deep Clean range is best known for its cleansing efficacy, with different items that provide solution to every cleansing requirement, from makeup removal to blackhead elimination. I’ve tried several items from this range and each one is a great product that never fails to fulfill its promise of effective cleansing. I’ve tested the Deep Clean Cleansing Lotionbefore and it works great!

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Neutrogena Deep Clean Skincare Range

Another product that I raved about was the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock. This is seriously a MUST-HAVE for ladies. It works great on the face and body, works great with makeup, doesn’t leave a white film, is not sticky and contains SPF50. What else can I ask for? Oh, I have 1 wish for this product: that it eventually comes in a flip top cap to save me time in the morning to unscrew and screw back.

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Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock

Neutrogena came up with a variant for those with sensitive skin called Ultra Sheer Pure-Mild. Love the all-white with silver accent packaging (yeah, yeah, I’m a sucker for good presentation huh).

Cindy also conducted a makeup demo session (yep, the ladies were all eyes and ears on this one) where she revealed artist tips and tricks. Did you know that you can make your lip color stay longer with tissue + foundation + re-application of lip color? After applying your first layer of lipstick, dab it with a tissue then apply powder foundation then reapply the lip color, and voila! It will stay longer.

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Cindy demonstrating makeup tricks for Neuwomen

There were other activities like nail pampering session, video testimonial taking, which allowed the ladies to enjoy that Saturday afternoon even more.

Held at CANVAS photography studio, Neutrogena’s 60^th Anniversary was a fun-filled session with fellow women who share similar skin and beauty concerns. I think that it’s really amazing of Neutrogena to ask for and listen to what consumers have to say about their products, whether good or not very good. I had a great time discovering skincare and makeup tips from experts, and I did enjoy sharing my thoughts with other women, too.

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Excited to try more Neutrogena products, especially AGELESS Eye Cream!

Although technology has come a long way and now has solutions that may provide immediate results, it still pays to take care of our skin on a daily routine basis. Like what Neutrogena says, Beauty Begins with Healthy Skin. So ladies, let’s all start on our journey to healthy skin. No shortcuts ya.

Thanks again to Neutrogena and to the gorgeous Neuwomen of our time.

ME (right) with Sui Ying

Get connected to Neutrogena Malaysia via Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/myneutrogena

Shizens Awards Prizes for Stand Firm Stay Firm Photography Contest

Posted on July 4, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

It was out of passion for photography and interest in the subject that I participated in this contest. And guess what? I was one of the lucky winners.

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Shizens Time Resistance Essence STAND FIRM STAY FIRM

In April, so that was around 3 months ago, Shizens proudly launched their Stand Firm Stay Firm photography campaign. The “Stand Firm Stay Firm” campaign aims to display the outer beauty of women while also revealing their inner strength, which serves as an encouragement for them to stand firm within our society. It was an online contest where customers and fans stood a chance to win prizes by expressing their creativity through photos that display inner strength and outer beauty.

Hundreds of people submitted entries for the campaign, both for mobile photography and photography enthusiasts. And in the end, 10 finalists were selected/voted from each category that vied for grand and consolation prizes. I was so happy when I learned that I was one of the 10 finalists under photography enthusiasts.

My entry for Shizens Stand Firm Stay Firm Contest

My entry was this photo of myself with my precious son. I had a great time taking this photo with him, as he was very participative and supportive of what I was asking him to do.

Shizens announced the final results early in June and I was one of them! My photo landed as First Runner Up. Wee!

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Winners were invited for a prize-awarding session last weekend. Held at Shizens flagship store in Level 6 of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the awarding of prizes included photo ops with Shizens brand manager and time for us to explore skincare and cosmetics at the store.

Shizens Flagship Store at Pavilion KL

So what did I get as the First Runner Up?

RM1,000 cash prize as shown on the mock certificate above
RM800 cash voucher from Shizens
RM500 cash voucher from Flissco photo studio

The first thing I did was splurge on Shizens products, of course! I had RM800 to spend and I was more than happy to pick my choices. Well, I’m already in love with some of their products so I knew what to pick. And here’s my Shizens haul:

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My Shizens picks that day!

Natural Pore Nutrient Pore Foundation 12g RM228

Hydro lotion 100ml RM188

Silky Renewal Gel 50ml RM138

Replenish Nutrient Expert 30g RM380

Shizens Natural Pore Nutrient Foundation RM228 (around USD71)

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I was very much intrigued by the foundation and I was more than happy to finally get a chance to test it. The name is very interesting and that white swirl of moisturizing nutrient visible on the foundation really makes it eye catchy. Must try!

Thanks once again to Shizens and to my friends and families who supported my son and me.

Shizens Photography Contest – GRAND PRIZE Winner

Congratulations to all the winners, especially to the grand prizewinner, Abam Mizie, who captured an amazing expression that truly represents the aim of this campaign. Great job!

Philips and Disney Work Together To Light Children’s Imagination

Posted on July 2, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

Philips announces new Philips and Disney Product Line in Malaysia. Children can discover a whole new world of inspiration, enchantment and magic through light.

