Beauty Review - Teeth Whitening - In Preparation For My Wedding

I've always wanted to get my teeth whitened since I'm such a perfectionist and love everything beautiful - have been wanting to do so for the longest time but really didn't know which option to go for nor the place to have my teeth fixed. Having the set of perfect teeth and smile is definitely the way to go for a perfect photo moment, and what's not the best time to have them whitened before my wedding next month? 

This is my dentist who's gonna help me get my teeth fixed before my big day - super stoked! I haven't had my routine dental check in a year, and the time was before giving birth to baby F. till now, oopsie* I really haven't found time for my yearly checks and I know it's not an excuse, but thankfully there were not any major fixing to be done *phew*.

Teeth whitening procedures are generally considered as low-risks treatments and thus suitable for most people. But still my dentist had to first access if I was a suitable candidate for teeth whitening treatments, so that he could advise what I could expect of the results.  I was told that people with thin enamels would not get as good results as those with thicker enamels.

Other candidates who may not be suitable for teeth whitening are those with..

~ "fake teeth" such as veneers, crowns, bridges, fillings - as only natural teeth would respond to bleaching,
~ those with "white spots" on their teeth - as these spots may become more noticeable after whitening,
~ those with extremely sensitive teeth - as this could exacerbate the condition,

This was me before any treatment and my teeth were a mixture of colour #A2 and #B2. My dentist advised that after religiously completing my whitening treatments, I could potentially achieve up to the first few colours on the teeth colour chart - can't wait!!

So there's actually a few options of teeth whitening treatments to choose from:

1. Chair-side Whitening - this method will take a few weeks of treatments and trips to your dentist. After a consultation, you will have a mould of your teeth made into cast using dental putty. This cast will then be used to create a custom-made tooth whitening tray for you and will be used with every visit to your dentist for the (literal) chair-side whitening procedure. The procedure is done by first applying a protective shield to your gums. then the tooth whitening tray is filled with bleaching agent and worn like a mouth guard. The bleaching agent will oxidise stains and get into the enamel, lightening their shade. This process takes between 30 minutes to an hour. The frequency of visits to your dentist depends on the results you are trying to achieve.  

2. Dentist-provided Home Whitening Kit - this is essentially the same as the chair-side whitening except that you will be doing the treatments at the comfort of your home. Your custom-made mould would be created the same way, then your dentist will instruct you how to perform the rest of the procedure in your own home. This teeth whitening option is less expensive compared to chair-side whitening and useful for those with busy schedules who are unable to make repeated visits to the dentist.

3. Laser Whitening - this is a quicker and more expensive treatment out of the three types of teeth whitening treatments mentioned. The laser whitening works by applying teeth whitening gel and then shining a powerful light (aka the laser) on your teeth to accelerate the process of removing the internal tooth stain. The whole process is very quick and you should be done in less than 2 hours. Some patients experience instant improvement but some may require home-whitening in addition. It all depends on the level of stain on your teeth.

My first visit to the dentist was for consultation, cleaning/ fixing up my teeth (if necessary), and getting a mould of my teeth for the custom-made whitening tray. Came back for my 2nd visit a week later to try the whitening trays out and my dentist also taught me how to perform the whitening procedure at home. I was "warned" that any form of teeth whitening would cause teeth sensitivity to almost every patient, and the only difference would probably be the pain level being different for everyone. Even though I didn't liked the idea of having sensitive teeth, I was sure I would be able to handle the sensitivity - I just haven't felt any sensitivity in my teeth for years already so was not really excited to feel it now.

Got home that night and took the teeth whitening set out to look-see; the Opalenscence Tooth Whitening System set consisted of 8 syringes of teeth whitening gel, a whitening toothpaste, instructions manual, teeth colour chart, and a travel pouch. I was given a pair of teeth whitening trays in a box to keep the trays when not in use.

My dentist advised that the effects of (dentist-provided) home whitening kits are comparable to laser teeth whitening and by going for the home-kit, I'd be able to save more than half as compared to the latter. I would be able to use the whitening trays again in subsequent years (or anytime necessary) so long as I have the whitening gel on hand. Was told that it is actually a very common regime for those in the service line to use teeth whitening products in a frequent manner. Sounds really easy eh?

Had to take another not-so-unglam selfie with the teeth colour chart - before treatment my teeth were a mixture of #A2 and #B2. And just sidetracking a little, I actually didn't have any mascara or contacts on.... My "makeup look" was created with some makeup filters which I recently started playing around with. Super convenient can! I usually only head out with concealer, blusher, and eyeliner so this was a really great and convenient way for me to "prettify" myself for my blog pics. Had to share 'cuz I think my eyes look chio here, hurhur.

Just to let you have a close-up look of my teeth whitening trays....

The whitening trays feel somewhat plasticky/ rubbery to touch, and was soft/ bendable. 

To use the whitening home-kit, 

• brush teeth thoroughly with the provided Opalescence whitening toothpaste followed by flossing, 
• then fill trays with Opalescence whitening gel - a drop into each teeth/segment should be sufficient and you need not apply right to the ends of the trays as usually your last few teeth will not show when smiling.
• secure trays onto both upper and lower teeth and make sure the trays are snugly in place,
• keep trays on teeth overnight for a good 8 hours* and you may remove them in the morning. 
  (* duration may be advised differently depending on the level of stain on teeth)
• please brush teeth (in the morning) with your usual toothpaste or a toothpaste for sensitivity if you need to manage the sensitivity. Make sure not to swallow rinsed gel.
• you may either use toothpaste & toothbrush to gently clean your whitening trays, or water with your toothbrush is fine too.
• repeat the nightly wearing of trays for 14 days (for optimal results).

