3 Days of Anti-aging with SK-II RNA Power Radical New Age

Honest Product Review on my Before and After effects!

Here’s a million-dollar question – when do we start switching to anti-aging products?

When I was young(er), it seemed like a problem for a much-older-me to settle. So I shrugged it off.

“I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it. 😌”
Sad thing is – I’ve only just realised I’ve been walking the bridge for a while.

And at the way things are looking, feels a lot more like a plank than a bridge. 😩

Slap on the fact that I’m steadily pushing 30 and a hectic work lifestyle… this plank feels mighty wobbly with ghastly necklines and eyebags. When it comes to your skin’s anti-aging, prevention is wayyyy better than cure. ☝🏻

The amazing people at SK-II sent me their spanking new

RNA Power Airy Milky Lotion

and invited me to do an honest review and share my ‘Before and After’ experiences with my readers! So while this is a sponsored post, this is going to be a lot like my earlier review on SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence and Gentle Cleanser; no bullshit, I’ll tell you like it is.

Super excited to see what this baby can do for my necklines! If this works out, might consider investing in the SK-II RNA Power Eye Cream to help with my dark eye circles too. (Hello, it has been reviewed to give you bigger & brighter eyes after 6 weeks of continuous usage! 😑 –> 😳 Must at least try! #sucker)

But for starters, let’s focus on the RNA Power Airy Milky Lotion first!

For this review, I committed 3 days of using this product and here’s what I got to share with you.

THE 3 DAYS

Overall it was a pretty pleasant experience using this product! Honestly no life altering sort of change, but then again it only has been 3 days. Lol. Beauticians always tell me our skin takes approximately 28 days to renew itself naturally.

So 3 days is only about 10% of the entire period…

For this review, I committed 3 days of using this product and here’s what I got to share with you.

Maybe it’s a placebo effect or my own eyes playing tricks on me – but I swear I think my jawline got a little sharper.

*throws confetti!* 🎉🎉

That’s one of the most desirable effects of a facial product for me. Having a defined jawline really creates worldssss of difference. 💁🏻‍♀️

Plus also noticed my pores shrinking! So much ‘yay’ over the past 3 days!

However I found the product formula’s strength to be little much with combined with other products. Read below for more details!

The Texture & Consistency:

When I first picked up some product, I thought it was quite thick – but it almost immediately absorbed into the skin!

It’s pretty smooth and slick. Actually almost feels like those smoothing makeup primers/bases.

The product is very light, but it also has this very slight wax-ish sort of layer that smoothens the skin.

It definitely makes your makeup application smoother, and gives you a more even complexion. But I personally felt a little clogged when I used my thicker BB cushion over a lighter liquid formula.

So I fully recommend using this product on days when you’re not piling on the cosmetics – otherwise it can get mighty uncomfortable. Especially in our diabolical tropical weather! ☀🌴😰

The Feeling:

Speaking of weather – it has been quite nasty (or nastier than usual) lately.

Just so happened during the 3 days, I worked from home for one of the days. And while I love how I’m able to nest in my own environment to focus on some brain-intensive projects – I had no air-conditioning.

Ok, I have a fully-functional air-conditioner. But after it being turned on for the whole night… it’s better to just let the machine rest, let some natural air circulate the room and for my skin to escape the dryness.

But that afternoon was soooooo friggin’ hot. OMG.

I went out to packet my lunch back and almost felt like I returned from the Sahara. 🐫

However what I was thoroughly impressed with was that my skin didn’t feel eeky or sticky at all! 👍🏻 I was actually half expecting it to, because it felt rather rich.

Y’know there are some thicker creams that just don’t do well with perspiration? Well, the SK-II RNA Power Airy Milky Lotion actually feels a lot more airy than milky.

Hmm… 🤔 Okay, let me describe it better.

When you first see the product and pick some up on your fingertips, it looks and feels milky. But once you start applying and rubbing it into your face, it becomes airy. 🤗

Sounds pretty cool, eh?