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Philips Disney SoftPal Mickey – it’s a HUGGABLE LAMP!

My son is turning 5 years old in November and my next challenge is to train him how to sleep alone in his own bedroom. To be very honest, it worries me. First, how do I get him to even lie down on a bed outside our current bedroom? Second, what if he wakes up at night and discovers that I’m not at his side? Will he cry? Will he panic? How can I get him to feel comfortable being alone?

My first thought was to make his room themed to his favorite cartoon characters so he’d be more comfortable to be inside it. Maybe use a bed sheet and pillowcases with Disney’s Lightning McQueen. I’m even thinking of getting him a bed shaped like a racing car. But I haven’t thought of lighting yet. It’s amazing to discover how these small elements in a child’s room can make so much difference to their comfort and well being.

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Royal Philips, a global leader in lighting, announces its partnership with family entertainment giant Disney to develop a range of inspiring, magical, and playfullighting products for children, parents, and everyone young-at-heart. Philips and Disney lighting, available in Malaysia, combines Philips’ groundbreaking innovation in lighting with the magic of Disney characters and storytelling to transform a child’s bedroom into a more creative place for bedtime stories and a restful environment for a good night’s sleep. I’ve already developed a nightly routine of reading stories to my son before he sleeps and it’s important for me to keep this habit of learning and imagination.

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My first visit to Hamleys in One Utama

The launch – held at the Malaysian branch of Hamleys in the new wing of One Utama, saw 15 children aged from 4 to 9 years embarking on fun activities such as a mini race to look for Philips and Disney lighting products. They were also given pillows to build their own pillow fortressas part of engagement activities to encourage them to use their imagination. PILLOW FORTRESS?I didn’t even know there was a term for that play stuff where kids create a “house” or “dungeon” using their pillows. Wow, I learned something new.

As an (ex) interior designer, I have learned that lighting plays a significant role in creating the ambience of a room and it affects the people who dwell in it. Studies show that lighting has a strong impact on an individual’s mood, and the right lighting can help everyone, from children to adults, fall asleep and wake more naturally so that they can concentrate, perform tasks better, and simply feel happier during their waking hours. Philips and Disney Lighting is designed with children in mind, in order to provide the best lighting for their bedrooms. Whether parents need help encouraging their children to sleep or wake, Philips and Disney’s range of compact, portable lighting products can help.

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Philips Disney SoftPal Mike at RM199

The most interesting Philips and Disney product that I’ve seen that day was the SoftPals. These soft, nighttime companions introduce just enough light to chase away the bumps in the night, without interrupting children’s natural sleep patterns. It’s an adorable soft lamp that our kids can hug and play with! Isn’t that amazing? I’ve never heard of something like it. Philips and Disney have truly done an innovative invention.

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Philips Disney SoftPals Mickey and Minnie (RM199 each)

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Philips Disney SoftPals Sulley and Mike (RM199 each)

Philips Disney LED Night Light (left – RM73) and

LED Projection Lamp (right – RM104)

During playtime, magical make-believe is brought to life with the new LivingColors Mickey & Minnie, which feature vibrant lighting displays to create spectacular, imaginary worlds. The entire range of products offers imaginative and fun lighting to make bedtime a joy for children and parents alike.

Philips General Manager, Adrine Ong, with SoftPals

“As likeminded companies, Philips and Disney are committed to enhancing wellbeing and overall happiness,” says Adrine Ong, General Manager for Philips Lighting Malaysia. “This starts in the home, by creating a comfortable and engaging environment for our children. Designed with children in mind, the Philips and Disney lighting products transform the bedroom into a magical world. Philips is excited to bring these products to Malaysia and give new meaning to children’s bedtime.”

The product range is equipped with child-friendly features like the Smart Philips LED bulbs designed to last for years and stay cool to the touch to protect little fingers. Each product is also meticulously designed with child safety in mind. There are no small parts or sharp edges, and cables can be safely tucked away using the velcro binders.

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Child-friendly, safe, easy-to-use lighting

“These child-friendly, safe, and easy-to-useproducts will provide endless inspiration for Malaysian children’s imaginations and create the perfect environment for night or day,” Adrine adds. “Through this partnership between two known and trusted companies, Philips and Disney Lighting will create wonderful family memories for every home.”

Where to buy:

The full range of Philips and Disney lighting products will be available in branded retail outlets, department stores, specialty stores, and hypermarkets in Malaysia immediately. For further information, visit http://philips.com.my, or join the Philips Lighting Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PhilipsLightingMalaysia.

GOOD NEWS for parents and children!

Philips is running the Pillow Fortress Facebook Contest

From 30 June to 30 July 2014

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Fans of Disney and Philips lighting stand a chance of winning the latest Disney SoftPals and LivingColors lighting by participating in the Philips Pillow Fortress Facebook Contest.

There will be 10 winners for this contest and two top winners will bring home the Philips and Disney Lighting products in the form of classic Minnie, Mickey or Monster’s Inc. stars Sulley or Mike characters. More details can be found www.facebook.com/PhilipsLightingMalaysia.

