Beauty: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence Honest Review

I decided to do a review on the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence because it's one product which had done wonders on my skin. I've been procrastinating for sometime now to do this review, but now that I'm on my semester break, I finally had some time to post this up. 

I have always been curious if this stuff really works, whenever the famous commercial on SK-II pops up on the TV screen. Ever since I've started to include SK-II Facial Treatment Essence in my daily skincare regime, I've noticed a large difference in my skin tone and I break out less often nowadays too.

Previously, I always have these annoying red, uneven spots around my cheeks and above my brows. I have done numerous researches on it and tried everything I could to make them go away, but the redness seems to remain there and I'm always getting comments like 'oh my goodness, are you blushing?'. After using SK-II Facial Treatment Essence religiously for almost a year, I've noticed that its becoming less obvious. Well, I still do have slight redness sometimes but only when the weather is really hot or I've gotten a sunburn because I forgot to put on sunblock.

This essence contains 90% Pitera, the miracle ingredient discovered over 30 years ago which is still used till the present day. Some of the other ingredients are Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate**, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Aqua (Water/ Eau), Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid. It acts as a mild exfoliator which helps your skin to regenerate naturally.

If you have a look at their website, SK-II Facial Treatment Essence works on your skin through the 5 dimensions of beautiful, crystal clear skin which makes spots less visible, reduces wrinkle appearance, refines skin texture, improves firmness and increases radiance.

One bottle of 150 ml lasts me for about 8 months and I'm on my second bottle already. Some of my friends have mentioned that initially, they were a little turned off by the smell which seemed like vinegar. But, after some time, you will get used to it for sure. I love its water-like consistency which isn't sticky and makes application easier. Usually, I will pour a sufficient amount on a cotton pad and pat it all over my face twice a day, in the morning before applying sunblock and at night before going to bed. It's advisable to tap it on to ensure all the good stuffs get thoroughly absorbed into the skin.

Here's how much you need to put on a cotton pad!

I kept a log on the changes that SK-II Facial Treatment Essence had done to improve my overall complexion. Here it is, bear in mind that these pictures are not edited at all, they are RAW images taken straight out of my NX mini.

AFTER 3 MONTHS OF USAGE

Minimal eye makeup with sunblock 

Light makeup 

AFTER 6 MONTHS OF USAGE

Bare faced! 

Full makeup 

You can witness some improvements in my skin after just 6 months. I'm impressed with this miracle water and I'll definitely continue using it. I have also received compliments from many and here's my secret to great skin! I would highly recommend this product to anyone of you out there who wishes to change your skin destiny. 

Food: Raku Pizza @ SS15, Subang Jaya

Raku Pizza is a new kid off the block, serving up Japanese styled pizzas where you can even opt to build your own with your favourite ingredients. This is definitely something different & unique, in fact, I think Raku Pizza is the only one offering this to customers. 

Tucked in the busy township of SS15, Subang Jaya this place is a hit among college students or office workers who prefer to grab a quick bite since Raku Pizza is in line with the fast food concept. The owner of this restaurant, Elaine had came up with this brilliant idea as she absolutely loves Japanese cuisine and wanted to incorporate some excitement into the usual, boring pizzas. 

The simple, classic cafe decorations welcomes you! A great place to have a meal with family or just to chill and hang out with friends. We were there about 7pm and there were a few tables of customers at that time as well.

I maanged to get a shot of them 'decorating' the pizza. It looks fuss free and easy to do with all the ingredients sorted out hygienically. Simply add whatever you like into your pizza and voila!

Before we begin, here's a short introduction on how things work here at Raku Pizza! You may simply choose the combination from the fixed menu or you can opt to choose your crust (charcoal, plain, herbs), sauce (miso, teriyaki, Japanese curry, wasabi mayonnaise) and toppings respectively.

HARU RANGE (Served with Teriyaki Sauce)

Sakurajima Lava (RM 12.90)

A delightful one with teriyaki sauce, cheese, grilled chicken, sweet onions, Japanese mayo and shredded seaweed topped with an 'onsen tamago' (traditional Japanese low temperature egg). Elaine mentioned to burst the egg and spread it all over the pizza as it will enhance the flavour of the other toppings. The charcoal dough was something out of the norm and surprisingly, it suits very well as a pizza base.

RAKU'S SIGNATURE PIZZA

Fujiyama Sunrise (RM 12.90)

This pizza is served with cheese, egg, Japanese mayo, Okonomi sauce, rice seaweed and with choices of chicken sausage, chicken ham, karaage chicken or beef pepperoni. In fact, ours had all the four different choices on each of the slices. This was done with a plain crust and needless to say, I prefer this because I'm still your old fashioned type of pizza lover. 