The Formula’s Strength:

Now, what I noticed about this product is that it can be quite strong.

At night I tend to use stronger skincare products, so on the first night I slapped on my usual thick ampule before putting on the SK-II RNA Power Airy Milky Lotion.

The next day I found tiny bumps around my neck area (which is my most sensitive part). But when used with other lighter products, it works just fine.

So if your skin is a tad more sensitive than mine, go easy on the combination of skincare products. Too much will end up clogging your skin isn’t of perfecting it.

So that ends my 3-day rendevouz with my new beauty addition – the SK-II RNA Power Airy Milky Lotion. Will definitely be using the jar till empty to see if it works on my necklines!

It retails at $149 for the 50g jar and $228 for the 80g one. If you’d like to grab one of your own, pop over to your nearest SK-II store. I’d really advice against getting them from other sources because I’ve ended up buying imitations before!

It’s scary how those imitations these days look soooo similar 😱 – you sometimes don’t realise you’re using a fake till you’ve already caused some damage onto your skin. Too little, too late. 😢 You only have this one skin in your life; be good to it!

One thing I’m insanely anal about when buying products like SK-II is this sticker seal!

That being said, it’s also quite easy for counterfeiters to replicate… so just buy from the stores lah. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Share with me your experiences if you’ve also used anything from the SK-II Radical New Age (R.N.A.) range! Or if you have any other anti-aging products that moved mountains for you. 😉

And thanks again to the awesome people at SK-II for sending this product for me to try. What I really appreciated was that they didn’t ask me to write any biased content – they asked for a honest-to-goodness review to be shared.

Hope you guys enjoyed this one!

XOXO, Gera.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Product Review

PRODUCT REVIEW: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

Whoever said that pimples go away after puberty clearly didn’t know what he/she was talking about. 😑

I’m one of those unfortunate souls that get an RSVP note from my monthly Aunt Red (a.k.a. menses/period, in case it wasn’t clear enough), to tell me she’s definitely popping over for a few days.

And the notes come in (very aptly-coloured) red lumpy dots on my face. 😫 As if those raging emotions weren’t enough.

One time the crazy emotions hit me soooo hard, I literally ran to the washroom to cry for the dumbest reason ever. Legit – very dumb. I was craving for a particular dish that day and specially took a taxi down during my lunch hour at work to satisfy said craving… Only to go to the stall, queue up for about 5 minutes and was told that he just sold out. 😭😭

And I swear I started tearing up a little on the spot.

Hawker uncle must’ve thought I was crazy. 😰
…orrr could’ve been crazy flattered at how upset I was that I couldn’t have his food… 🤔 Can really go either way, y’know? (Albeit more likely the former lah)

Okay, I digress.

So anyway, while my complexion is pretty alright on on other occasions… If I comply to basic H2O requirements and catch a healthy amount of winks – I’ll always have a few pimples sprouting out pre-period.

In my years of menses-ing, I’ve used my trusty Mentholatum® Acnes Sealing Jell and to help curb the situation. 😌 (Read my previous review here)

However couple of months back, I had the worst outbreak. The pimples were larger and definitely more painful. 😖

The thing about these pimples is – they’re not your regular pimple that can just be conquered with a dab of your friendly drugstore pimple gel.

Noooo~ 🙅🏻‍♀️
These monsters are a whole other ball game altogether.

Doesn’t help I have itchy fingers 😅 – I kept on meddling with them till they started bleeding. So they didn’t go away even long after my period ended.

A couple of my friends recommended the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, so I popped over to Sephora to grab myself a bottle.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Review — MARIO BADESCU DRYING LOTION (29ml) (Image Credit: Sephora.sg)

And here’s what I want to share with you guys ☺:

Definitely more expensive; but lasts a while

Don’t expect this to be priced anywhere like the other pimple creams/gels you see in drugstores – this product goes for S$36 (29ml) at Sephora.