How to Join:

To enter the Facebook contest, participants must upload an image of their pillow fortress creation to the Phillips Pillow Fortress Contest Facebook App.
The pillow fortresses can be made of pillows, bolsters and other soft bedding furnishings. Structures constructed from wood or metal are not eligible.
Submissions must be an original photo, drawing or any other static visual form of their own pillow fortress creations.
Photos, which copy other participants, will be disqualified.
The entries must be uploaded as a contest entry on the Philips Pillow Fortress Contest tab on the Philips Lighting Malaysia Facebook page only.
All participants must also complete and submit their details as requested by the contest app, along with a caption of their entry.

Participants are encouraged to share their entries with their friends and fans via Facebook to garner votes for their entries. The votes will contribute 30% to each participant’s evaluation during the judging stage while 70% will be based on judging of the entries by the Philips’ team.

So BUILD AWAY, parents and kids! Share your pillow fortress moments with Philips and with your friends!

Magical moment with kids and Philips Disney lighting

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Me with Adrine Ong of Philips

About Royal Philips:

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 112,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Watsons is in RAYA NI MESTI KAHWIN Drama this Raya Season

Posted on June 28, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

Leading retail brand launches its Raya Mega Sale to make this year’s Raya a memorable one

Watsons Raya Mega Sale

Watsons Malaysia once again embarks on a special Hari Raya campaign in conjunction with the Malaysia Mega Sale. The leading health and beauty retail brand has collaborated with Media Prima, TV3 on their exclusive Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin drama series as part of the campaign.

Thecampaign encourages Malaysians to watch the drama Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin at TV3, shop at Watsons’ outlets and get a chance to meet the lead casts – Nina Iskandar, Amar Asyraf and Azlee Khairi as well as win exciting prizes. In addition, Watsons has initiated Raya Mega Sale from 24^th June – 6^th August with discount up to 50% to help customer look good, feel greatthis Raya.

The main casts of ‘Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin’ drama – Azlee Khairi, Nina Iskandar & Amar Asyraf together with Jessica Ng in a chit chat session with Danny Hoh, Marketing Controller of Watsons Malaysia

Speaking during the Chit Chat session at the launch event, Marketing and Development Director of Watsons Malaysia, Jessica Ng said, “In every year that we have initiated Watsons Raya campaigns, we have received overwhelming response. Last year when we launched Azam Raya Bersama Watsons with Faizal Tahir, we composed a special Raya song which hit more than 130,000 views in less than a month. Knowing our customers truly appreciate the value-added services we provide, this year we are emphasising on an experience to offer and connect Malaysians in this joyful Hari Raya celebration with Watsons. We believe this campaign will make Hari Raya for many Malaysians a very memorable one.”

Here’s GOOD NEWS for Watsons Shoppers!

First 1,000 customers who RSVP, with spend of RM80 or more between 24th June – 6th August, will get a chance to meet and shop with casts of Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin at 3 selected stores!

During the meet and greet, 3 lucky winners each store will win RM200 shopping voucher to shop with the casts.

FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM Contest

There will also be a digital contest aptly titled #watsonssiapanakkahwinon Facebook and Instagram, where One (1) grand prize winner will win a 3D2N stay at Holiday Villa Cherating and beauty packages for 2 by posting their couple photo to Watsons Malaysia Facebook or Instagram with the #watsonssiapanakkahwin.

At the launch event, lead actors of Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin Nina Iskandar, Amar Asyraf and Azlee Khairi were present to share their involvement in this exciting campaign with Watsons.

“Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin, has a fascinating story line that will surely interest our fans. I’m playing the lead role as Nana who is in dilemma when both of her housemates are engaged and set to be married three weeks after Raya. So Nana makes a promise to herself to find the man of her life and get married this Raya. The suspense of the story is as we reveal who Nana falls in love with in her journey of finding true love,” expressed Nina. The first episode of the drama series will be aired on TV3, this Sunday, 29 June at 9.30pm.

Signing Ceremony by main casts of ‘Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin’ TV dramaL-R: Jessica Ng, Marketing and Development Director of Watsons Malaysia; Caryn Loh, General Manager – Trading of Watsons Malaysia, Nina Iskandar, Azlee Khairi, Amar Asyraf, Kulvinder Birring, Managing Director of Watsons Malaysia and Indonesia and Danny Hoh, Marketing Controller of Watsons Malaysia

To raise awareness about the campaign, Watsons has designed Four (4) one-minute capsules in between the drama which will run throughout the drama period on TV3. The capsules incorporate beauty, skincare, health & personal care for both men and women and will include important elements to Look Good, Feel Great during Hari Raya.

“We wanted to develop a meaningful partnership and dedicate a campaign for our customers and with Raya Ni Mesti Kahwin,we have seen the opportunity through which we all can relate to our customers especially during festive gathering be it with friends or family whereby the question ‘Bila akan kahwin?’ is unavoidable. We believe viewers will be eager to know how to conquer this phrase and find out what happened at the end” added Jessica.

Watsons Malaysia’s Managing Director, Kulvinder Birring, GM – Trading, Caryn Loh and Marketing Controller, Danny Hoh joined Jessica and the casts Nina Iskandar, Amar Asyraf and Azlee Khairi on stage for the campaign poster signing ceremony.

