TK TrichoKare, Your Trusted Hair & Scalp Experts

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Hey everyone!

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TK TrichoKare @ orchardgateway (credit: TK TrichoKare)

The hair is every woman’s crowning glory.  Having enviable hair plays an important role in a woman’s self-confidence and self-esteem because it is what defines our appearance. Not only does it speak volumes of our age and style, but also our personality. Therefore, it is not unexpected that millions of dollars would be spent on hair care products and treatments each year by women alone, just to keep their hair in tiptop shape. However, these efforts could actually cause adverse effects to our hair, especially when done too frequently. Hair dyeing, for instance, is one of the top culprits of thinning of hair. This problem is so common, it doesn’t just happen to post-menopausal women anymore as many youth today like myself are similarly affected.

Growing up, I’ve always had fine and sparse hair on my scalp that break off every time I wash my hair or try to detangle them with my fingers. No matter how careful and gentle I am with them, my hairbrush would still end up laden with a chock-full of hair after every brush. It got worse since I had rebonded and coloured my hair (because vain) but I have tried reducing my hair dye use from twice to once a year. Still, the problem persists. It’s so annoying. Sometimes I’d get envious of people who sport intricate hairstyles (e.g. fringe braiding) because I obviously don’t have enough hair to do it! Pfft. I’d probably lose more hair in the process.

Also, if you’ve read my other hair-related posts, you could probably recall my issue with bald spots as well. Although most of them have grown in, there are still visible patches if viewed from the top.

Enjoying my TrichoTea!

Enjoying my TrichoTea (I made that up)! Didn’t take a picture of my scalp pre-treatment that day because my parting was going to be different later on, so no point la. But here you can clearly see my scalp and my receding hairline. It just gets worse with age!

Perhaps this is a hereditary condition because the females in my household lose quite a bit of hair everyday too (though definitely not as substantial and alarming as I). But according to my trichologist, En En, from TK Trichokare, a healthy scalp is essential to having healthy hair. And in my case, my hair woes are largely due to my poor scalp health – not because of bad hygiene, but poor diet (too much spicy and fried food, as always) coupled with the use of unsuitable hair products, leading to clogged hair follicles and low hair density.

What is TK TrichoKare?

TK TrichoKare (pronounced as Try-ko-care) is the first ISO 9001 certified Trichological Centre that provides customized European Herbal Hair Remedies validated by certified Trichologists with products formulated by a professional herbalist.

TrichoKare is founded by a Trichologist. The holistic hair and scalp centre looks into all hair & scalp problems. It has been in 12 years of service since passing the conformity assessment of providing consistent standard of commitment to its product and service quality.

Other outlets are nex, Novena Square and The Clementi Mall.

Getting ready for a hair and scalp analysis (credit: TK TrichoKare)

Getting ready for a hair and scalp analysis. Look at my balding spot in the middle :\ (credit: TK TrichoKare)

Hair and scalp analysis

Hair and scalp analysis

Using a hair scope, she further analysed my scalp while images of it flashed on the computer screen beside me. Don’t know why but it was so fascinating looking at my own scalp and that few strands of hair protruding from beneath it 😆

Images of my scalp

Images of my scalp (credit: TK TrichoKare)

Even without En En telling me about my scalp condition, I was able see how terrible it was just by looking at the screen! My scalp was red (a sign of sensitivity) and flaky (oil flakes apparently, not dandruff) and my abnormally thin hair scantily dispersed all over. Just look at the amount of space between two closest clusters of hair – it’s so bare, ‘think HDB can build a flat there la.

But I was in utter dismay. I knew my scalp was bad, but not that bad 😐

CLOSE UP: oil flakes (those white stuff) settled near the hair follicles. Oil flakes are formed when oil and dead skin cells accumulate under the scalp, causing a little blockage at the pore. The oil, being unable to pass through with ease, then clumps into flakes.

CLOSE UP: oil flakes (those white stuff) settled near the hair follicles. Oil flakes are formed when oil and dead skin cells accumulate under the scalp, causing a little blockage at the pore. The oil, being unable to pass through with ease, then clumps into flakes.