However I’ve been using it quite frequently to help with the extremely stubborn pimples and it looks like one bottle can serve you for quite some time! ✌🏻 Albeit this is, of course, depending on how much you use each time.

Prepare for a sting!

It’s super chemical-y. So if your pimple is raw, you can definitely feel a sting!

I dabbed some on the bleeding pimples and it huuuuuurt… 😭 So be mentally prepared! This product is definitely not gentle.

You’re going to need cotton swabs

So like I said above, ‘I dabbed…’ You’re going to need to stick in a cotton swab into the product, pick up some of that pink powder and gently dap on your pimple.

Don’t stick the same cotton swab into the bottle twice!

You’ll practically ruin all the remaining solution! Every time the cotton swab runs dry of the product and you need more, use the other side or a brand new swab.

You just sprung the cash for a premium product – don’t ruin it by being a cheapo and saving on cotton swabs.

Put on hydrating skincare in the morning

True to its name – this lotion is indeed very drying. And the skin around where you dabbed the solution will get affected.

So in the morning, slap on some hydrating serum/ampoule/moisturiser! It’ll really help the other parts gain back the moisture they lost.

You’ll look like you have pox…

Here’s what it looks like with the product on my face.
Excuse my makeup-less before-bed appearance. 😬

So needless to say, it might not be the sexiest look to pull off if you’re planning on getting some action that night. 😏 #ifyouknowwhatimean

Pimples dry up and heal faster!

But does this do the job?

Hell, yeah. 👍🏻

It’s definitely a lot more potent than the regular pimple solutions – so there are times when I know there’s a pimple incoming on a particular spot, and I’ll quickly dab some there the night before! Sometimes I avoid the incoming pimple altogether, other times the pimple isn’t as bad as it usually gets.

So either way, the product definitely serves its purpose. 😍

You can pick it up a Sephora here!

Hope you guys enjoyed this entry! 😘 Stay happy.XOXO, G.

Must Be the Age

Sorry I’ve been pretty much dead to my blog… 😔 Not that I have a fantastic excuse of any kind, really.

To be honest – I’ve just been too busy adult-ing.

Mondays to Fridays I’m literally swamped at work. And it’s not really about not having the time – because to write a blog entry doesn’t take that much time.

It’s really the mental + physical energy to turn on my laptop, sit down somewhere where no one will bother me too much and start writing.

Must be the age.

But don’t get me wrong – I still write. Just that it’s mostly on WhatsApp to my close friends about how our days went and if any one of us had a bad day… the amount of content generated wayyy surpasses an average blog post. Haha! 😂

Then Saturday & Sunday, I’m spending quality time with friends and family. ❤️

Must be the age.
…but suddenly some people have become immensely important in my life.

Really, just some. A small handful that I can list out for you on the spot.

And while there are other people whose company I enjoy; I have this small handful whom I love being around and cannot imagine my life without.

There comes a point in your life whereby you realise some people who have made defining impacts in your life – that you would be a different person with/without them.

And it makes me just so happy knowing that I’m lucky enough to have people like that by my side.

Y’see, for someone like me – I don’t expect people to stay very long. If anything, I expect all relationships to have a self life; simply because of how I grew up. If the other party doesn’t leave, I leave anyway. Because it only seems natural.

However over time I’ve met people that insisted that they stuck around; that proved to me they’d never walk away by choice; that showed me there are relationships in this world that can go on without an expected deadline.

And to think I’ve only come to learn this at this age.

But I’m grateful. ☺️

XOXO, G.

Life is a Gamble

Lately I’ve come to realise that some lessons in life are plain mandatory.

Without those times that really bite you, you’d probably never realise you weren’t bitten all along. Without actually running to the other side and take it in, you would’ve kept on thinking, “What if the grass is greener on the other side?”

Well, it sometimes is – it sometimes isn’t.

You might not call yourself a gambler, but we all are in this journey we call ‘life’. Whatever decisions you make at every moment is a gamble that it will be a better bet than other decisions.