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Part of participating brands of Watsons Raya Mega Sale together with Kulvinder Birring and Caryn Loh

On top of that, customers who purchase RM30 and above at Watsons will receive exclusive Raya packets for free. The participating brands for the campaign include Blackmores, Brand’s Innershine, Colgate, Dove, Enchanteur, Garnier Men, Garnier, Gatsby, Gilette, Johnson’s Baby, Himalaya, In2it, KATE Tokyo, Lipice, Maybelline, Nano White, Neutrogena, Nivea, Nur Kasih, Olay, Orang Kampung, Salonpas, Safi, Scott’s, Sendayu Tinggi, Silky Girl, Simplysiti, Syahirah, Vaseline and ZA.

For more information about Watsons Mega Raya Sale, visit Watsons Facebook www.facebook.com/watsonsmalaysia / Watsons official website www.watsons.com.my. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ their facebook page!

ABOUT WATSONS

A.S. Watson Group is the largest international health & beauty retailer in Asia and Europe, with over 10,700 retail stores in 25 markets. The Group has a diverse portfolio of market leading retail brands offering everything from health & beauty, food, electronics, wine to perfumes. With over 100,000 employees, the Group is also a member of the world renowned multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited, which has six core businesses – ports and related services, property and hotels, retail, infrastructure, energy and telecommunications in 52 countries.

Watsons Malaysia currently operates at 305 Watsons stores in the country serving more than 3 million customers per month.

Watsons continually sets the standards in the health, wellness and beauty market, providing personalized advice and counseling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. Since 2009, Watsons has been the No.1 pharmacy/drugstore brand in Asia*.

Watsons is the flagship health and beauty brand of A.S. Watson Group.

*Campaign Asia-Pacific’s “Asia’s Top 1,000 Brands” Survey 2012 of over 5,000 Asian respondents

A Fabulous Summer with NARS Makeup

Posted on June 25, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

I just can’t get enough of NARS, do I? The makeup collections are just too chic for a beautyholic like me to resist!

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Summer is here! This is one of those seasons when I miss my home country. In Philippines, summer is a big celebration when everyone will be getting ready to have fun in the sun. It’s also summer vacation period from April to mid-June for students so the youngsters will be heading to the beaches! Most of all, fashion will shift to colorful trends that range from casual wear to swimwear.

Makeup colors will be showing new and fresh colors, too. Although summer may be a bit of unnoticeable season here in Malaysia due to the year-round tropical weather, fashion still follows global trends. We, beautyholics, are of course delighted to discover and try the new season’s makeup collections from our beloved cosmetic brands.

So what’s in store at NARS Cosmetics this summer? I excitedly tried 3 items from their summer collection: Duo Eyeshadow, Eye Paint and the Illuminator.

My NARS Summer Picks!

My NARS Summer Pick Number 1:

Baalbek Eye Paint RM95

Definitely my new favorite eye definer and best friend! This small pot does magic! I’m someone who can’t live without eyeliner. I use pencil eyeliner, I have liquid eyeliner and I’ve tried a gel paint liner. But this NARS Baalbek Eye Paint tops the list. It can immediately give the eyes a smokey effect with just a few brush strokes or with the fingertips.

I use it on my eyelids with a cream eye shadow brush. The great thing is that it’s weightless and doesn’t have a thick, sticky feel at all.

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And it doubles as eyeliner, too! That’s why I love it! I just use my eyeliner brush and I can already achieve a defined eye shape.

The color has a lovely, dark metallic shimmer that looks really great on the eyes.

Line, highlight, shade and define with modern artistic versatility. Introducing new NARS Eye Paint—a brilliant pot of high-impact pigment in an innovative silky, weightless gel formula. Rich, hyper-saturated shades that glide smoothly and dry down quickly in long-lasting finishes from icy metallics to modern mattes. Elevated artistry that boldly strays from the straight and narrow. (NARS)

Multi-use application
18-hour wear
Highly-saturated
Weightless gel texture dries smoothly and quickly
Replace cap securely after use
Remove using a dual phase eye makeup remover such as NARS Gentle Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

My NARS Summer Pick Number 2:

Duo Eyeshadow Lost Coast

(Golden Pewter/ Lilac Snow) RM120

This color pair caught my eye as it reminded me of summer flowers in my favorite color. The lilac and pewter combination comes out very fresh, trendy and easy to pair with my other loved eye shadow colors like deep purple, blue and green.

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I love the texture of this eye shadow; it glides well on the eyelid without leaving drops of powder marks under my eyes. Like the other NARS items with compact cases, the Duo Eyeshadow also comes in an ultra matte case that is very comfortable and elegant to the touch.

