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Hello everyone!
I often wax lyrical about being a student because of the perks that come with it. But like everything in this material world, it also has its own downsides especially if you’re a final-year undergraduate (or anyone in their final year of study). While everyone else – including my friends who are already in the workforce – celebrates the holidays, my peers and I are slogging our guts out for our final-year project. And because I hold multiple day jobs to pay for my daily expenses, I often have to burn the midnight oil and turn in as late (or early lolz) as 7am just to complete my part of the work which requires a lot of reading and research. This has been going on for months now and as you would expect, my skin hasn’t been in good shape of late.
I don’t usually get zits on my nose but when I do, it’s those red, headless ones ARGHHHH
Aside from the increased number of zits on my cheeks and jaw area, my face had also become visibly drier and a lot more sallow, most likely due to my sleep deprivation which, according to Cosmopolitan, strips my skin of its moisture. Much as I’d like reverse the damage by having sufficient sleep, it is practically not feasible for now, or at least until next March (what terrible example I’m setting, I know.. time management is clearly not my forte) when my project officially comes to an end. Hence, I would have to rely on superficial methods to relieve the effects of stress on my skin for the meantime, one of which is to get a professional facial just so that I can (finally) lay back and relax for those few hours.
Three months had lapsed since my last facial session so obviously all the good done previously to my face had already been unravelled. Therefore, I was really psyched to receive a rather timely invite from the manager of Indulgence Beauty, a facial salon conveniently located at Tanjong Pagar (about 5 minutes away from Tanjong Pagar MRT station), to try out one of their services.
Getting to Tanjong Pagar Plaza where the salon is housed was a breeze but finding the unit itself took me a while because the whole place is seriously like a maze! But once you manage to find the correct corridor of shops, it would be easy to spot the salon. If you see a portrait of Edmund Chen fronting a shop, that’s when you know you’ve arrived at your destination 😉
The salon front just had a makeover! (Photo credit: Indulgence Beauty)
Walking into a spotless, spacious and brightly lit reception area, the beauty parlour gave the impression of cleanliness and professionalism which immediately put any first-timer at ease. I was welcomed by one of the beauticians, Anna, who would later attend to my facial needs. But before that, I had to go through the formality of registration to indicate my beauty regimen, allergies and whatnot.
Shop logo
Cup of tea served upon arrival
The facial rooms were tucked behind a closed door at the back of the counter and there were also lockers for you to store your belongings. I was brought to the room nearest to the entrance to change into a loose-fitting silky tube top and a pair of bottoms. The top affirmed my belief that I had got very nanoscopic boobs because it kept sliding down XD
Bed in facial room
Anna then cleansed my face using MD Dermatics’ C-Cleanse Clarifying Wash to remove any unwanted debris (makeup, sunscreen, moisturiser, etc.) before proceeding with the skin analysis and actual facial. Indulgence Beauty uses mainly MD Dermatics to treat aesthetic skin concerns. A highly trusted brand, it has recently won the “Best for Hydration Serum” and “Most Waterproof Sunscreen” Bright Sparks Awards from Cosmopolitan Singapore.
MD Dermatics C-Cleanse Clarifying Wash
Cleanse
A simple and straight-forward skin analysis was conducted back at the reception area. Unlike facial salons I had been to, Indulgence Beauty uses a complexion analyser to determine the type of facial I should go for. According to Anna, the machine was able to work out my skin’s moisture level and skin-tone evenness, thus giving a more accurate measure of my skin condition than just by scrutinising my face. A picture of my face was captured with a flash and subsequently the image, along with some analysis results, appeared on the computer screen next to me.
Skin analysis
Skin analysis
Skin analysis
Skin analysis
Skin analysis
Not surprisingly, my skin was found to be dry and lacklustre with an estimated age of 30 – five years more than my present age – and was extremely prone to wrinkles. My sebum was likely to be trapped below the surface; hence the many clogged pores (I was told that they were not acne) on my face. My skin tone was unexpectedly even, though. Perhaps all the whitening products really did work after all 😀 Based on my analysis results, I was recommended to try the Hyaluronic Hyalogy Treatment Facial, a newly launched treatment designed for dehydrated skin like mine.
Shortly after the consultation, I was ushered back to the facial room where I would receive the long-awaited pampering. Anna began her magic with some unidentified serum on my face coupled with a few soothing strokes.
More massage
Following that, perhaps seeing how my brows were in such disarray (ain’t got no time for that thanks to my FYP), Anna offered to shape them for me. Of course, this additional service does not just apply to me. I’m sure she would also be tempted to do yours too if you have similarly messy ones 😉 It would hurt a little for the first-timers but as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain”! I’ve always enjoyed my brow-shaping sessions and this was no exception. My unruly and uneven brows turned out to be beautifully groomed.
Eyebrow shaping
Eyebrow shaping
The dreaded extraction came next but instead of using a comedone extractor which might tear or flake the targeted areas of my poor dry sky, Anna used her mighty fingers to squeeze those pesky clogged pores. I don’t know which method is more beneficial for my skin but one thing’s for sure, I didn’t feel like I was being put in an excruciating ordeal. The pain (if any) was extremely bearable. No tears were shed during the whole process! My face wasn’t as red and blotchy as I had imagined too.
Extraction
Post-extraction
Anna then tried to calm the redness by further massaging my face with a tranquility cream before progressing to the next stage. I tell you, her massage techniques were ah-mazing! They were thorough (definitely not the chop-chop, want-to-get-this-over-and-done-with kind), gentle yet perfectly firm. I could literally feel my face revitalised with every stroke.
More massage
Calming the skin
Calming the skin
The final part of the facial session involved a clay masque which would entirely envelop my face (even my eyes). Cool to the touch, it felt slightly heavy on the skin and hardened after a certain time, so try not to think of anything funny during this period because it may cause a crack on the masque if you burst out laughing.
This clay masque leaves your skin radiant, illuminated and glowing and renews your skin to give it a smoother and softer texture. On top of that, it also minimises the appearance of pores, improves the skin tone to provide you with a more youthful and healthy-looking appearance.
Clay masque
You know how beauticians would normally leave you in the facial room for what would feel like an eternity while the masque is sitting on your face? To be honest, I hated that because it makes me feel idle and the fact that I have to keep still with my back against the bed throughout the duration makes me feel very uneasy and stiff. But guess what? after applying the clay masque on my face, Anna went on to give me a full shoulder and neck massage for at least 10 minutes (could be a lot longer but it certainly didn’t feel long enough since it was so relaxing)!
YES, another massage!!!
Just what did I do to deserve this?! ❤
Exactly what my strained shoulders needed!
The masque was subsequently peeled off from my face afte. It came off effortlessly like silicone and my face instantly felt brand new. Finishing off the whole treatment, moisturiser was applied onto my face to give it a moisture boost.
MD Dermatics DayCalm Soothing Moisturiser – was told that it’s also good for cool and dry climates
Moisturising
And here’s the result!
Post-facial
The redness had subsided tremendously and my pores were visibly smaller by a whole lot. The hyperpigmentation left by my old pimples were also lightened by a few notches. You can’t really see much flaws on the face save for those few stubborn active scars. Honestly, I was deeply impressed!
At night
A quick before and after comparison. Some pores were unclogged!
If you’re in dire need to unwind and give your skin a break, the facial services offered by Indulgence Beauty are something you’ve got to try at least once in your life (and even more so if you’re a fan of properly done massage teehee).
Do share with me in the comments below your experience at Indulgence Beauty if you’ve already been there!
Thanks for reading, lovelies!
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