Takashimaya Beauty Hall Gets A Facelift With New Beauty Brands and Counters

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Hi Huneybees,


Last week, I was at Takashimaya to celebrate their fabulous 25th anniversary in Singapore. Not only were there celebrity appearances, we also did a tour around the new revamped counters at their new Beauty Hall and got introduced to some of the new luxury beauty brands available.


Themed as #UnveilANewFace, the level 1 space is now more welcoming and spacious for a wider walkway, yet housing more beauty brands. It's now more luxurious and you can spot the brand you are looking for, just at one glance, thanks to the streamlined pillars.


At the event, I was introduced to bloop. They have a series of special nail polishes that are suitable for nail stamping. I tried my hand at it and it was super easy to get my nails "printed" with design, especially with their Clear Magnifying Stamper, you can adjust the design and have it printed on your nails exactly where you want it. I was given a special Singapore themed plate, let me play with it a little and share about it with you all on another post.


So, what's exciting is the introduction of new brands like Hera, Chantecaille and MDNA SKIN. They each cater to our different skin needs, our different styles and I'm super happy to see these "new" players in the beauty scene and can't wait to give them a try too.


We did a little walk around the new beauty hall and there was a few demonstrations. One is the "How to achieve Seoulista Look" at the Hera counter by celebrity makeup artist Ginger Lynette and Hera’s MU artist Lee Sehyoung from Korea.


What is a Seoulista exactly? The term was coined by Lee Eun-im, Division Director at the Korean cosmetics brand Hera, and the word has come to embody the Korean beauty so desired by Western women at the moment. The Seoulista is an attractive woman who has a natural and well-­honed instinct to see beyond beauty and fashion trends to create her own, inimitable style. She is professional, sophisticated, and makes rational and informed decisions.


The concept of the Seoulista has become so coveted, with looks such as 'gradient lips' and 'dewy skin' just like their spokesperson - Gianna Jun Ji Hyun. Check out the video demo above on how using Hera's Black Cushion and  Rouge Holic, you can create that Seoulista look.



Chantecaille in Takashimaya is the ONLY COUNTER IN Singapore. It is a luxury, an animal-cruelty free beauty brand from New York City committed to nature and environmental conservation and highly loved by Angelina Jolie and Kristen Stewart. The packaging is very luxurious and looking at the products with embossed prints, I almost can't bear to swipe my fingers on them.


Created alongside the pop queen, Madonna, the MDNA SKIN skincare line harnesses the power of
mineral rich thermal waters and volcanic clay from Montecatini to achieve the golden balance for
radiant and lifted skin. This counter in Takashimaya is the ONLY COUNTER IN South East Asia. If you want flawless, firm and tight skin like the Queen of Pop herself, you can try out their products.


I also caught demonstrations at the new Fresh counter, where Ginger taught the crowd about the wonders of Binge masking with prepping the skin using Vitamin Nectar Mask as prepping followed by Rose Face Mask for enhancing, and the Black Tea Overnight Mask for overnight.


At Albion, Eunice their trainer shared the amazing experience of using Albion skincare,
particularly their amazing Skin Conditioner which has been sold 3 million in a year. Ginger also did a demonstration and shared her beauty tips and tricks of using the full extension mascara and their signature face powder.


Other than the brands mentioned above, there are also the revamped and new counter stores in the Beauty Hall. There are the:

  • Cle De Peau Beauté new counter design is adapted to evoke a sense of luxury with the modern woman’s comfort in mind; aligning with brand’s identity through designs.
  • Sisley new’s counter is like entering a unique venue where care and well-being reign supreme. Discover Phyto-Aromatic Facial treatments, exclusively available at Takashimaya Department store.
  • ReFa is a celebrated crowd favourite since its launch, their highly-raved platinum rollers that instantly lifts and firms the skin, it celebrates its newly revamped counter and ReFa EXPRESSION launch.
  • The History Of Whoo newest premium luxury skincare range addresses early signs of ageing caused by environmental aggressors. Their Cheonyuldan is the combination of Modern Reinterpretation of China’s Cixi Empress Dowager’s beauty regimen and highly valued medicinal ingredients.
  • Three revolves around achieving balance between mind body and skin. This holistic skincare, bodycare and haircare have powerful effects of essential oils and plant-based ingredients.
  • Shiseido counter has a simple presentation that allows beauty to be experienced and shared – within herself and within others. It embodies the essence of Contemporary Japan and a new style of Omotenashi that is relevant to the consumers of the social age.
  • Discover SK-II Masterpiece PITERA collection, which is the most luxurious skincare collection. Crafted with rare Youth Peach extract and the finest Golden PITERA, treat yourself to the ultimate indulgence and achieve the pinnacle of beautiful skin: a taut, supple and radiance complexion now.
  • Yves Saint Lauren Beauté – Ravel in the new YSL Beauté counter at Takashimaya Department Store; the only young, edgy, and luxurious Parisian counter brand.