Modern, unique, sometimes unexpected color combinations of eyeshadow shades. Worn alone or together, the Duo Eyeshadow features micro-fine powders that are highly pigmented, longwearing and crease resistant. Color glides on smoothly, evenly and blends effortlessly. The effects can be subtle or smoldering — the options are endless. (NARS)

Can be applied dry or with a dampened brush for stronger intensity
Multi-function use for shading, lining and highlighting the eyes
Classic, neutral, and fashion-forward shade pairings

My NARS Summer Pick Number 3:

Hot Sand Illuminator

(Peach champagne) RM110

This one is definitely a must-have for models (or models-to-be) out there. Want to have that magical, enchanting shimmer that models have on their face, and sometimes on their arms or legs? Use this NARS Illuminator. I love the instant glow that it gives on the skin. Smells nice, too! I wonder if “peach champagne” smells like this…

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The NARS Illuminator will give you instant shimmer!

It is super flexible because you can use it by itself all over the face, or you can blend it with your favorite foundation, or you can apply it as highlighter on certain areas of the face. I love using it as a highlighter on my cheekbones, and between the eyes and bridge of the nose (that’s the celebrity effect, by the way). It can even be reapplied during the day if you want to refresh your shimmer, or maybe at night before going for a party and see how the light reflects on your radiant skin!

At first I thought the color was too bright for my skin but amazingly, this illuminator blends well with my skin tone. Because it’s ultra sheer once blended, I think it will be fine with other skin tones. Best is to allow a NARS artist to test it on your skin then see the magic of shimmer radiance.

Light the skin from within. A collection of light-reflecting liquids that glide on to refresh and enhance the complexion with shimmering incandescence. Deceptively sheer, decidedly luminous. (NARS)

Can be applied all over the face or used as a highlighter
Can be worn under, over or mixed with foundation

So here’s my before and after look with my new picks from NARS. I also used other items like black mascara, hot pink lip gloss, foundation, blusher and instant pore minimizer (mix of brands).

See the effect of the Illuminator on the cheek bones and between the eye and bridge of nose?

And I tried it again with my deep purple blouse:

I think I should go shopping for more summer outfits and test my NARS makeup…

I’m addicted to NARS, strap me! For smokey eye lovers like me, if there’s 1 thing you want to try first from Nars, I highly recommend the Baalbek Eye Paint. It’s a multi-functional item that you would want to bring with you everywhere. Have a happy and fabulous summer, ladies!

To find out how the pros do it, check out this video to get that summer look:

Where to find NARS cosmetics in Malaysia?

NARS Cosmetics opened their first store in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur last year, located at Level 3.

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Stay connected to NARS Cosmetics via their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/narscosmetics

About NARS Cosmetics (via www.wikipedia.org)

NARS Cosmetics is a Shiseido-owned cosmetics and skin care company founded by François Nars, make-up artist and photographer. The cosmetics line began with twelve lipsticks sold at Barneys New York. Since then, NARS have created various multi-use beauty products. The minimalist packaging was created by Fabien Baron and has been hailed as a modern design icon. In 1996, Nars started his first advertising campaign doing the photography for the ads himself.

Product shades carry provocative names like ‘Orgasm’, ‘Deep Throat’, ‘Striptease,’ and ‘Sex Machine’. NARS ‘Orgasm’ blush is one of their most top-selling products, being Best of Sephora’s Best Blush for 2006, 2007 and 2008. They have developed an entire “Orgasm Collection,” including blush, lipgloss, multiples, illuminators, and even nail polish. In addition, NARS product shades are also named after geographic locations such as ‘Iceland’, ‘Kalahari’, and ‘Kuala Lumpur’.

Some of the most popular NARS products are blushes, bronzers, lipsticks, and their world famous eye-shadow palettes. The shadows are highly pigmented and come in an array of beautiful colours. They have been known to release products inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol using colours from one of his famous paintings ‘Marilyn Monroe’. (for more info, log on to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NARS_Cosmetics)

Fashion Shopping at Duriana Sale Event

Posted on June 15, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

Isn’t it a great idea to have a marketplace where you can sell pre-loved items?

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Duriana successfully held its first fashion-focused Market in the Skies yesterday at the rooftop of La Scala Restaurant. Thanks to Duriana for inviting me (including my naughty son) to check out this sale event.

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There were a lot of things to check out. Each vendor had a booth or tent where they displayed different types of merchandise ranging from dresses, shorts, skirts, pants, blouses, shoes and accessories to beauty products and cookies! Exciting collection and fashion items, indeed! And the best part of it, prices even start as low as RM6 for an item. Can you believe that?

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I didn’t have much time to go around as my son kept nagging me to go to KLCC (well, he saw the twin towers on our way to La Scala and I also promised him that I’ll take him there). We had some juices from the bar then walked around Duriana’s sale event.

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I want to thank the gorgeous lady of HMEHGERDwho sweetly gave this pumpkin deco item to my son. She noticed that my son was nagging me for it even when I told him that it’s not for sale. Thank you, gorgeous lady. Sorry, I missed your name.

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Thanks to HMEHGERD for this pumpkin item

HMEHGERD was selling a lot of beautiful items, and I liked this ultra shiny pouch (is it a pouch, mini purse, phone wallet? Whatever, haha). It was available in 3 colors and I asked my son to pick; he chose the red one. Did I say that it was only RM19?

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Red shiny POSH mini purse at only RM19

More booths were selling very nice accessories at low, low price of RM10. Look at all these!

