Nestled in the heart of the city, ION orchard is not only your gateway to the chicest vogue labels but also the home to the most well-known beauty retailers in the world.
Last week, I had the honour of exploring the beauty havens with the folks at ION Orchard and also received some pretty cool products from their generous retailers.
I posted photos of the welcome packets on Instagram and I immediately received a YSL review request from my excited friend, Elrica. So I decided to prioritise the post and publish it this week! Just for you, my friend! 😀
Now click for my account of the ION Orchard tour, YSL review as well as info on an amazing beauty program that allows you to redeem free samples!
The guys at ION Orchard made sure we commenced our store visit with a satisfied stomach.
So our day began with a pleasurable brunch at Jones the Grocer which is located on the fourth floor.
The menu
I ordered the Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale – Jasmine Tea which has a pretty unique and earthy taste. It was spicy yet refreshingly aromatic. Think flavors of jasmine tea, ginger and soda merged into one.
Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale – Jasmine Tea
Scrambled eggs and bacon are my definitive choices for brunch. It’s a huge bonus that the scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection – not runny but soft and creamy. It’s da bomb!
Jones the Grocer is located at ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn #04-12 Singapore 238801. Click here to see their other store locations.
After the fulfilling meal, we were surprised with our first gift of the day – ION Rewards.
The ION Rewards membership entitles us to: – Complimentary two-hour parking (with min. SGD100 spent) – Dining privileges – Special promotions – Exclusive discounts – Updates on fashion, arts, dining and lifestyle trends
You can find out more about it here.
Well, I mentioned it was the first gift because there was a second gift from the ION Orchard reps!
Personalized greeting cards!
Tadah! It was a specially curated box of beauty goodies from their esteemed retailers; Apivita, Beauty by Nature, Biotherm Homme, Dr Ci:Labo, Dr Hauschka, FANCL, Kiehl’s, L’Occitane, Lab Series, Laneige, Shu Uemera, Skin Inc, The Body Shop, VMV Hypoallergenics and YSL Beauté!
Now let the tour begin!
Our first stop was Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, the French luxury label’s first standalone flagship boutique in Southeast Asia.
It houses an extensive collection of skincare, makeup and fragrances that is bound to turn you into the discerning beauty maven. 🙂
Satisfy your unsatiated appetite for colors with Yves Saint Laurent’s newly launched ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain – Rebel Nudes that come in a staggering 10 color variations.
The beauty trainers at YSL Beaute also showed us how to highlight and contour the face through a professional makeup demo.
The key products that were used to achieve this look – Yves Saint Laurent LE TEINT TOUCHE ÉCLAT Illuminating Foundation SPF 19, Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLAT – Radiant Touch and Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain – Rebel Nudes.
Thereafter, we were introduced to APIVITA, a natural cosmetics company from Greece.
Inspired by the society of the bee, which is distinguished through harmony, balance and its solid structure, APIVITA incorporates the Honey Bee products into the creation of their skincare line. Ingredients which APIVITA borrows from the honey bee include: nature’s miracle antiseptic (propolis), the purest natural energy source (honey), nature’s secret elixir (royal jelly), and the richest source of amino acids in the natural world (bee pollen).
APIVITA is conveniently located at ION Orchard B3-45/46. You can find out more about them by visiting their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/APIVITASG.
I’ll share more about them and their products in my APIVITA review soon.
Our tour culminated with a product demonstration at Dr. Hauschka, a natural skin care product line that respects and works with the skin’s natural rhythms to restore balance and bring about lasting beauty.
Dr. Hauschka is located at ION Orchard, #01-05/06. See the list of their other outlets on their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/drhauschkasgp.
By the end of the tour, I was four bags of beauty products ‘richer’. Haha!
ION Orchard loves me, they really love me! ❤❤❤
And guess what? They’re spreading that love to you too.
From now till 29 September, shoppers will get to indulge in some of the most raved about beauty favourites first-hand by redeeming free sample sized products from 15 participating brands via the ION Orchard mobile app at http://beauty.ionorchard.com.
To participate, key in the URL on your mobile phone, choose a brand and register to obtain an e-voucher. Present the voucher at the participating store to claim your 1-week sample-size product. Try the product at home and share a review via the mobile app to stand a chance to win a full-sized product, receive a discount code or to redeem even more samples!
For further information, visit ION Orchard’s website at www.ionorchard.com and their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/IONOrchard.
My YSL Makeup Review
We were lavishly pampered with these gifts from the YSL Beaute team during our visit: – Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLAT – Radiant Touch – Yves Saint Laurent LE TEINT TOUCHE ÉCLAT Illuminating Foundation SPF 19 – Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain – Rebel Nudes
And here’s my review of each of them. 🙂
Description: A luminizing pen that brings light and radiance to the skin, immediately erases any signs of fatigue, and brightens the complexion.
Loved by models, makeup artists, celebrities, and women everywhere, the award-winning Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch is like eight hours of sleep and an instant pick-me-up in a magic wand. With a few strategically placed strokes of TOUCHE ÉCLAT, the complexion immediately looks rested, rejuvenated, and radiant.
