Browsing Category

beauty

beauty

Being beautiful

kirsten

“Mommy, mommy, am I pretty?”

“Mmm hmm,” I nodded, glancing at my little girl and then back to my laptop.

“You’re not looking. See?” She held my cheeks with both her hands and turned my head towards her to make sure I was really looking.

Now that she had my full attention, she looked just a little bit shy as she ran her hand across the favorite dressy dress that she had on. I thought I had forgotten about an outing we had planned because she was all dolled up like a little fashionista.

“Very pretty, princess. But we’re not going out today though, mommy has some work to do,” I said.

“I know. I just like to wear this at home.”

Ok, it was way too dressy for an afternoon that we were going to spend not leaving the house. Maybe she was doing the Downton Abbey thing of dressing up for dinner at home but dinner was not for another 3 hours so it was probably more likely that she was really just enjoying this. Dressing up for no reason at all except that it was fun.

And I realized that I was in unchartered territory. I don’t think I thought much about being pretty at her age and even when I did fully grasp the concept years later, it always seemed like such a pointless endeavor to spend my time twirling around in a frilly dress. I had far better things to do – books to read, music to discover, places to explore, adventures to be had. I was a total nerd that way. I even had a pair of super thick, perfectly round black plastic glasses to complete the nerd look. This whole dressing up for nothing concept was foreign to me.

“Let me take a proper look,” I said. “I think you’re gorgeous, sweetheart.”

She beamed.

I wasn’t quite sure how to take it from there. I wanted to tell her that there’s more to life than looking pretty and that she is so much more than just her looks. That pretty dresses are great but it’s more important to be beautiful on the inside, that sort of thing. But I had a feeling it was something she already knew.

In most other aspects, she’s a lot like me. She loves stories, adventures, sports, the great outdoors. The only difference is that she also loves to dress up as well. Dresses, accessories, tiaras, make up, nail polish, she loved them all. For a 4-year-old, she’s got quite an eye for outfits, often better than I do.

I pulled her up onto my lap and said, “You know you’re beautiful all the time, right? Even when you’re not wearing a pretty dress.”

“Even when I’m in my jammies?” she asked.

“Uh huh. Even when you’re in your jammies, you’re super duper beautiful.”

“Jammies are not beautiful…” she giggled.

“Well, when you’re beautiful inside, you’ll always be beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”

“I know,” she said, nodding. “But I like to wear dresses sometimes too. Can I, can I?”

“Of course you can, baby girl.”

This, having a dressy girly girl, it’s all new to me. I always thought that girls who spent far too much time on how they look all had a bit of bimbo in them and I want my daughter to grow up to be so much more. To have adventures, to spend her time curled up with books, to learn about being kind and brave and compassionate even if it means getting her hands dirty. But I guess dressing up is her way of expressing her individuality and I didn’t want to squash that either.

We’ll just have to figure this out together.

beauty, giveaways reviews ads

In search of Porcelain Skin

Advertorial

I was recently invited by Porcelain, The Face Spa to try out their signature skin treatments. I don’t typically do facial spas because it has never seemed like a priority to spend over $300 on a 2-hour session of face pampering. The last time I went for something like that was right before my wedding and even then, I kept thinking it was ridiculous to pay someone to attack my face with sharp pointy instruments.

I’ve also never been particularly fussed about my skin because I figured I was still young and my relatively decent skin would remain decent for quite a while. For many years, my skincare regime consisted solely of a $4.95 cleanser. I moisturized when I could remember (which was not often) and put on a hydrating mask several times a year.

But age is a funny thing. One day not long ago, I woke up with the painful realization that the youthful firmness I was accustomed to was rapidly disappearing and in its place was fine lines, pigmentation and drying skin. All of a sudden, facial treatments became very much of a priority.

So began my search for a suitable skin care solution.

Naturally, I trawled the Internet for reviews on Porcelain first because I’m not just going to let anyone prod at my face with a needle, am I? Although I have to admit that I was a little impressed by the fact that their reviews were nothing short of stellar. Check out some of the comments on their Facebook page. Aunty Jenny (also known as *The Director*) had a legendary reputation for being the best extraction therapist in the business. Their Cozycot Holy Grail Beauty Award for Favorite Skin Perfecting Face Therapy only served as further testament to her extraction prowess. Let’s just say that if there’s an impurity in your skin, Aunty Jenny is the one you want to get rid of it.

I was scheduled to try out 2 different treatments – the Oxy Revive and the Director’s Quintessential Facial. The Oxy Revive involves a jet spray to remove dead cells and impurities as well as a spray of pure oxygen into the skin to sooth and anti-oxidize the skin. This is followed by a Quintessential Facial where Aunty Jenny wields her sharp pointy instruments and goes into full-on extraction mode.

On the day of my appointment, I arrived at a nondescript little shophouse on the second floor of Cantonment Road. As I walked in, I liked how there was a nice homely feel to it.

There was none of the hardcore badgering awkward sales pitch that’s so common in most facial spas. You know the sort. Where they pitch and you decline and they badger and you decline some more and this goes on until they tie you to a chair and tell you horror stories about how your face is going to deteriorate and fall off until you cave and surrender your credit card.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

They started me off with a foot bath and a warm drink to unwind before I was led into the treatment room for the Oxy – a treatment I thoroughly enjoyed. There was calming zen music in the background, a faint scent of aromatherapy in the air and someone to fuss over my face. During the treatment, their OxyJet Gentle Micro-Dermabrasion Therapy was used to cleanse my skin, remove dead cells and brighten skin tone. This was followed by the OxySpray Mist Therapy and a range of custom blended serums and mask. The ingredients were all customized for my skin to increase nutrient absorption and hydration.

After the 90 minutes of indulgent pampering, I walked out feeling like my skin was smoother, younger and fresher. It was definitely the perfect pick me up for tired skin.

I’ll be back next week for the Director’s Quintessential Facial.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Porcelain, The Face Spa. All opinions and text are my own.