As you can see from above, the thickness of every strand of hair varied greatly. Known as miniaturisation of hair follicles, these hair are crazily thinner than usual and are at risk of falling off (and have most likely fallen by now). I was also told that each pore is capable of supporting more than 1 strand of healthily-thick hair but look at how pathetic mine is. Couldn’t even support 1 well, let alone 2. *sigh*

Hence, I was recommended the Scalp Rebalancing Treatment. There are other treatments available at TrichoKare too (such as the Hair Fall Preventive System which fellow reviewer Xiaxue had) but obviously, I was given the one that best suited my scalp condition. There are actually 3 segments to it – regulating, strengthening and densifying. As this was only a trial, I was only entitled to the first one. But boy oh boy, I still can’t wait to see what TrichoKare has in store for me!

Comfy seats at the treatment corner. Xiaxue was everywhere!

Comfy seats at the treatment corner. Xiaxue was everywhere!

I was then promptly ushered to one of the seats at the treatment area. My trichologist subsequently came over to massage some sort of serum all over scalp. It had a very  memorable scent – citrusy and tropical. She said it would leave a bit of a tingling sensation on my scalp. Fortunately I felt none of that!

Contains citrus essence and ginger oil

Contains citrus essence and ginger oil

1. Scalp treatment

1. Scalp treatment (application/massage + 15 min for it to settle completely)

My eyelids became really heavy. It was so difficult to stay awake…

Following that, I was brought to the wash room to shampoo away the oil. The room was dimly-lit to create a relaxing atmosphere, making it even more challenging for my eyes to stay open (I had to for awhile to take some pictures). Apart from shampooing, my hair was also given some protein treatment!

Wash basins

Wash basins

One more shot before I doze off hahaha

One more shot before I doze off hahaha

If you can still stay awake at this point, I salute you (credit: TK TrichoKare)

If you can still stay awake at this point, I salute you (credit: TK TrichoKare)

The professionalism of every staff who attended to me was impressive! They’d make it a point to keep me in the loop about whatever they were going to do so that I’d know what to expect. Throughout out hair washing session, not a single speck of water or foam landed on my face too! I was glad because my makeup normally wouldn’t survive past the hair wash haha.

Once this step was completed, I was led back to my seat again to get my hair blow-dried!

But wait, another head masssage? Oh yeah!! (credit: TK TrichoKare)

But wait, another head masssage? Oh yeah!! (credit: TK TrichoKare)

Just wish I could stop time D:

Just wish I could stop time D:

Before she went on to dry my hair, she disappeared somewhere briefly to get me what looked like a neck rest! Placing it around the back of neck and then covered it with the blue towel, it felt so warm and comforting in the cold room, and had a very familiar herbal smell. It was the smell of the TrichoTea I had in the consultation room earlier! I was told it contained some essential oil.

Blowdry

Blow-dry

What followed next was something I had never experienced before! The centre assistant proceeded to move a futuristic-looking equipment over my head. What I saw in the mirror reminded me of Doctor Octopus in the Spider-Man 2 movie (hahaha). Called the infrared lamps, they help to improve circulation in the scalp. It was left on above my head for a few minutes and it felt warm but still quite bearable.

Infrared lamp

Infrared lamp

After the electrotherapy, En En took over and applied some tonic and moisturizer onto my hair. Unlike the salons I had been to, the “finishing touches” didn’t reek of a repulsive chemical smell. *thumbs up*

Finally, I was sent back to the consultation room to have a final scalp scan. What I saw totally left me in awe. The results were truly unbelievable!

Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

Post scalp treatment images (credit: TK TrichoKare)

Post scalp treatment images (credit: TK TrichoKare)

CLOSE UP: Post scalp treatment image

CLOSE UP: Post scalp treatment image

My pores were VISIBLY dilated and free of clogged oil! Those disgusting oil flakes had also lessened!

A quick before-and-after comparison

A quick before-and-after comparison

GOSH. I honestly didn’t expect to see much results with just a single session. My trichologist had even advised me beforehand to go for more treatments because it wouldn’t be completely effective if I only did it once. But hey look, it did work! Or at least that was how I felt. Hahaha.

Of course, the treatment that I went underwent only dealt with my scalp. The subsequent treatments will supposedly help tackle my hair loss problem. Nevertheless, I think this scalp treatment did help with my issue in one way or another because my hair REALLY doesn’t fall as much now. On that night of treatment, I counted – only 3 strands fell! What sorcery is this I cannot.

Clean and greasy no more!