Lastly, for those who are looking for facial services, they have now bigger cabins for an ultimate luxurious experience for customers. The brands with these new and upgraded cabins include Cle De Peau Beauté, La Mer, Dior, La Praire and Sisley.


Do go check out the new shopping space this weekend, I love the new beauty hall and let's say my wallet is feeling the burn. LOL! Have a great weekend my Huneybees and do share your shopping hauls ~~~



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I Am So Looking Forward To STGCC 2018!

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Hi Huneybees,


The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) is back on 8th and 9th of September at Marina Bay Sands Singapore and I am so excited!

STGCC has always been an important annual event for yours truly Queen Bee and myself as we both are big fans of illustrated arts.


Having Japanese Manga & Anime coming under one roof with American Comics & Cartoon, STGCC is the Comic Con with a twist to us in Singapore...the largest pop culture convention, a must-go event for fans to meet up with some of the famous illustrators, creators, voice actors, including:

Works by Agnes Garbowska including My Little Pony (left) and DC Super Hero Girls
  • My Little Pony’s artist Agnes Garbowska from Canada will be making a return. Known for her whimsical watercolour aesthetic, she is also behind one of three unique STGCC official programme guides' comic variant cover designs!
Emmy award writer and illustrator, Frank Cho, is the cover artist for Batman at DC Comics
  • Comic book writer and artist Frank Cho from USA, known for his works for Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk is back for his second year.

  • Veteran voice actress Kana Ueda from Japan, who has voiced prominent characters in popular anime series such as Rin Tohsaka (Fate Series) and Hayate Yagami (Nanoha Series) will be making her Southeast Asian debut.

  • Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding from USA, a bonafide superhero alumnus with titles such as Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther to his credit.

  • Comic artist David Finch from Canada who has contributed to notable Marvel and DC Comics titles such as Batman, New Avengers, Moon Knight, Ultimatum, and Wonder Woman. 

  • Eisner-nominated comic illustrator and designer Mark Brooks from UK who recently unveiled his uber-cool rendition of the Batmobile for the Detective Comics.

  • Character designer Range Murata (むらた れんじ) from Japan, known for anime series such as Blue Submarine No.6, LASTEXILE, Shangri-La. 

  • Musical artist and composer YUC’e from Japan, who has contributed to rhythm games such as beatmania IIDX and SEGA’s CHUNITHM. 

Also, sharing the stage is Good Game Experience (GGXP) zone, which returns for a second tie-up with STGCC 2018, after a successful last year. With Singapore Qualifier to World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) - also touted as the Olympics of esports - to be held at GGXP, I am expecting hardcore gamers battling it out via games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Dota 2, Starcraft II and Vainglory for a spot to compete at the Regional Finals in Kuala Lumpur, and subsequently at the Global Finals in Shanghai for a cool prize pool of USD 5.5 million!

Trading card gamers and tabletop gamers will also not be left out as there are sections within GGXP reserved for card titles such as Pokemon GO and Dragon Ball Super Card Game as well as tabletop games like Team Yankee, TANKS!, Warhammer and X-Wing: Miniatures. 

As a huge LEGO fan, I am so excited to learn that STGCC this year has partnered with the Danish toy building brick maker to bring an exclusive remarkable LEGO brick displays, assembling activities and competition to the visitors.


