Decoding The HydraFacial

Some people eat or go shopping when they are stressed and need a little me-time. I am similar in the sense that I share the same craving for some self-indulgence every now and then. But instead of buying a dress (or three) or a bag, I am the type of girl who turns to pampering staycations, spa treatments or facials to unwind. On one of these self-indulging moments, I discovered a gem – the HydraFacial. This facial promises clearer, brighter, younger-looking skin immediately. (I heard you say “Seriously?” there!) Here’s all you need to know about this relaxing, gentle, yet effective facial treatment.   What Is The HydraFacial? The HydraFacial prides itself for being suitable for all skin types and thus being able to address both oily and clogged skin, as well as dry skin with fine lines and wrinkles. It is usually done at a doctor’s clinic and takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes. In order to perform the HydraFacial, the proprietary HydraFacial MD needs to be used to Continue Reading

Beauty Feng Shui – The Secrets Our Moles Hold

I’ve always considered the brown beauty mark prettily placed below the corner of my eye a signature physical feature. Very much the same way Cindy Crawford’s trademark mole is a central element of her look. So I was taken aback when a close friend suggested that I removed it, since a prominent mole in that area apparently symbolised a “tearful” future according to Chinese beliefs. Bothered and bewildered, I spoke to Master Yvonne Teh from 5 Arts Consultancy to demystify the truth behind “good” and “bad” facial moles. Read More: My Skin Renewal Laser Experience   LIFE DIVINATION, MARKED The oriental art and metaphysical science of Face Reading has a history as old as Chinese Medicine, and remains as relevant today as it was in the past. In Face Reading (Mian Xiang), moles are like the trees, logs or flower on the garden landscape of your life: Depending on its size, position and colour, a mole may signify a life that’s a bed of roses or hint of a rocky Continue Reading

Goodbye Foundation. Hello Great Skin

Men love soft, shiny skin. Here’s how to get it. Nothing exudes youth and sex appeal more than the healthy sheen of nude, supple skin. While the cosmetics industry would love to have you believe that more makeup translates to a more attractive appearance, most men we spoke to actually say they prefer their women with LESS, not more makeup. There lies the conundrum, we women face. How can we bare our faces if our skin is anything less than flawless? We spoke to two skin experts, Marisa Tay, a freelance makeup artist and Dr Low Chai Ling from The SW1 Clinic on their take on how we can make it or fake it when it comes to glowing skin.   A LITTLE SCIENCE Skin has three layers: The epidermis is the “raincoat” of our skin, it provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin The dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains tough connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands. The deeper subcutaneous tissue or “storeroom” is made of fat and connective Continue Reading

Face Your Fortune – Which Facial Features Define Wealth

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner. SKINMAG tells you everything you need to know to set things right face-wise for a prosperous year of the Dog.   Prominent and Bright Forehead For A Blessed Life The forehead is considered by the Chinese to be an extremely reliable indicator of wealth, so definitely try and perfect this one as early as you can. Symbolizing luck bestowed by the heavens, it is also considered the prosperity mountain of the face, so it follows that a prosperous forehead should be high, mildly curved and slightly protruding. Tip Keep your forehead clear and glowing with a gentle chemical exfoliant. SW1 Shop’s Sleep Mode contains sustained release glycolic acid in an oil-free aloe vera gel base and gently exfoliates, reducing the appearance of fine lines and oiliness and also clears up blemished skin. If you have a slightly bigger problem than just fine lines, smoothen out these deeper lines with some light Botox. Bony foreheads can also become youthful-looking again with dermal Continue Reading

5 New Filler Trends That Will Surprise You

Dermal fillers may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for some people, fillers do miracles for them. Conventionally, Asian faces crave more projection, so nose, cheek and chin fillers are common. For the others, such as Caucasian patients, cheek, nasolabial and lip fillers are usually the more preferred. But we heard that these are just the tip of the iceberg. With such excellent safety profiles of hyaluronic acid fillers, people are filling places other than the traditional to look better and better. SKINMAG quizzed Dr Michelle Lim from the SW1 Clinic on the unconventional places that people are filling, beyond achieving the cheeky cheeklift, or the sexy lip status.  Read More: Looking Too Young For Your Age Is Now IN 1. Temples Who would have thought temple hollowing was a sign of aging? The youthful face is full and convex, and fat is evenly distributed both in deep and subcutaneous layers. Aging results in loss of fullness in various regions, including the temples. “Many patients overlook loss of volume Continue Reading