Clean and greasy no more!

Full frontal shot! Hair looks so much better and healthier

Full frontal shot! Hair looks so much better and healthier

At last, supple and healthy-looking hair, albeit only temporarily. I am really tempted to get their full scalp treatment package though! (sponsors, anyone? *grins*)

Thanks TrichoKare! (and yes, I'm really tanned!)

Thanks TrichoKare! (and yes, I’m really tanned!)

In need of some professional help for your hair or scalp woes too? Great news! TK TrichoKare has kindly extended a special promotion to all my readers!

** SPECIAL PROMOTION **
for readers of fionaseah.com

Get Hair Fall Preventive Treatment at only $59!

Readers can register/get more info at Trichokare’s microsite by clicking here.

What are your thoughts on TK TrichoKare? Share them with me in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

TK TrichoKare @ orchardgateway

277 & 218 Orchard Road, #02-12, Singapore 238858/238851
Nearest MRT: Somerset
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REVIEW: MAC x Brooke Candy Lipstick in Which Witch

Hello guys!

Whenever MAC Cosmetics announces a celebrity collaboration, the beauty community would normally be in a complete hysteria. But when news on the collaboration with American YouTube sensation-turned-pop rapper Brooke Candy broke, it was largely met with perplexity because nobody knew who the star in question was, not even myself despite being relatively in tune with the latest trends in music and fashion.

Not really fond of those brows, though

Not really fond of those brows, though

But even so, this seemingly unknown artiste somehow managed to clinch a partnership deal with the cosmetics giant to launch not one, but two collections. The first which had released in late August was a miniature online-exclusive with two lipsticks (Mind Control and Which Witch, US$17 each) and a black liquid eyeliner (Boot Black Intense Black, US$21).

I’m always very excited about celebrity beauty campaigns because products that come out from such collaborations had mostly been phenomenal and one-of-a-kind, colour or packaging-wise. However, MAC failed to hype me up with this one. As a MAC fanatic, I was absolutely underwhelmed by the not-so-exclusive black eyeliner and the uninteresting choice of lipstick shades – a bright cherry red (..not another red..) and a deep plum. I had expected more from a collection that’s supposed to serve as a prelude to a bigger one that’s set to launch in 2016.

MAC probably realised that so they tried to mask it with a graffitied sleeve over the regular lipstick box to appease the packaging whores. Good try, but nope.

I might have been less upset if the graffiti was done on the tube instead

I might have been less upset if the graffiti was done on the tube instead

Obviously displeased with this collection but still eager to lay my hands on a limited edition MAC product, I carted out just one lipstick (as opposed to my usual ritual of buying all the shades if it’s a mini collection). Wanna make a guess which shade I picked up? No prize for getting the right answer, though.

MAC Which Witch

MAC Which Witch

Of course it has to be the deep plum! I’ve lost count of the number of times MAC has released another Russian Red-esque lipstick. The last time I bought a similar red MAC lipstick, I ended up selling it away. But how did Which Witch fare? Let’s find out!

Which Witch is a deep plum with Amplified Creme finish (US$17)

Which Witch is a deep plum with Amplified Creme finish (US$17)

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

There’s an old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Here, I’ve provided you with four, and that’s more than enough for you to make your own judgement whether you should hunt it down (if you missed the launch).

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when did Amplified Creme become a Lustre clone? The finish for Which Witch is horrendous and nothing like the Amplified Creme lipsticks I already own. It got streakier and patchier the more I tried to build it up and it feathered upon application! It’s unbelievably frustrating. I wanted to use a lip liner to stop the feathering but with such slippy consistency, my lips would most likely end up with just the unsightly lip liner mark at the end of the day.

But having said that, Which Witch did leave a slightly hydrating and supple feeling on the lips and it may actually work better as a tint too.

Swatch comparison

Swatch comparison

In short, this small makeup collection was nothing short of a disappointment. But this could be a blessing in disguise because that means more money to spare for the Guo Pei collection! Hooray!

What do you think of this collection? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

MAC X BROOKE CANDY (PART 1) is a limited edition, online-exclusive collection and is no longer available on the website.

REVIEW: Minus 417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel, Aromatic Body Peeling & Aromatic Body Butter

Hey guys!