FUYU RANGE (Served with Wasabi mayonnaise)

Americano Sumo (RM 12.90)

The catchy name for this pizza will definitely pique your curiosity. It is served with cheese, beef pepperoni, sweet onion, sweet corns, wasabi mayonnaise and some shredded seaweed. I initially was a little worried with wasabi mayonnaise as the sauce because it did seemed like an awkward combination on a pizza. In fact, I grew up having the pungent wasabi only on my sushi, but now, they have it in pizzas too? However, I was dumbfounded when I took a bite of this and its surprisingly delicious. The signature wasabi taste was pretty mild and did not overpower the other toppings. A must try for wasabi lovers out there!

OUR OWN CREATION

Carmen's a.k.a My Sister's Pizza (RM 19.80)

So, my sister decided to give it a try and this is what she came out with; herbs curst with Japanese curry sauce and toppings such as soft shell crab, bonito flakes, sweet corn and mentai mayonnaise. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Japanese curry sauce so this wasn't one of my favourites of the night.

Clarrisha's Signature Pizza (RM 26.30)

Well, before you start complaining on the huge price difference, bear in mind that I made this with so many different toppings and guess what, it was the best pizza we had! The combination of plain crust with miso sauce and toppings of soft shell crab, extra cheese, boiled potato, chicken ham and mentai mayonnaise was extraordinarily tasty. It was savoury and the generous amount of soft shell crab added on this is worth every single cent spent on it. 

Jason's Pizza (RM 20.80)

This is Jason's creation with plain crust, teriyaki sauce, karaage chicken, beef pepperoni, extra cheese, mushroom, seaweed and okonomi sauce. 

DONBURI

Chicken Shiogayaki Don (RM 11.90 for M size, RM 14.90 for L size)

For those who isn't a huge fan of pizzas and would like some rice, I'd recommend this bowl of chicken goodness with some pan fried chicken slices and onions with ginger sauce. It was sweet and savoury and I found that the chicken slices were not oily at all. Perfect for weight watchers like myself.

Miso Soup (RM 2.90)

I know miso soup is really not something to shout about, but the white miso they make here is splendid. I even had three bowls of it, but yet, I went home and was still craving for it. 

PROMOTIONS

As for students like myself who are always sourcing around for good, cheap food, here's some WEEKDAYS PROMOTION for you guys. Those who are tight on budget should definitely give this a try.

They even have a card for you to collect points and redeem some free drink or pizza! 

Raku Pizza 楽ピザ
No 80 Ground Floor
Jalan SS 15/4D
47500 Subang Jaya

Selangor

Phone Number : 03 - 5631 2188

Food: Way Modern Chinois @ Clearwater, Damansara Heights

These days, it's not just good food people are searching for but most of us are always on the lookout for something unique. This is the reason why I must introduce Way Modern Chinois which is located at Clearwater, Damansara Heights to you guys. They serve modern Chinese cuisine but here, they incorporate really unique methods of cooking for their dishes.

The entrance to this restaurant is quite unassuming, even my mum and I couldn't locate it at first. To keep the element of surprise, I would not share a picture of the entrance, you would have to find the 'secret door' yourself!

The restaurant itself is dimly lit and has a classy vibe to it. They have simple decorations with quality wooden furnitures and there wasn't any elaborate, complicated designs because they highly emphasize on their food here at Way Modern Chinois.

We had a private room for ourselves since we were there for a review. The room is spacious and can accommodate up to 8 or 9 persons.

The prim and proper way of dining with a great plate setting.

They have a bar serving cocktails, mocktails and liquor to those who would like to chill after a stressful day.

Way Modern Chinois has recently added a Michelin star chef from the USA to their team. They are currently experimenting on molecular cooking techniques to provide an unforgettable dining experience for their customers. This technique explores out of the ordinary traditional methods of cooking. So, feast your eyes on some yummy dim sum I had at Way Modern Chinois.

Skinless Shanghai Soup Dumpling (RM 6/pc)

This skinless Xiao Long Bao (XLB) is different from the usual ones you find at the ordinary Chinese restaurant. Using molecular science, the chefs here have created a 'transparent' dim sum where you can see the stuffings clearly. How they did it, you may ask? It's a tedious process which involves freezing the stuffing with the soup before allowing it to set in a special seaweed powder mixture. The bubbly foam you can see at the end of the spoon is the vinegar which must be eaten together with the XLB at one go. 

Truffle Crab Soup Dumpling (RM 14 for 4 pcs)
Unique dim sum using  squid ink to give the skin its signature black colour. It is filled with stuffing of crab meat and chopped truffles.

Crab Roe Dumpling (RM 19 for 3 pcs)
The dumpling skin is made using pumpkin, giving it a slightly yellow-orange colour. The chefs decided to decorate it with a 'net' made from squid ink and funnily, it had that slightly charred taste to it which enhanced the flavour of the stuffings.