So I was miserable at my table; the odds seemed to have mounted against me and before losing everything, I decided it was a better bet to end that game.

Other games seemed a lot more desirable; made me smile more and piqued my interest in rather unexpected ways. Enormously tempting, I tell you.

When you’re without a table that ties you down, the other tables start hollering. Didn’t even look at most, some made me look again – but only one got me to sit and play.

It was a brand new gamble. And of course I hoped for better odds.

However you’d soon realise that the grass on the other side might seem greener because you’re looking at it from afar and were too blinded to actually see the obvious issues.

And it slowly started to click – this game definitely isn’t mine to win. There’s another player in the shadows that has been well-concealed from me. Call it female instinct or pure logical observation – but some moves were not made by anyone else I could see at the table.

At any gamble (or decision in life), you play because you know you have the chance to win. However at this gamble, I knew the chance was a mere illusion that acted as a bait – probably because the dealer was feeling little greedy.

At this gamble, I realised after a few rounds that my chances were none. I was just another filler of the seat for a bit – the real player was the one seated in the shadows.

And to think I used to play this so well.

Call it karma. I finally got mine. So back to my own game – I’m bruised, but I’m alright.

XOXO, G.

Japanese Calligraphy in Singapore

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From the 20-25 October, the Japanese Calligraphy Art Exhibition (co-organised by Sunstar) opened its doors at The Luxe Art Museum to the public.

On 21 October, I headed down to the cosy little exhibition space tucked away along the streets of Dhoby Ghaut – where people all gathered to soak in the enticing charm of Japanese calligraphy with some of Japan’s amazing calligraphy masters.

At the calligraphy performance, we got to experience first-hand the masters work their magic with exquisite brushes drunk on black ink; making their calculated movements on paper.

It was truly enchanting to see the amount of focus the masters had in their eyes, coupled with the elegance and discipline in their hand.

👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

We also got to try out 団扇 (u-chi-wa) by writing our names on Japanese paper fans! And so I wrote my Japanese name which was given loooong ago by a Japanese teacher – みかこ (Mikako).

Aaaaand done!

The exhibit area was also bathed in 60 scintillating calligraphy masterpieces from member calligraphers of Nihon Shodo Bijutsuin (日本美術院).

There were tonnes of people roaming around; gazing at the works, having intense discussions in English or Japanese. It was easy to while away time

Featured at The Luxe Art Museum was also Kenkodojo – immensely healthy food & beverages to help rebalance your health! 💪🏻

Even overheard an elderly Japanese woman proudly proclaiming she drinks one can a day! Because I don’t like berry flavours, I went for the Super Vegetable flavour.

It will definitely take some getting used to – I’ll be honest! But with all the healthful ingredients packed inside, it’s really no wonder the elderly Japanese lady was raving about how much the drink benefited her.

Check out Sunstar’s Singapore online store!

If you want to know more about the health drinks, there’s the Super Vegetable Drink and the Multi-berry Juice!

The extend of this event didn’t just stop there! To better connect with Singaporeans, Sunstar brought the event to the heartlands in Choa Chu Kang Community Club and Our Tampines Hub! And I headed down to the one at Choa Chu Kang Community Club!

The entire hall was bustling with loads of people.

Sunstar had a stall showcasing their wide range of dental care products – from toothbrushes to toothpastes and mouth washes!

I was quite suckered into the whole thing… 😝 So somehow bought a couple of toothpastes and other random dental care.

Oral hygiene important, okay! 😬

The entire event was graced by several people from all walks of life – including Mr Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Minister of Health.

And soon, we got to once again witness some master calligraphers perform their art right before our very eyes.

I really appreciated this calligrapher who daringly said she wanted to do her writing on the floor – and it was really evident how much more intense the art became when the artist was given a larger creative platform.

And it was another round of 団扇 (u-chi-wa)!

Getting ready to be inked up!

Listening intently to the instructions! Must write nicely! Bwahaha.

