A Few Recent Spa Trips

I haven't indulged in any luxe spa pampering sessions in Sydney for a while and so have tried to visit at least one each time I've gone to HK these past months. And since the list of places I want to try always seems to be growing, I made it a point to try three I had never been to before.

I first read about Spa L'Occitane over at Sassy Hong Kong (don't know how I would survive in HK without this site) and took advantage of the Sassy Discount promotion which was on a few months back: HKD500 off the original price of The Journey To Provence treatment which included a 75minute facial and a 60minute massage, bringing the total cost down to HKD1,100 - bargain! The spa itself doesn't have the kind of facilities you would find at your swanky hotel spa but I swear my skin has never looked so good after a facial, I think probably in part to the most painless extraction process I have ever experienced. And the massage was pretty great too, especially given the fact that my entire body was aching after just having moved in to our place a few days prior.

really like how you can sample the facial care and makeup range products after the treatment

This is the flagship Spa L'Occitane in HK located on Star Street in Wan Chai and you can view their treatment menu here.

Another place I've been wanting to try for quite some time now is the Bliss Spa over at the W Hong Kong in Kowloon. Given that the spa is located on the 72nd floor of the hotel, the view is absolutely phenomenal and hits you as soon as you step in to the locker room. The facilities here are great and if anyone were to ever ask me which is the best vitality pool with a view in a hotel spa I'd say this one pretty much takes the cake.

However that's pretty much the best thing about this spa. I always judge a hotel spa by the cleanliness and tidiness of their facilities and sadly, this one just didn't live up to HK's high standards for me. Some of the products such as the body lotion had not been refilled and there were showers which hadn't been cleaned after the previous person had used them. Granted it was near the end of the day..but still. I didn't even manage to find the famous brownie buffet I had heard so much about!
I had booked in for the Feeling Fabulous package which included a 30minute scrub deluxe, 45minute rapid rub and 60minute fabulous facial for HKD2,012 and while my therapist couldn't have been lovelier I really hate it when I look into a mirror afterwards only to see that my face is all sore and red from the extractions. If I were to go back it would definitely be for the body treatments only.
Detailed information about Bliss Spa can be found here.

And to finish off, the Spa at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental where I had a 1hour Oriental Essence body massage followed by a 1hour 30minute Customised Aromatherapy Facial at a cost of HKD2,730. Having been to the Mandarin Oriental Spa a few years ago I was expecting a lot in terms of service and professionalism - and I was not disappointed. The spa was so quiet and serene it absolutely did not feel like I was in the heart of Central and the facilities were spotless even though it was extremely late on a Friday night.

This does bring me to my one gripe though which is why some spas feel the need to charge 'Weekday' and 'Weekend' prices - and since when is Friday considered a weekend?? But back to the treatment - both the massage and the facial were great and my therapist was so very nice and really managed to put me in such a deep state of relaxation. This was also the only time the temperature of the bed was absolutely perfect since she didn't feel the need to put the bedding heat on given it was 30+ degrees outside. I will most definitely be going back, although will probably schedule my visit on a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday next time to make the cost a little more bearable.
All the information about the spa including the treatments menu can be found here.

Back...And Le Meridien Cyberport

I am back in beautiful sunny Sydney and as hard as it was to leave Mr Ng yet again, I have been absolutely relishing the cooler weather here after the sauna that was Hong Kong. From my last blog post up until now I have gone back to HK three times and Mr Ng has come back here once so the weeks spent apart haven't been too unbearable.
But I've just postponed my next trip over in order to coincide with a couple of the public holidays there next month so I think the number of weeks spent apart this time round will be the longest Mr Ng and I have ever been separated in our entire relationship. And if that weren't bad enough, more than a handful of people (including my own mother!) have been 'warning' me that a husband without his wife by his side is sure to cheat!! One lady actually said to me: "Distance doesn't make the heart grow fonder, it makes it wander". Gee, thanks lady..
And so in attempt to take my mind off of all of this rubbish - and also to stop me from counting the hours until I hop on that plane to HK - it's back to blogging. I'm just going to jump right into it now with the short stay Mr Ng and I had at the Le Meridien Cyberport back in May while we were waiting for the place we have now moved into to be repainted:

welcome tea and sweets

This was the first time either of us had ever even set foot in the Cyberport area and it was so quiet and peaceful it didn't even feel like we were in HK. I'm not even very sure why there is a Le Meridien there seeing as it takes about 30 minutes by bus to get to Central but the hotel was spacious, new (the hotel opened in 2011) and so very empty that we weren't complaining! We stayed in a Deluxe Ocean View room which included free buffet breakfast at nightly rate of HKD1,827 (plus 10% tax) which we thought was extremely reasonable given the fantastic view and the sheer size of the room. And as an added bonus a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were served for free each evening in the hotel bar:

if only all hotels provided this..

Since the most exciting thing in the area is the Broadway Circuit cinema complex located in the shopping mall adjacent to the hotel, I'm not sure I will be recommending the hotel to people anytime soon. However, if we ever need a place to stay in HK on very short notice again, this place will definitely be at the top of the list.

Le Meridien Cyberport is located at 100 Cyberport Road in the Hong Kong Island south area and bookings may be made here.

HK, January 2013

Going from super hot weather in Singapore and Malaysia to the cold in HK of course meant that I came down with a bad cold and so we didn't end up doing too much this trip. We did however finally get around to visiting Hong Kong Disneyland which we've been meaning to do since it first opened, but never managed to find the time for:

I was really sick when we went which would explain the lack of photos but it was good fun nevertheless. Not much compared to Disney California (the only other Disneyland I've been to) but for little kids and those like Mr Ng who've never been to any other of the Disneyland theme parks it really is quite enjoyable.

And of course no visit to an Asian country is complete without stocking up on some beauty product goodies.  I've completely changed the products in my morning and night routines and am finally giving SKII a go.

 
Day products (top left) from L-R:
- Boots Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream SPF15 - Boots is finally being stocked at select Mannings stores in HK yay! This is actually the first Boots product I've tried but I'm really loving the fact that it absorbs easily, has a really slight tint to help with dark circles and has SPF15. The HK prices are slightly more expensive than the UK ones but still really affordable
-  La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo - I discovered this over at A Model Recommends and have been using it both day and night to keep my spots at bay. I actually use this as a targeted treatment rather than an all over one and have really noticed a decrease in the number (and size) of my blemishes
- SKII Cellumination Essence - as recommended on Beauty Snob. I'm not sure if I look more 'illuminated' (perhaps I need to use it in conjunction with the Cellumination Deep Surge to notice a major difference?) but I'm really liking how quickly this absorbs and how nicely it sits under my other products
- Le Metier De Beaute Peau Vierge - also discovered thanks to Beauty Snob. The priciest tinted moisturiser I've ever bought but also probably the best. This really evens out my skin tone
- La Roche Posay Uvidea XL BB Cream in Shade 02 Natural - I love all things La Roche Posay and with SPF50 this covers my sunscreen needs

Night products (bottom left) from L-R:
- SKII Signs Eye Cream - Purchased upon my sister's recommendation. She actually switched to a cheaper eye cream when she ran out of this and discovered she was starting to get crows feet so vowed never to stop using this ever again. This stuff is really rich which is great for my dry skin
- Effaclar Duo once again
- SKII Whitening Spots Specialist - my sun spots are really starting to bug me so the sales assistant suggested I give this a go. Not sure how much lighter my spots are but like the Cellumination Essence, this also sinks in to my skin really nicely

and finally,

- SKII Skin Signature Melting Rich Cream - a super rich cream which is pretty much solid in the jar and has to be warmed up between the fingertips. Upon application though it really does melt straight in to the skin

And not to my latest discovery and favourite beauty buy of the trip - My Beauty Diary's 2-Step America Soothing Pack of five facial masks. These were 50% off at Mannings when I was there and I actually prefer these over the SKII Facial Treatment Masks not only because they are much much cheaper (even at full price), but the actual mask is a lot thinner than the SKII ones and so don't slip and slide all over your face if you happen to be standing up/eating/watching TV (which I usually do while masking it up lol). Each mask in this particular 2-step pack also comes with a little sachet of soothing serum to smear on as you please afterwards.