The main highlights at the LEGO zone will be Harry Potter and Voltron: Defender of the Universe. While I'm not a Harry Potter fan and hence will not be interested to get one of those limited quantity of the whopping 6,000 LEGO pieces of Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (71043) that will be available at STGCC as part of the set's official release on 1st September 2018 nor the Harry Potter brickheadz x Go Brick Me collections, but as a Lego builder, I am still looking forward to visiting the Hogwarts campus at the event as it will be constructed entirely from LEGO bricks!


When LEGO announced that it was releasing the largest LEGO Ideas set to date -Voltron (21311) at 2,321 LEGO pieces - on 1st August 2018, it has bought much nostalgia to many adult LEGO fans who had caught the 1984-1985 cartoon: Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Apart from screening episodes of the Voltron: Defender of the Universe on big screens during STGCC, five (5) interactive Voltron-themed lion figurines that transform into robotic lions will be also be unveiled.

Last but not least, for cosplayers who are blessed with nimble fingers, SINGER® Sewing Company’s Experience Zone will be at STGCC for fans to assemble their own superhero outfits, with up to 1,000 complimentary capes provided.

STGCC INFORMATION  
Date: 8 & 9 September 
Time: 10am - 8pm daily 
Venue: Marina Bay Sands Expo, Halls D, E, F  

For more information on ticketing, do visit https://www.singaporetgcc.com/en-gb/Tickets.html for more promotions and discounts!



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VAIO Is Back But Can It Survive The Ever Competitve PC Market?

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Hi Huneybees,


Yes, you read it right, VAIO has resurfaced back in the Personal Computing (PC) business after it was sold by SONY to a private equity group back in 2014!



After four (4) years of abyss, VAIO has unveiled the premium VAIO S Series - S11 and S13 - to some great Japanese fare on the 16th of August at Keyaki in Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore.


To distinguish itself from an even more competitive PC market four years ago, the new series of VAIO laptops incorporates the latest i5/i7 8th Generation Intel core processors to its sleek hexagonal design and light wright materials to ensure robustness, durability and weight reduction.

VAIO S13 features a thicker cooling vent with higher heat dispersing capability to ensure stable and high operation capacity

Credit to its Japanese-made craftsmanship and adaptation of magnesium alloy for VAIO S13 and carbon fibre for VAIO S11, both laptops are just 5mm thin at their slimmest point and weighs at only 1.07kg and 0.85kg respectively


Have a peace of mind with the all new VAIO S Series laptops as access can be programmed via the integrated fingerprint reader! 

Other innovations for the VAIO S series include an intuitive fingerprint reader for more convenience but secure access and an anti-spill keyboard that has had underwent stringent drink spill tests of up to 150ml!



Say goodbyes to adaptors as all new VAIO S Series laptops have all the necessary ports built-in for business focused users  

Overall VAIO S Series, powered by the latest Microsoft Windows 10 OS, has what it takes to impress any casual or business user who is shopping for a all-purpose laptop. Designed for portability while packed with all the latest technical specification such as Full HD LCD display, 256GB/512GB SSD, a 8th Generation Intel core processor, 1Mp webcam, a SD card reader and even a VGA port on top of HDMI and 3x USB 3.0 ports, the VAIO S Series is more than capable for video-streaming, web-surfacing, ppt presentation and working on other office productivity software.


Nevertheless, I wasn't impressed with VAIO S Series. While the Business PC is a huge market, it is also known as a cut-throat market where pricing is a major consideration on top of availability and technical support. Unfortunately, the new VAIO S Series look "over spec" for general usage but "less sexy" and/or "less flexible" compared to those ultra-mobile PCs such as Microsoft Surface Pro or Apple MacBook Air.

Ironically, it was VAIO that first created a disruption to the PC market with its first ultra-mobile PC under the U series back in 2004 and followed by the more iconic UX series in 2006. Let's hope it has plans in the coming months to repeat the feat, but until then, sorry to VAIO S series.



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I Am Living Towards My Star Wars Childhood Dream With The Progression Such As LG’s AI-Enabled ThinQ Devices!

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Hi Huneybees,



We have certainly came a long way with Artificial Intelligence (AI). I could still vividly recall the excitement of watching R2D2 and C3PO supporting human in their daily activities all over the galaxies, and I never thought (at a tender age of 6 then) I could live to see the realisation of it.