TOUCHE ÉCLAT banishes shadows and tired-looking eyes by adding light and creating an instant lift to the eye area. TOUCHE ÉCLAT widens eyes when used between the eyebrows and along the sides of the nose, and creates fuller looking lips when used in the hollow of the chin and around the contour of the lips. It’s formulated for all skin types and for anyone who wants instant radiance, luminosity, and lift.
How to use: Apply on bare skin or over makeup and blend with fingertips for instant radiance.
Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Peg/ Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Trideceth-3, Methicone, Methylparaben, Squalane. [+/- May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77019 (Mica), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet), Ci 75470 (Carmine), “NF8897”].
Afterthoughts…
Its design is a winner with its click top pen feature and signature sleek gold reflective surface that screams opulence and sophistication.
I used this as a highlighter and a concealer, highlighting the cheekbones and toning down the redness around the nose and mouth area.
I blended the concealer with my hands and this was the result.
The odorless concealer banished the redness and smoothed out my skin. However, I thought it did not disguise the imperfections well. The blemishes and freckles were still pretty visible.
You can see the extent of the coverage with my little demo below.
Without YSL concealer
With YSL concealer
After applying layers of YSL concealer on my mole, it is still strikingly visible. I guess it fails on the coverage department. 🙁
However, despite its sheer coverage, I’m still a huge fan because of its light consistency which does not clog pores. The concealer also did not streak or blotch after hours of application so no retouching required.
However, be prudent with the amount of concealer you apply around your eye area to prevent it from settling in the fine lines.
3 Honeyz crowns for its radiant finish and fab packaging!
B 20 Beige
Description: For the first time, the magic light of Touche Éclat is in a foundation. Infused in a weightless fluid, Touche Éclat foundation targets shadowy areas and highlights the contours of the face. With buildable coverage and free of opaque fillers, this foundation’s perfecting texture evens the complexion and helps conceal imperfections, enhancing your skin’s natural beauty. Available in 17 shades with SPF19 broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
What it is formulated WITHOUT: – Parabens – Sulfates – Petrochemicals – Phthalates – GMOs – Triclosan
Ingredients: – Octinoxate 7%
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, PEG-10, Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Polglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride,, Phenoxyethanol, Caprytyl Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Discdium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylgycerin, Fragrance, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipropylene Glycol, Isotridecyl Isononanoate. May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride.
Afterthoughts…
I’m in awe of its lightweight formulation and matte finish that lasted all day.
Here I am using the B 20 Beige shade.
Like the concealer, the coverage was almost non-existent but I like how it evened out my skin tone and produced a glowing look.
My foundation usually wears off after a couple of hours leaving an unsightly shiny look. The YSL foundation went against this theory and stayed on like super glue, keeping the excess oil at bay.
For its oil-controlling abilities and light texture, 4 Honeyz crowns!
Description: A revolutionary nude glossy stain with all-day 3D luminous effect. This glossy stain captures the shine of a gloss, color of a lipstick, and the long wear of a stain.
Rebel Nudes is the first to premiere Euphoric Pearl technology for an all-day 3D luminous effect. The applicator’s unique slanted tip and short, soft bristles allow for flawless application with perfect precision.
What it is formulated WITHOUT: – Parabens – Sulfates – Phthalates
How to use: – Apply Glossy Stain Rebel Nudes using the applicator. – Do not pout lips, but let dry for 10 seconds to hold extreme shine. – For the ultimate 3D shine effect, apply once more.
Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, Water, Trimethylsiloxyphenyl Dimethicone, Ethylcellulose, Sorbitan Stearate, Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Calcium, Sodium Borosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alumina, Benzyl Benzoate, Anise Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Tin Oxide, Fragrance. May Contain: Ci 77891/ Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Ci 15850/ Red 7, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Ci 17200 / Red 33, Ci 15985 / Yellow 6, Caramel, Ci 42090/ Blue 1, Ci 19140/ Yellow 5, Ci 75470/ Carmine.
Afterthoughts…
Yay! No more ingesting harmful chemicals from lip products. I was happy that YSL steered clear of Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates that obviously pose health-risks.
Ingredients aside, I was also very fascinated with its ingenious applicator that is spongy and slightly slanted to grab the right amount of gloss for a shiny finish in a single swipe.
I was given the 103 Pink Taboo (watermelon pink) lip stain which absolutely complements my skin tone.
This intensity was created after three swipes.
Don’t expect the typical lip gloss look – shimmery and sparkly. Instead, it gives you a sophisticated dewy rich color that’s alluring and sexy.
Despite its super pigmented texture, the gloss feels light and non-sticky. It is certainly one of the best I’ve tried.
4.5 Honeyz crowns!
Have you tried any YSL products too lately? Let me know by sharing your review at Honeyz Cube! Also, stay abreast of the latest beauty news and product launches with Honeyz Cube’s Facebook Page!
I attended the event with Charlene of www.charlenejudith.com fame. Check out her coverage of the event here.
Photo courtesy of Charlene.
Finally, remember to take part in the ION Orchard Fall Beauty Mobile Campaign for your beauty freebies!
Your friend, Juliana
Disclaimer: Do keep in mind that reviews are entirely subjective. It is normal to have differing views so please don’t hate me if I didn’t speak well of your favorite product. I definitely have no intentions of distorting the image of any brand. Well, to each his own (or in this case ‘her’ own), isn’t it? Peace! 😛