The -417 products that will be reviewed in this post

-417 products

Choosing the right face wash is an integral part of my skincare regime. However, it’s not easy finding a suitable one because of the sensitive nature of my skin. To top it off, I’ve also been battling serious acne since my adolescence although it’s a billion times better now. My self-esteem and self-confidence took a nosedive during my secondary school years because I often got taunted and humiliated due to my facial flaw, especially during petty arguments where the other party would resort to using personal insults and name-calling to get their point across. Jokingly or not, those words definitely stung and made me even more self-conscious. And that kinda sparked my obsession with facial products.

In a bid to improve my complexion, I started spending a wallop of money on products that promised results. I have probably tried almost every product sold at pharmacies, mostly recommended by sales reps. But none of them managed to keep my awful pimples at bay. Instead, some of them actually aggravated my skin condition (extreme dryness, skin inflammation and whatnot) and caused multiple scarring on my face because my pimples just couldn’t heal properly. It was devastating and demoralising!

But after many years of trial and error, I finally found the face wash that best suits my skin type. Prior to that, I had used The Body Shop‘s Aloe Gentle Facial Wash faithfully every day and night. However I felt that my skin kinda got immune to the effects after a couple of years and my face became a minefield for acne once again. Boyfriend noticed the severity of my condition and got me -417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel as part of my birthday present last year (after doing his research) and I’ve been using it as my daytime facial wash ever since!

What is -417?

-417 is the developer of an exclusive and unique line of natural skincare products based on natural active components and minerals from the lowest place in the world – the Dead Sea.

Founded in 2003, -417 has been committed to keeping the value that has established itself as a trendsetter in the beauty industry. Through meticulous research and development, scientific advances, professional expertise and the understanding of a customer’s well-being, -417 is continuing to change the world of beauty. With global distributors in more than 15 countries including France, Switzerland, Russia, Denmark and Argentina, -417 products are sold through international distribution channels such as at department stores, chain retailers and pharmacies, perfumeries, chain cosmetic stores and at leading spas & hotels.

(read more)

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel (S$120)

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel, 200g / 6.8oz

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel (pardon the dirtiness ‘coz it has sat in my bathroom for quite some time)

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel

Yup, it’s recommended to be used only in the day because it contains micro natural luffa beads that help to dislodge impurities and dead skin cell. Therefore, it may be too harsh on the skin if applied too many times in a day. According to -417, the foaming gel itself is based on the Vitamin-Mineral Complex – a combination of natural active ingredients, including moisture-balancing minerals from the Dead-Sea together with nourishing plant extracts and active vitamins (A, B, E, F and H) – as well as jojoba oil, olive oil and grape oil, that leaves the skin clean, soft fresh and glowing. It aids in reducing the appearance of dark spots while speeding up the skin’s micro-circulation and providing a deep cleansing. Impressive, eh?

And the crazy part?

It costs a whopping S$120* at retail.

*gasps* No wonder boyfriend refused to disclose the amount he paid regardless of how much I bugged him about it because he knew I’d definitely lambaste the hell outta him for spending that kind of money! It’s like what, the cost of two premium ribeye steaks at an extravagant restaurant combined?!

With the price that ridiculous, this product has got to work. And very fortunately, it does to a pretty large extent as visible improvements were seen as early as one week. I had my qualms about the exfoliating function of this product initially as I had read somewhere about face scrubs being harmful to the skin.  As it turned out eventually, my worries were for naught.

Before and After

Before and After (the seemingly sharper and fairer complexion could be due to the use of other products)

My face, once clogged with filth and oil, now appears cleaner and more radiant. It had also eliminated most of my greasy sheen and stubborn zits. Of course, these results are also dependent on my lifestyle and diet. Still, although staying away from fried food and having enough rest help to subdue my acne eruption, they can’t purify and unclog my pores. I would need a facial product like this to do the job.

Furthermore, if you’re eagle-eyed enough, you’d have realised the great difference in the timestamp of my before and after shots – they were taken almost a year apart! Believe it or not, I’m still on my first tube despite using it every single day! And I’m probably only halfway through. That’s because a teeny weeny layer of it is enough to make a lather for the entire face.

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel

-417 Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel

Just a thin layer like this will do

Just a thin layer like this will do (actually, I squeezed out way too much product – it’s more than enough!)