In other news, I saw Mr Ng off at the airport last weekend and it was so much harder than I imagined it would be. I'm now trying to fill up my days with things to do but the nights sure are quiet..
Can't wait to see you in 3 weeks babe!

Singapore, December 2012

I really love Singapore, but the last time Mr Ng and I went there was back in 2008 so it's been a while. This time round we went with my parents and so not only did I want to stay somewhere a little nicer but I also had strict instructions from my Mum to stay in a hotel within walking distance to Orchard Road (Singapore's famous retail strip). So we decided on the Four Seasons located on Orchard Boulevard which is just behind Orchard Road and I have to say this place has now made it on to my list as one of the nicest hotels I've had the pleasure of staying at.

Since we booked through American Express, we were upgraded to the Boulevard rooms which, as the name suggests, had a great view of Orchard Boulevard. Our rooms were super spacious and clean, had a huge bathroom with separate section for the WC and bidet and my favourite - L'Occitane bathroom amenities! And because we arrived on Christmas Day, we were delighted to find a cute little Christmas cake waiting for us:

I think it's small touches like these that really make a hotel stand out.

Our booking also included a set dinner for two per room which we enjoyed on our first night which was surprisingly very good:

The only other meals we had at the hotel were the continental breakfasts each morning but this too was really enjoyable.

Now on to Iggy's which was ranked 26th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list last year, and was our one fine dining meal for the trip. I honestly had never heard of Iggy's until my Mum read about it in a magazine but once we knew we were going to be in the same country as Asia's Best Restaurant 2012, we booked as soon as we could. Only the degustation Christmas Menu was offered on the night we went and at SGD275 per person (excluding tax) it was probably the priciest meal I've had in my life. However each of the dishes were so beautifully presented and the flavour, omg..it really was a feast for the senses. Yes, portions were on the smaller size but by the end of the meal we all felt just right.

Clockwise from left: Snacks to start - Gillardeau oyster, Somen and Golden Oscietra, Sea bream and ankimo, Buri and egg sauce

Snow crab, Onion tart, yummy soudough bread, Alba white truffle (hands down best pasta ever)

(choice of either) Kinmedai, (or) Roast Duck, Consomme, Mr Iggy himself who was nice enough to go around and greet every single table

Forest berries - campari, blood orange and lime mascarpone, very cool food 'cover' through which the waiters asked us to smell the food after removing the metal ball before revealing the dish, Pumpkin - spiced sponge cake, Petit fours - chocolate, pecans, selection of home-made chocolates and macaroons which we picked from a 'Christmas tree'

The restaurant is located inside the Hilton Singapore on Orchard road and they only take bookings one month in advance so if you're thinking of going be sure to book as soon as you can since it's only a very small restaurant (from what we could see approximately 10 tables and a separate private dining room).

And now some random photos to leave you with:

famous Paradise Dynasty xiao long bao at Ion Orchard

out and about on Orchard Road and at Marina Bay Sands

Hawker food! including super smooth tofu fa/tofu pudding) from Hong Kong Bean in Chinatown (funny, I've never seen this in HK)

I feel like we didn't explore too much food-wise this trip but hopefully there will be a next time. I miss Singapore already...

Goodbye 2012

The end of 2012 probably couldn't have come sooner for my family - it was a crazy year full of ups and downs that sadly ended in the death of my Grandmother just days before her 90th birthday celebration. In a way though it was good that because so many of us had planned to go back to Malaysia to celebrate, we were all present for the funeral and I truly think that that's what she had wanted. She was an absolutely incredible woman who will be very much missed but definitely not forgotten.