Today, while we are not exactly living in the Star Wars world yet, we do already have a taste of it like the moving Robot Vacuum that many of us owned at home. Whether you like it or not, AI has already made great leap intertwining into our daily life - from our mobile devices that we carry around to the house appliances at home ready to enhance our living experience.

With the rise of Internet Of Things (IoT), smart appliances are abound but companies such as LG Electronics’ (LG) continues to innovate in AI technology and design to realise my childhood (and many Huneybees alike) of living in the Star Wars fantasy. It is this exact determination that have earned the Korean electronic giant the recognition from the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA).


LG’s AI ThinQ-enabled products including LG OLED TV, LG SUPER UHD TV and LG XBOOM were honored for their high competitiveness in categories assessing premium picture quality, artificial intelligence performance and sound excellence.


The LG OLED TV AI ThinQ (model OLED65E8) was named the EISA PREMIUM OLED TV 2018-2019, marking this the seventh consecutive win for the company’s OLED technology. The TV was praised for its picture quality powered by the α (Alpha) 9 processor, which provides true-to-life images with incredibly rich colors, sharpness and depth for more realism and its class-leading artificial intelligence functionality. The EISA jury also praised the Dolby Atmos™ performance and its front firing speakers which produce the most immersive audio-visual experience possible. The picture-on-glass design was also cited for perfectly blending into any environment.


The LG SUPER UHD TV AI ThinQ (model 65SK9500) was recognized as the EISA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TV 2018-2019 for producing the ultimate LCD TV picture through the combination of technologies including Nano Cell, Full-Array Local Dimming (FALD) and the α (Alpha) 7 processor, as well as LG’s AI ThinQ plat-form and Google Assistant built in.
With LG’s proprietary AI ThinQ, users can control the  TV,  connect  easily to external  devices, switch picture mode and search for content.


The latest advanced voice assistant technology embedded in the TV is achieved by employing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to deliver intelligent voice-activated control and connectivity based on LG’s exclusive deep learning technology. And with the Google Assistant built in, LG’s AI TVs offer a streamlined experience that allows them to manage different tasks, find answers, or control smart home devices, serving as the center of the smart home.
LG’s SUPER UHD TV offers denser backlighting zones throughout the display and significantly improves black levels and picture dimensions through independent control of LED light zones. This delivers better shadow details and reduces light bleeding for enhanced local contrast, important for viewing HDR content. Thanks to the innovative Nano Cell Display, TV viewers can enjoy superb color accuracy and consistency at wide viewing angles without compromising picture quality.

EISA also named LG’s premium AI speaker, the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ (model WK7), as its EISA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LOUDSPEAKER 2018-2019 thanks to extraordinary sound quality combined with intelligence. The technical collaboration with Meridian, the British pioneer of high resolution audio, enables LG XBOOM AI ThinQ’s full audio performance to be unleashed for high-fidelity sound, precise vocal definition and accurate bass.
The LG XBOOM AI ThinQ’s High Resolution Audio is compatible with high quality lossless files, allowing it to faithfully recreate sounds originally recorded in the studio.
With Google Assistant integrated directly into the device for quick setup, LG XBOOM
AI ThinQ responds to a user’s commands without the need for a remote control or
smartphone like “Hey Google, what’s my schedule today?” As a hub, the speaker can
control Google Assistant-enabled smart home devices as well as LG home appliances
compatible with LG ThinQ.

Once again, congratulation to LG for this year's EISA honors. It's innovation such as LG's AI-enabled ThinQ devices that is going to move us a step closer towards living my Star Wars childhood dream!


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We Got Super Soakin' Wet At Hong Kong Disneyland

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Hi Huneybees,


Here is the promised post about the GREAT FUN I have had at "Carnivale of Stars" at Hong Kong Disneyland following my previous post about my planned trip there recently! 

With so much to share with my Huneybees, I have decided to spend some time to create a video (and hence the delay of this post...) that best described my experience instead. In this video, I will share some pre-trip tips, the top (THREE) 3  MUST-SEE highlights that you shouldn't miss as well as the things you should try and buy while you were there!