We even had practice sessions before we started writing on the paper fans. This time, they gave us a selection of words – I chose to write 桜 (Sakura)!

The evening continued with a dental show that aimed to properly educate people on how to properly take care of their oral hygiene. Catchy songs, high-energy dance moves and memorable jingles filled the CC’s hall! ☺️

My favourite one was about brushing your teeth twice a day!
Once with the Sun, and another when the Stars are up –
so you get Sunstar!

The children seemed to have so much fun grooving to the songs – and getting goodie bags didn’t hurt either. 😉

It was quite a full day, but thoroughly educational and enjoyable!

I got to pick up a bunch of oral care essentials at discounted prices! (Much YAYYYY!) And experienced first-hand the elegance behind Japanese calligraphy, while soaking in a large collection of masterpieces; even got to try out a little for myself!

A HUGE thank you to Sunstar and Japan Calligraphy Art Academy for organising this truly enriching experience for the locals here in Singapore. ☺️ 🇸🇬

XOXO, G.

Protected: My Eyes Dilate

Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition at Luxe Art Museum

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“Calligraphy is an art form that uses ink and a brush to express the very souls of words on paper.” Kaoru Akagawa （赤川薫）

There are several things to love about Japan – that’s why I’ve always loved revisiting the country! 🇸🇬 ✈️ 🇯🇵

The food never leaves me bloated and unsatisfied (even their convenience store wares), the people are often very polite and kind, and their products have crazy gorgeous packagings! 😍

But lets not forget their culture – the Japanese boast a long history with countless stories and works of art to showcase to the world today, tomorrow and beyond. I’ve visited a few museums, palaces and other historical monuments whilst in different parts of Japan. And one art I love is the art of calligraphy.

It’s not just fancy writing; from start to finish, the entire art itself captivates and engulfs you – if you were to give it so much as a sliver of a chance.

Right from the moment the artist starts poising his/her hand to select a brush; the magic begins. The intensity coupled with elegance in each movement is carefully calculated and flawlessly executed to making its way to completing a masterpiece of black & white.

If you’re lucky, you’ll manage to hop on and join the artist as you make through each turn and flick – and when you take your first glimpse at the entirety of the masterpiece, that bit of your breath gets stolen away.

Fallen in love with calligraphy yet? …or maybe you’re not quite convinced?

Head down to the Luxe Art Museum between 20-25 October 2017 and be enthralled with about 60 pieces of specially curated calligraphy masterpieces! 👍🏻

Calligraphers from the Japan Calligraphy Art Academy (Nihon Shodo Bijutsuin – 日本美術院) will be presenting…

1 Kanji (Sino-Japanese ideograms)
2 Kana (Japanese syllabary)
3 New Calligraphic Art (I’m quite interested in checking this one out!)
4 Seal Carving

Don’t miss out on the calligraphy performances by the visiting calligraphers! They happen daily from 2-3PM (except for 25 Oct). Visitors get to do a calligraphy trial too – so be there early to save a spot!

Y’know what’s the best part about all this?

IT’S FREE!!!

This is all thanks to the awesome people at Sunstar who aim to continue strengthening ties and promote cultural exchanges between Japan and Singapore. 😊 Through Japanese calligraphy, they hope to also encompass and express the importance of a holistic healthcare.

So you have full five days to really immerse yourself in the scintillating world of Japanese calligraphy – without having to spend a cent.

But on 21 October, Sunstar is going the extra step by co-organising a series of workshops & events right in the heartlands of Singapore!

Check them out at:

The Japanese Association, Singapore (JAS) Website | Google Map

Japan Creative Centre (JCC) Website | Google Map

Choa Chu Kang Community Club (CC) Website | Google Map

Our Tampines Hub (OTH) Website | Google Map

Mark your calendars and don’t forget to check out the exhibition at the Luxe Art Museum!

Event: Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition in Singapore
Dates: 20-25 October 2017

‘Like’ the event’s Facebook page to get your updates!

XOXO, G.