As this is advisable to be used only in the day, there’s another product that is designed for night use. The Whitening Cleansing Soap helps to lighten hyperpigmentation while removing eye and face makeup together. Like the Facial Micro Luffa Foaming Gel, the price is likely to burn a hole in your pocket and I was almost tempted into buying it when I was at their nex booth to redeem a gift for my boyfriend’s birthday a few months ago.

And that’s the thing about their sales reps – they are highly convincing and persuasive in their sales pitch to the point that it may seem a little pushy.  Apart from offering a special rate, they would also do a live demo of the products on you and chances are, you would be wowed by the instant results and enticed into getting it. While waiting for them to retrieve my gift, one of the sales reps took the opportunity to introduce me to some of their bestsellers and managed to win me over with just a simple demonstration. This was despite the fact that I’m usually very strong willed and firm against unrelenting pressure sales tactics. Well, I guess it becomes a different story altogether if the results are proven before my eyes.

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender (450g, RP: S$140 but you can get it a lot cheaper. Scroll down for more info!)

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender

As a mild sufferer of Ichthyosis Vulgaris (a common form of inherited skin disorder), I am always on a lookout for effective moisturising cream to relieve the dry and scaly skin covering most parts of my lower legs. The Aromatic Body Peeling is a fantastic addition to my skincare stash as it contains microscopic grains of the Dead Sea salt that helps to gently exfoliate dead and dry skin cells. On top of that, it also encourages skin rejuvenation and reduces signs of aging. The lavender fragrance smells reeeeally good too!

It comes in 3 other scents – Kiwi & Mango, Mik & Honey and Ocean.

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender - application

-417 Aromatic Body Peeling in Lavender – application

Packaged in a rather large tub that can probably last users for months, this only needs to be applied on the skin once a week during bath. It can be used on any part of the body except for the face and hair (because there are separate products for them). Most of the time I use it on my legs, arms and neck.

Application-wise, it was a breeze. The coarse texture of the salt evens out smoothly like a regular body wash and it leaves a silky, buttery and a minuscule tacky finish on the surface upon washing it off. Indeed, the skin doesn’t feel dehydrated and rough but I didn’t like the greasy feeling. That’s why boyfriend also got me the Aromatic Body Butter to tone it down a bit.

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender (250ml / 8.5oz, RP: $120 but you can get it a lot cheaper. Scroll down for more info!)

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender (250ml / 8.5oz, RP: S$120 but you can get it a lot cheaper. Scroll down for more info!)

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender

Enriched with Shea butter than nourishes and relaxes the skin, it also shields it from UV radiation and prevents skin aging. It contains sweet almonds oil, avocado oil and mango extract to provide a feeling of moisture, nourishment and silk. That said, I was advised to use it just once a week after shower (the same day I apply the Aromatic Body Peeling) but I’m probably going to increase my usage due to my abnormal skin condition. No matter how much of a quantity of the butter I massage on my body, the tubs seems to have an endless pit 😯

Moreover, I absolutely love the sweet aroma of the Lavender fragrance. It’s light enough not to irritate my sensitive nose and the smell actually lingers on for quite some time. Like the Aromatic Body Peeling, this also comes in 3 other similar scents.

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender - application

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender – application

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender - apply until it is fully absorbed into the skin

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender – apply until it is fully absorbed into the skin

-417 Aromatic Body Butter in Lavender - application

End result. Also, proof that I do have scaly skin :\ It’s better now with maintenance because it used to be a lot scarier and uglier than this.

The butter has a thick and consistent texture which spreads out nicely over a large area with just a dab. The absorption didn’t take very long too, probably in a few seconds. My skin definitely feels a lot smoother and softer after application, and less sticky as well.

*For best deals, purchase -417 products over the counter. Sales reps are usually very eager to close deals hence they would very often offer you the lowest prices possible (e.g. staff discounts, bundle prices at 30% off).

Remember, stand firm and don’t be afraid to say “no”!

All in all, -417 products are generally a costly investment (prices range between S$50 for a soap bar and S$600 for a facial mask, on average above S$100 per item) but the contents are mostly packaged in such large quantities that they can actually last you for months, thus helping you to save a lot of money in the long run. However, if you’re apprehensive about splurging on a product you’re unsure that would work, I’d highly recommend that you share it with a few people in your household.

And that’s about it!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

For more information on -417 and their products, click here.