With everything that's happened I've been in no mood to blog since coming home last month. But life as Mr Ng and I now know it is about to change in a very big way as Mr Ng heads off to HK to work from next week on. Sadly I have made the (tough) decision not to go over with him straight away so it looks like we are going to have to rely on Skype in between my trips over there for at least the next few months. I know absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder..but I also know that my nights and weekends are going to be so very boring without him around.

So back to blogging it is!

Oopsie..

Ok so I know I'm supposed to be on a major shopping ban but it's not my fault that Black Friday deals are just so damn good! In case you didn't already know, last Friday was the day after Thanksgiving and is referred to as Black Friday which is pretty much America's equivalent to our Boxing Day (but SO much better imo). I've only ever been in Hawaii once three years ago for Black Friday but omg it was awesome. Fortunately though for those of us not living in the States or lucky enough to be on holidays there around this time, many American online retailers also participate in the sales and this year was no exception.

Having been eyeing a couple of pairs of shoes for (what feels like) the longest time, I guess it was inevitable I was gonna take advantage of Shopbop's spend and save offer. Starting with a pair of black Newbury boots by Rag & Bone which I first read about on Goop's 'Packing tips for travel' newsletter back in August. There are so many great reviews of these boots over at Shopbop and I've gotta say they are all pretty much true - these boots are so amazingly comfortable, and feel more like flats than heels:

Just for reference (because I'm always searching other people's blogs for sizing advice) these ran true to size for me although I probably won't wear thick socks with mine.

This next pair is all Mr Ng's fault after he bought a copy of HK's Next Magazine featuring an article on Kelly Chen's outfits of the week:

                                                                         image from the Nov 08 issue of Next

I love Kelly Chen, and I love her style even more so into the shopping cart her Ash sneakers went as well:

Again for reference, I took these in my usual size and I can most definitely still wear these comfortably with thickish socks on. However these are available in whole sizes only so if you're between sizes it probably would be best to size down (so much for no more black shoe purchases..).

The 'Big Event' spend and save promotion is still on for another few more hours so scoot on over there now before it's too late!

Bioderma In Oz!

I've blinked and it's now only 5 weeks away from Christmas - my absolute favourite time of the year. And this year it will be especially exciting as Mr Ng and I will be holidaying with my parents over the Christmas period in Singapore before going to Malaysia to celebrate my Grandmother's 90th birthday. And then it will be off to Tokyo just the two of us to celebrate my own birthday - the first time going to Japan for both of us so I can't wait!

But due to the upcoming travels I've been trying very very hard to curb my spending, and sticking pretty much to necessities only i.e. beauty products. Unfortunately with zero trips to either HK or the States this year I've been unable to stock up on some of my favourites and have been forced to pay the sky high prices for them here (though I suppose I should be grateful that they are even stocked here in the first place).

I've mentioned this before but one of my all-time favourites is still Bioderma's Crealine H2O which I use as a pre-cleanse to take off my make-up before I do a proper cream cleanser cleanse. I actually ran out of this a couple of months ago and have been using other cleansing waters by Vichy and Caudalie which I picked up on previous trips overseas. But I have to say ever since I stopped the Bioderma the condition of my skin has really started to deteriorate - I break out much more than usual these days and my redness has really started to increase.

So after a bit of googling I was so happy to discover that as of earlier this year Bioderma products are actually stocked at quite a few pharmacies around New South Wales and Victoria! And low and behold I managed to pick one up from a pharmacy just down the road from me:

250mL retails for a crazy $AU39.95 (I pay less than that for 500mL in HK) but at least I got a bunch of cotton pads for free which makes me feel a little better lol.

Cosmetiques de France is the exclusive distributor of Bioderma products in Australia and you can go to their website here to find a stockist near you.

Totally off topic now but the other week I was at the movies and saw a trailer for Ang Lee's new movie Life Of Pi.
My opinion? BEST. TRAILER. EVER.