I hope my Huneybees will like this video that I have created. To complete the magic summer "Carnivale of Stars" experience, I would suggest that you stay in one of the three Hong Kong Disneyland hotels next to the theme park so that you could travel there earlier to beat the queues for the popular rides or the meet-and-greet sessions. It is the same reason why you should avoid the peak hour traffic when you take MTR back to the airport.


With so many cheap flight promotions, from budget airlines like Scoot to full-fledged service carriers like Cathay Pacific, over this summer period, I would highly recommend Huneybees to take some time off next two weekends to visit the "Carnivale of Stars" at Hong Kong Disneyland before it ends on 2nd September 2018.


Have fun with Mickey and Minnie and stay hydrated! 




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Will Chelly Unveil Her True Identity When EGOIST Returns For Their Second Solo Concert In Singapore?

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Hi Huneybees,


Fans of EGOIST will be looking forward to the virtual band's second solo concert in Singapore on 8th September 2018 at Zepp@BIGBOX. 


Not only have the fans been promised of a EGOIST concert with even better effects and technology than previous, everyone is also hoping to see if Chelly, the vocalist of the band under the persona of Inori Yuzuriha, will be showing her face to fans in Singapore!!!


To date, Chelly has yet to unveil her face to fans around the world. Chosen by Ryo (Supercell), the band's composer and producer, amongst 2,000 other candidates who vied for the position of EGOIST’s vocalist back in 2011, the 24 year old Japanese performed live through motion-capture devices that she hooked up to for her fans to track her movement. It is through this way that the audience would hear her voice live but also see a virtual image of Inori singing.


Originally created as a fictional band to produce the theme music for the popular animation: Guilty Crown, EGOIST's great success allowed the pair to continue their music journey by producing for other popular animation series such as: PSYCHO-PASS, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and Fate/Apocrypha.

Their popularity in Singapore is also high as the VVIP tickets for this coming concert has already been SOLD OUT within 5 minutes since tickets sales. For more information on ticketing for <EGOIST LIVE IN SINGAPORE 2018> , do click on this URL.




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Kenny G Is Coming To Singapore For One Night Only

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Hi Huneybees,


For 1 night only, the world famous saxophonist, Kenny G, will be in Singapore to perform for his fans. Enjoy a night of romantic Jazz in a typical exotic Bossa Nova style as he holds his solo concert "One Night Only – Kenny G Live in Singapore”, this November 8th 2018.


After three years, Kenny G is returning to Singapore and avid jazz and bossa nova fans can look forward to a brand-new interpretation of his latest album, “The Brazilian Nights”, which was released in early 2015. This is the album which helped Kenny G get on to the Billboard 200, at number 86; he was inspired when he was touring and travelling in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro.  Whilst there, he fell in love with the bossa nova genre, the people in Brazil and the nights of dancing and singing. He decided, then, to include the bossa nova sounds into his new album. The album's deluxe edition also contains four live versions of Kenny G's biggest hits, such as "Forever in Love" and "Heart and Soul."
  

Being one of the most iconic and best-selling instrumental musicians of all time, with global record sales totaling more than 75 million, Kenny G is a winner of several music awards including a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for “Forever in Love” and American Music Award for Favourite Adult Contemporary Artist,  as well as other wins in his career of more than three decades. With 23 music albums under his belt and a record sale of more than 75 million albums, he earned himself a solid reputation in the industry as one of the world's best saxophone player.




Kenny G is excited to be back, having held his last concert here in 2015. He is eager to share his love for bossa nova that has inspired him for a long while, with his Singapore fans at the exclusive one-night-only performance.

“I cannot wait to meet all my loyal fans in Singapore to give them a taste of what a romantic and exotic night in Brazil is like, through my music. It will be such a great reunion. I hope to be able to share my love for bossa nova with all my fans in Singapore.” --- Kenny G

Early bird promotions for tickets in categories 1-6 will take place from 20th August - 2nd September 2018 exclusively for MasterCard cardholdersBelow are the details of the ticket prices:           


For more information about CK Star Entertainment and "One Night Only: Kenny G Live in Singapore" 2018 concert, please visit http://www.ckstarentertainment.com/.
Facebook: CK Star Entertainment 
Instagram: @ckstarentertainment.sg





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