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Accessories at RM10

Mad Treats was selling cookies while allowing you to try them first. My son was a bit shy but I knew he was eyeing the cookies so I bought a pack of “Chris Breezy” for only RM6.

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Yummy cookies at only RM6 with FREE tasting

Check out this adorable box by The Kooky Project. I thought it was for pizza because it was displayed together with Mad Treats cookies but upon asking, I discovered that this was actually for clothes. Creative huh? With this box, your dresses won’t be overly crumpled vs a bag!

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The Kooky Project box for clothes

FH Club display of accessories and cosmetics

FH Clubwas selling a lot of fashion items including beauty and cosmetics stuff. They had necklaces, earrings, bracelets, wristlets, including face masks, hand and body lotions, mascara, CC cream and eye shadow!

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My son’s pick for the shopping day – Blue Bird lotion at RM22 from FH Club

My son did the shopping for me. He picked this blue bird with lotion inside. His target was the cute blue bird container.

I’m sure the other guests had a good time checking out the Duriana fashion sale event. There are pretty things to buy at very low prices.

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I think it’s a clever idea to have this kind of social market place. A lot of women, like me, love to shop and sometimes we end up not actually using them and it’s such a waste. Why not sell them instead of letting these things get old? Check out Duriana online and learn how you can make money from your pre-loved stuff! Or if you don’t want to sell anything, check out what pre-loved items you can buy online via Duriana!

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Me at Duriana Shopping Event in La Scala, KL

Here is my small loot yesterday. Gotta love those brand new red shiny Posh pouch, lotion and cute pumpkin.

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ABOUT DURIANA

Duriana is a new mobile-first, peer-to-peer marketplace app available in Malaysia and Singapore. Unlike existing classified e-commerce systems such as Mudah and Lelong, Duriana positions itself as a social selling app, which merges the functions of Instagram and eBay. Duriana allows you to discover a world of amazing products for sale – from your friends & neighbors, trendy blogshops or cool local shops you have yet to discover. The app is available for download on iPhone, iPad and Android systems at http://www.duriana.com/.

Find out how you can sell your pre-loved items through Malaysia’s biggest online marketplace via http://www.duriana.com/

Stay connected to Duriana through their FB page at:

http://www.facebook.com/durianamalaysia

Lego Shop and Model Display in Bangsar Village

Posted on June 13, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

At this age, I am still fascinated by Lego bricks. And I’m happy to see that my son shares the same adoration for these tiny pieces of genius.

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LEGO Shop now open at Lot 29, 2nd Floor, Bangsar Village II

Last weekend, my-in-laws, my husband, my son and I went strolling around Bangsar Village for a fun Sunday. We don’t regularly come to this area, my husband’s place of business is mainly at The Curve so my son and I would sometimes join him on a Saturday afternoon. So I was surprised to learn that a Lego shop is now open in Bangsar Village.

What grabbed my son’s attention from outside the mall was the huge poster or ad wrapping the exterior of the bridge connecting Bangsar Village I and II. Expectedly, my son kept asking to see Lego while we were looking for a parking space. And so we walked to Bangsar Village II, guess what we saw at Level 1?

A display wonderland of Lego city models!

There’s a city model display called LEGO friends where you’ll see beautiful structures for girls.

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LEGO Friends Sunshine Harvest model at RM89.90

LEGO Friends Heartlake Juice Bar model at RM149.90

And then there are displays that will be appreciated by mostly boys and boys-at-heart…

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The LEGO day for my son won’t be complete if he doesn’t see the shop. We went to the 2^nd floor to find the newly opened LEGO shop, here with several old and young shoppers. It was shining brightly and twinkling in the eyes of my naughty son.

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The LEGO shop has a lot of themed merchandise such as Legends of Chima, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and stuff for girls (sorry, I was paying more attention to boys stuff). You can even find LEGO figures of Iron Man, Spiderman, Darth Vader and more.

Well, my feeling was right that LEGO is not just for kids. I’m sure that artists, designers and art lovers would agree with me that these models are very tempting to buy: the LEGO Architecture models. Look, it even has the Empire State building model.

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LEGO Architecture Empire State Building and Willis Tower at RM99.90 each

The naughty boy got what he wanted and was all-smiles after his daddy got him some LEGO toys.

This LEGO shop is located at Level 2 in Bangsar Village II, Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

The LEGO model display is located at Level 1. For more info, visit http://www.bangsarvillage.com

Stay connected to LEGO through their FB page at:

http://www.facebook.com/LEGO

To find out more about LEGO, visit them at:

http://www.LEGO.com

Longines Opens 2nd Boutique at Suria KLCC

Posted on June 11, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

Step Into the Latest Longines Boutique at Suria KLCC To Experience Unparalleled Horological Elegance

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Longines, the Swiss watchmaker renowned for its devotion to elegance, tradition and performance welcomes watch enthusiasts and collectors to experience unparalleled horological elegance with the opening of its second boutique in Malaysia at Suria KLCC.

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Located at lot 128A First Level of a prestigious mall, the boutique’s façade sporting the winged hourglass logo conveys the timeless elegance within.