Crab Claw Dumpling (RM 15 for 3 pcs)
This dumpling is loaded with generous amount of prawns, Japanese crab claw and some coriander to make it more fragrant. The skin was just nice and not too thick, so you can enjoy the delicious stuffing.

Sticky Rice Lamb Siew Mai (RM 19 for 3 pcs)
This unique one will definitely be a favourite among lamb lovers. This dumpling has that strong lamb smell which might not be favourable to those who really can't stand that signature smell.  Coated with sticky glutinous rice, this dumpling is pretty similar to a meatball as it is made from minced lamb meat & Chinese celery.



Prawn Dumpling with X.O (RM 16 for 3 pcs)



Fish & Chip (RM 16 for 3 pcs)
Savoury and crispy! Fried potatoes and sea perch with some black vinegar powder for garnishing. This is my favourite because I love anything with potatoes in it, so soft on the inside and fried to crisp on the outside.

Seafood Curry Nest (RM 13 for 3 pcs)
Crispy nest roll with prawns and scallops.



Crispy Bean Curd Skin Roll (RM 17 for 3 pcs)
Bean curd skin wrap with prawns and cheddar cheese stuffings, so delicious and the cheese was squirting out as I bit into this. It was well-made as this was extremely crispy on the outside and I liked that it wasn't too oily as well.

Crispy Dumpling with Wasabi Mayo (RM 15 for 4 pcs)
This dumpling shaped like a Chinese money pouch is stuffed with chicken and chives. The wasabi mayo which is served along with it doesn't overpower the taste of the stuffings and compliments it well.



Wok Fried Cheong Fun with Original Spice Paste (RM 10)
A unique twist to your ordinary chee cheong fun! The chee cheong fun is first pan fried till fragrant and then some dried shrimp paste with chilies is added together. Surprisingly, the combination really compliments one another and can transform the usual, boring chee cheong fun to something so tasty. 

Lotus Leaf Steamed Sticky Rice with Duck (RM 10 for 2 pcs)

Coriander Char Siew Bao (RM 9 for 2 pcs)
The greenish spots are actually chopped coriander added in to make the fluffy 'pau' bun more fragrant with chicken and coriander stuffing. A unique way to have your daily dose of coriander!

Way Modern Chinois is currently having a Dim Sum Promotion and I know you guys are drooling just by looking at the pictures while reading each description. Check out the poster below:

This is definitely a dim sum place worth checking out if you're looking for more variety to your dumplings. Here are the details if you are heading over :)

Way Modern Chinois

No. G-1, WORK@Clearwater,

Jalan Changkat Semantan,

Damansara Heights,

50490 Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 03-2095 1118
Website : Click here!

Daily: Open Snap, Your Ultimate Photo Dining Guide

I'm sure most of you foodies out there may have come across or even heard your friends mentioning

about the latest, hottest photo dining guide, Open Snap. In a nutshell, Open Snap is a free food search engine which you can install on your phones and check when you're in the mood for a gastronomical adventure. Well, many of you, just like myself, will probably wonder what features are available in this application. Open Snap is pretty much similar to a pocket guide to the infamous and probably the most difficult question to answer of all time, "What should we eat?".

Personally, I have had countless encounters where I find myself unable to decide on what to eat. With Open Snap, it is less time consuming now to make that difficult decision. One of the interesting features of this app is that it enables you to bookmark your favourite restaurant or even browse through restaurants based on the ones you have already bookmarked. You can even view the restaurants your friends have visited or bookmarked too. Pretty impressive application, I would say.

Here are some of my bookmarked places :)

An option for you to view some the restaurants which your friends or foodies have bookmarked or visited.

This application is great for those of you who are looking for good food but don't fancy travelling. Open Snap allows you to personalise your location, perhaps around your housing area. Oh, and the map view function is an additional feature for those who are unfamiliar with roads as it shows you the location of the restaurant. I've tried it out myself and I find Open Snap very user-friendly plus, the ratings from other users are honest & reliable too.

Since this application is a photo dining guide, it allows user to view the latest, updated photo feed in all the major cities in Malaysia. This shows you the most popular or frequently visited restaurant and is also useful if you are an adventurous explorer who is always on the lookout for new places to dine.

For amateurs who are absolutely clueless on how to take a great food picture, there is a photo technique guide on Open Snap which teaches you the best angles and ratios on how to get that perfect shot!

I love offers and I'm not afraid to admit it. Well, everyone loves a great deal once in a while and with Open Snap, you can view all the offers nearby too.

Check out some of the offers nearby, who said you need to travel far for the greatest deals? :)

So, what are you guys waiting for? For those who have yet to install this application, wait no more and head over to this link here if you don't want to miss out on good stuffs!