PUBLISHED October 11th, 2016 11:46 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 05:06 pm
Be it the time and money spent on that weekend beach getaway, ordering a more premium slab of meat at dinner, or getting your nails done, modern city life is all about the affordable luxuries, no? To Bernadine Reddy and Caryn Tan-Lim, co-founders of Singapore Beauty Week (SBW), the path to looking and feeling good is not an exorbitant one. However, the general public seems to think otherwise – a fact that neither helps consumers nor service providers.
Enter Singapore Beauty Week. Happening from 10 to 19 November 2016, that’s 10 whole days for newbies and junkies alike to elevate their routine with beauty treats at highly discounted (averaging 30 – 50%) prices. From blowouts to mani-pedis, facials to body massages, and even brightening laser therapy, the founders have carefully curated the merchants for the first edition of SBW. Participating outlets include the likes of Capella Singapore’s Auriga Spa, Blow+Bar, Cecilia Westberry, The Luxe House, and Privé Aesthetics.
While I do take care of myself with regular facials and the occasional dash-in-dash-out express manicure, a sneak peek of SBW has led me to experience and experiment with totally new beauty services. Here are a few personal recommendations:
Botanical Spa Mani-Pedi at 8Twenty8 Nails
Situated along the foodie hub of Tras Street, 8Twenty8 Nails feels like a little urban oasis, but within easy reach. During SBW, they’re offering a Botanical SPA mani-pedi package at $98 (usually $130), perfect for pampering your oft-neglected arms and feet.
Exclusively available to 8Twenty8, their range of botanical spa products is imported from Italy. With a choice between the ginger-grapefruit and the jasmine neroli patchouli, I opted for the latter since I was in a mood for something floral. The treatment starts with a scrub (your entire arm for the mani, and up to your knees for the pedi), and when the mask is applied and your limbs are cling wrapped for maximum moisture lock-in, they start work on the nails.
As opposed to most run-of-the-mill nail spas, the brand of gel polish they use is local. Artistry is important at 8Twenty8; though they use the occasion studs or tape, most of the nail art you’ll find are hand drawn, such as my black and white marble nails. It’s been two and the half weeks at the point of writing, and the mani is still going strong.
Lady boss Victoria is as strict as they come when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness, and their custom made Jacuzzi-Jet basins are scrubbed down after every use. 8Twenty8 calls itself a House of Little Luxuries, and rightly so – it makes for a happy detour in the CBD.
8Twenty8 Nails is located at 50 Tras Street, #02-01, Singapore 078989, p. 6225 1828.
Eyebrow Embroidery at Dainty Beauté
Since opening its doors in 2013, Dainty Beauté has gathered a solid clientele of regulars. The team of eyebrow artists are led by Bernice Wong, who also happened to be my therapist. With more than 20 years in the beauty industry (and about 10 years of it mostly on brows), I was content to leave my bushy pair in her magic hands.
I started in front of a lighted mirror, where Bernice starts taking photos of my self-filled brows and brows sans makeup before trimming and designing them herself. The design takes into account your face shape, age, and usual wardrobe.
Before you go, know that nobody’s eyebrows are perfect. Mine, for one, had uneven arches and one is visibly shorter than the other. After I was happy with the shape, I was led into the treatment room to start the numbing process. Basically, you just twiddle your thumb for twenty minutes and let the numbing cream do its job.
Embroidery is semi-permanent, so the needle and pigments don’t reach the dermis (the second layer of skin) like a regular tattoo. This also means that there’s no bleeding, no redness (unless you have sensitive skin), and no downtime. I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt, but it was relatively minimal. Dainty Beaute uses German-made micro soft pen with a shading technique that helps with a more natural look.
After the first round of shading, Bernice led me out to the front to have a look and while I was quite happy with it, I thought I could go a little darker, so we went back in for another round of shading. Virgin brows – like mine – only last a month or two before the first touch up. Priced at $546 (usual price $780), the package includes the initial consultation, design, first round of shading, as well as two touch-up sessions. It’s typically 4 to 6 weeks between the first and second visit, and 6 to8 months between the second and third visit. In a nutshell, you’re paying a lower price for almost a year’s worth of gorgeous brows. Worth it? I’d say so.
P.S. Non-virgin brows need to undergo reconstruction so if you’ve done embroidery before, the same package will cost you $735.
Dainty Beauté is located at #02-34 West Coast Plaza, 154 West Coast Road, Singapore 127371, p. 6779 6235.
Botanical Hair & Scalp Therapy at Salon Infinity
Focusing on the internationally-renowned Aveda Haircare System, the folks at Salon Infinity bring hair and scalp therapy at just $48 (usual price $150) to SBW. If you can’t decide which one to go for, no worries, just go ahead and make the appointment anyway because they’ll start off with a scalp and hair assessment at the start.
Since I’m still dealing with bleached hair, they recommended the botanical hair therapy for me. After a neck and shoulder massage, the Aveda Scalp Remedy Intense Detoxifier was massaged into my scalp for exfoliation and purification, removing excess sebum and product build-up. About 10 minutes later, it’s washed off with the Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo. All Aveda products are more than 95% naturally derived and responsibly-sourced, so it’s definitely better for your hair than the chemicals in off-the-rack products.
Post-wash, the Aveda Dry Remedy Penetrating Moisture is massaged in to strengthen the scalp and help to thicken new hair growth. You’ll sit under the nano mist for another 10 minutes or so, since the machine helps your hair absorb the moisture from the mask better.
The last step is applying the Aveda Damage Remedy daily hair repair leave-in serum so you leave the salon with your tresses smooth and silky. At the point of writing, three weeks after the treatment, my hair has lost its shine somewhat after time in seawater, but it’s definitely in better shape than it was before.
Salon Infinity is located at #02-496 Suntec City Mall Tower 2, 3 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038983, p. 6268 6277.
Now, the important part – how do you participate?
Simply head over to SBW’s website, select your preferred treatments, and book an appointment within the period of 10 to 19 November 2016. Payment is made directly to the beauty service provider at the appointment, and do note that bookings cannot be cancelled within 48 hours of the reserved time slots.
Meanwhile, excuse me while I peruse the rest of the offerings…
Images courtesy of the various establishments.