In keeping with the design aesthetic of its flagship stores worldwide, the new boutique is very elegant with interiors that harmonizes fine traditional materials such as lacquered wood paneling, burnished leather, polished marble and carefully selected fixates and furnishings that create a calm, inviting warmth that complements the distinction of Longines’ timepieces.

Form flows beautifully into function as the narrow entrance cleverly directs the eye to the full sweep of Longines horological mastery, before narrowing again to usher guests to the VIP area that features a visual history of the company.

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The boutique is shaped after a classic Longines timepiece, all curved walls and linear cases. The tapered entryway that features recessed display cases mimicks the watch strap. This widens into a rotunda that is a subtly stylized round case complete with bezel, crown and watchface set with batons that form the ceiling. From this vantage guests have a full view of Longines current and classic collections. The space tapers again with more recessed and freestanding displays.

The palette of warm mahogany, cream, black, brushed stainless steel and white set off refined plinths that cradle key pieces of the Longines collections, allowing a clear view of these exquisite timepieces.

The ambience and atmosphere embody Longines’ vision that Elegance is an Attitude.

The opening of Longines second boutique in Malaysia in as many years reflects the brand’s commitment to watch enthusiasts and collectors in Malaysia.

The second Longines boutique allows guests to enjoy the full Longines experience that encompasses products of surpassing craftsmanship in an elegant setting that is both contemporary and warm.

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With each new boutique opening, Longines takes the opportunity to show different facets of Longines’ fabled passion for elegance and constant innovation and showcases the brand’s values and 182-year heritage of effortlessly weaving elegance and innovation.

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Simon Baker for Longines

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. Longines has generations of experience as official timekeeper of world championships and as partner of international sports federation. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With the winged hourglass as its emblem, the brand has outlets in over 140 countries.

Wine Tasting Event for Wine Club Members

Posted on June 10, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

It is always delightful to meet and greet fellow wine lovers. Last month, Wine Talk gave its Wine Club members an afternoon of wine tasting at Bricks & Barrels Hartamas.

Wine Talk, online wine delivery service in Malaysia, celebrated its passion for great wines together with its Wine Club members in May, at the famous Bricks and Barrels Beer Garden in Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

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(photos courtesy of Wine Talk)

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Wine Club guests flanked by Wine Club ambassadors

A wine afternoon like this won’t be complete without Wine Talk’s French sommelier, David Stephan, who served 6 different delicious wines. The guests experienced premium service from David as he personally filled wine glasses with white, rosé and red wines fresh from Wine Talk’s exclusive wine collection. The French wine expert personally handpicks all the wines that are available for ordering online via www.winetalk.com.my

David Stephan greeting Wine Club members

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Gorgeous guests at the Wine Club event, photo bombed by David Stephan

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David Stephan serving delicious wines to guests

The event was closed to Wine Talk’s Wine Club members and friends. During that afternoon, the members did not just enjoy wines but were also treated to delicious canapés and finger food from Bricks and Barrels.

What made that afternoon even more fun and exciting for the members was the lucky draw where David gave away bottles of wine, crystal decanters, crystal wine glasses and a grand prize of Pascal Jolivet magnum size wine bottle! (FYI, a magnum size wine bottle is equivalent to 2 x standard size 750ml wine bottle)

wine talk gave away prizes to wine club guests

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The Wine Club members had a great time sampling wines while hanging out with friends, fellow members, Wine Club ambassadors and David. The afternoon was filled with laughter and good cheers, just like how a wine tasting should be.

With special thanks to Uber, Wine Club members who chose not to drive to the venue were transported by Uber’s premier private drivers. They enjoyed hassle-free traveling within KL and a worry-free, pleasurable time at Wine Talk’s wine tasting event.

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So the question is, what is the Wine Club and how do wine lovers join the Wine Club? The Wine Club is an easy and pleasurable way to enjoy wines where David personally handpicks wines for you and sends them to your preferred delivery address on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. With the Wine Club, you discover more and taste more wines from around the world that you might not have tried if you were picking them from a shop.

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There are 4 ways to join:

Sign up online via www.winetalk.com.my/wineclub where you will choose the quantity, frequency and type of wines that you like.
Call 1300889788 to speak to a Wine Club ambassador and state your preferences.
Arrange for a personal wine tasting session where a Wine Club ambassador can share more details with you, click HERE
When you visit La Bodega or The Pressroom, you can grab a Wine Club booklet, fill-up the form and fax/email to Wine Talk

And that’s it! David will start sending you a personalized selection of wines based on your preference. So far, I’ve been enjoying selections of white wines that I’ve never heard of before. If you want to learn more about wines, I agree that the only way is to keep tasting more! And as David says, “Life is too great to drink bad wines!”

Visit http://www.winetalk.com.myor call 1300 88 97 88 for more details and wine selections.

Stay up-to-date with Wine Talk via their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/winetalkmalaysia

You can also enjoy RM50 OFF by using my special code – BLOG50CC – valid for purchase of RM300 on normal-priced wines at Wine Talk. Simply key-in the code upon checkout to redeem discount.

Eskayvie Launches Supplements for Beauty, Health & Mind

Posted on June 7, 2014 by CelesteDeJesus

Taking care of our health and mind is just as important as maintaining our skin. What steps are we doing in our daily lives to maintain youthful beauty, good health and sharp mind?

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I’m a fan of supplements and health drinks. I believe that maintaining our health is not as simple as eating good food. I’m surprised when I meet or encounter people who completely dismiss or disagree with the need of our body for additional nutrients from supplements, like my stubborn husband, haha!

With our lifestyle nowadays as compared to how people live, eat and sleep decades back, it’s not a surprise to me when doctors, dermatologists, nutritionists and other health experts reiterate the importance of taking supplements. Long time ago, people need to travel or walk the distance to find something or meet someone, as opposed to simply typing a message via WhatsApp or conducting a video meeting online for important discussions. When doing research, I remember that I spent hours, days and weeks to read, write and analyze data and reports, as opposed to typing the words in Google or buying ready reports online. When I was younger, smoking was probably limited to fathers or those of legal age. But now, smokers are everywhere and non-smokers might as well smoke too because of the exposure. In short, the way we live decades back is so different from today. We do a lot of physical and mental activities that aid in making us fit and sharp. We have cleaner air and less damaging UV rays. I honestly believe that we need to exert extra efforts to take care of our physical and psychological well-being now.

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Together with fellow beauty bloggers of The Butterfly Project Malaysia and Tammy Lim, I excitedly attended the introduction of supplements that will aid and enrich our health, mind and beauty. CEO Dr Syid Ayob Syid Mustafa Al-Qudri who has over 15 years of experience in alternative medicine research formulates the effective products of Eskayvie.

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Eskayvie CEO Dr Syid Ayob Syid

Dr Syid gave the most wonderful and “easy-to-digest” scientific presentation of how their 2 amazing products, Eskayvie Redianze and Eskayvie i-Qids, enrich our health, our brain and our skin. Redianze is a convenient, powder beauty drink mix in fruit flavor that comes in sachets. It contains powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body while also providing collagen that we need. I-Qids functions as a brain booster supplement that can be taken both by kids and adults. Like Redianze, i-Qids is a powder drink mix but comes in a delicious chocolate flavor.

(I’ll be sharing more about these 2 products after I’ve completed my review period.)

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Eskayvie General Manager SK Wong introduced the company and shared about their mission and commitment in changing the lives of men and women not just in Malaysia but in other countries as well.

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The event was hosted by gorgeous and cheerful model, Tamina, who also conducted a short quiz where lucky beauty bloggers bagged additional goodies from Eskayvie.

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It was a fun and meaningful event for fellow butterflies and me. We learned a lot of scientific information about health and beauty in general from Dr Syid. I was really impressed at how the doctor was able to explain and share his knowledge in a very engaging manner where all of us were ‘all ears’. There wasn’t a dull moment while listening to the doctor. Most important was that we had a good understanding of why he formulated these products and what makes these beneficial to us and our loved ones.

I am now powering up my beauty regimen with Eskayvie Redianze while I am giving my 4-year-old naughty son the benefits of i-Qids. I am looking forward to more radiant skin and better health. As for my son, I hope he’ll get even more eager to learn his maths and languages.

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Thanks again to Eskayvie and to The Butterfly Project for this enlightening experience! May we continue to learn and discover more revolutionary products for beauty and health!

For further inquiries, contact Eskayvie at +603 5511 1050 or visit their website at www.eskayvie.com

Stay updated with Eskayvie via their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/eskayviemalaysia

“Unlock Secrets To Youthful, Enriching Lives From Within”

Eskayvie Sdn Bhd is a dynamic company that operates in Malaysia, not only developing its business in the local market but it also serves as a strategic hub to expand the business to countries in Asia and the Middle East. Eskavie is recognized as competetive brand in health and beauty industries based on bio-technology, innovation and commitment to upgrade the quality of health of its customers.

Eskavie proudly introduces Eskayvie’s hero product, Redianze, in Pullman Hotel, Bangsar to the “The Butterfly Project”, a group of beauty bloggers in Malaysia headed by Tammy Lim. Redianze is a cutting edge product with innovative anti-aging formulation able to slow down the aging process and rejuvenize the body to the optimum level.

Redianze consists of AstaREAL®P2AF, high dosage of marine collagen and other wonderful ingredients that help to regain youthfulness. AstaREAL®P2AF is being recognised by “Frost & Sullivant” as the world strongest antioxidant which is extracted from a micro algae which defends the body from free radicals.

At the same time, Eskayvie’s lastest product, i-Qids, functioning as a brain booster supplement, has been getting lots of fame recently. I-Qids uses an advance fomulation, combining well researched brain nutrients of Memofortex™ (Fospolipid concentrate) and Omegalinol™ (DHA and Alpha Linoleic Acid) along with the health supporting benfits of Co-isolate, Vitaral™, Colostrum and Algalithe®. I-Qids increases the body’s immune system, memory and concentration, as well as increase the development and growth of the body.