So this was how I looked like with the whitening trays (was just testing out with no filling in it).... you can see that there's a fine space between my teeth and the trays, it is to hold the whitening gel to kinda like "soak" teeth in it.

And some things to take note of for the home whitening kit:

• Teeth sensitivity and gum irritation may result from ill-fitting trays, over-filling of bleaching agents, or having bleaching agents on for an extended period of time. Both are usually temporary and stop around 2 days after the treatment.
• If excess bleaching agent spills out from trays to gums, do use clean fingers to make sure the gels are wiped off as it may cause gum irritation.
• Sensitivity can be managed with toothpaste for sensitive teeth, or on worse cases to manage sensitivity/irritation with pain killers.
• Avoid food and drinks that are too hot/cold to prevent unnecessary teeth sensitivity.
• If you experience any significant sensitivity, stop your treatment and talk to your dentist.

And ta-dah~~~~~~ My teeth after 14 days of treatment. No filters, no editing of photos - what do you think? My teeth are now obviously a few shades lighter, and as advised by my dentist my teeth are now officially in the top shades of the natural white palette. They may look a tad uneven and we suspect it's b'cuz I was too thrifty on my gel usage. I should have had 2 syringes left but now I have 3! Bummer. Anyway the left over gels can be used as boosters whenever I need. I'll likely return for a round of laser to even them out....

Throughout the 14-day course, there was minimal discomfort and I didn't use any "help" to manage the sensitivity. There were only times I had to snack on certain foods like salty-foods because the sensitivity caused me to salivate and my tongue felt "siap-siap" and the only thing to relieve that sensation was my salted popcorn - hahahaha. Apart from that, the only other things I had to avoid was food and drinks that were either too hot or too cold - just to keep the sensitivity at bay.

I would like to highlight that it is recommended that if you choose to use a bleaching product, to seek consultation with a licensed dentist. A thorough oral examination is essential to determine if the treatment is suitable for a patient. I personally do not believe in products being sold online as we do not really know if they are safe or effective. Better be safe than sorry!

Feel free to leave comments in the comment box below if you have any questions regarding this topic and I'll try my best to answer if it's not already stated in my blog above. Thanks for reading! : D

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Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; ) 

Service Review_Online Grocery Shopping With honestbee_Plus Free Credits!

Have you guys heard of honestbee? Tried their services? Apparently I didn't know about them and what they did until recently when my Hubby told me about them. Honestbee is basically a platform for you to order your groceries online, and have them delivered to your door within the next hour - simple as that! Me being a grocery-junkie as well as an avid online shopper, immediately popped online to check them out.

Main page of mobile app.

Grocery shopping on honestbee is not only available on your desktop, but also on their mobile app which is just as easy to use. I just tried shopping for groceries on honestbee the night before and got my groceries at my selected time morning after - payment was only charged to my credit card after the delivery. Above is a picture of how their mobile app looks like. Let me take you thru this easy-peasy ordering tour on their mobile app and also show you what's great about their services.

Swiping thru the categories (see above picture) on top of the page allows you to see other food/ grocery merchants available for ordering thru Honestbee. Some available merchants are Jones the Grocer, Motherswork, Pet Lovers Centre, Wine Connection, and others. Since Mooncake festival is around the corner, mooncakes are also available for ordering.

When I swiped to the far end there was the "Supermarkets tab" where Fairprice was to be found. Clicked on it and you'll see all types of groceries, household items, baby items, etc etc. Best part is that prices are same as in stores, pay the same price and have them delivered to your place!

Grocery items were easily located thru the category tabs and you may even search for specific items thru the search option. Filtering also helps to you to find specific range of items quickly. 

Obviously before you can cart your items out, you'd first need to input your personal details such as your delivery address as well as credit card information - don't think I'll have to explain further eh? But if in any case if you'd like to help a friend or family member who isn't living with you order some food or groceries, or even order some drinks for a party at another address, you may change the delivery address thru this tab to have items delivered to them. Your order status can also be checked thru this tab.

This was how my order details page looked like after I placed my order. It showed the selected time of delivery, as well as the status of order at that point of time; whether it is in preparation or on its way for delivery.

I was actually thinking of what to cook for lunch and dessert when I forgot what I ordered, so I went back to the "You" tab, and tapped onto "order details" to check again the items I ordered. Hehe - goldfish memory me so I found this rather useful.

While waiting for my groceries to arrive that morning, I received a call from my grocery shopper (aka Honestbee Shopper) informing me that several items I picked was out of stock. In such an instance I was offered two options; either to pick the same item out in a different brand/ country of origin or not have the item replaced at all. For me I'm very easy lah, so I just advised my shopper the and she quickly got me the replacements in minutes.

One thing to note: sometimes when there's a change in items there might be a price difference, or sometimes the outlets where your shopper goes to might not carry specific items you originally selected so you'd just have to advise your shopper what you want from instead. In the event that the price is lower than what was online, honestbee will pass on the savings directly to you.

My groceries arrived punctually on the selected time slot I picked and were packed very neatly. Please pardon my very "homely" look - hahahaha. All the wet/ cold items like fish & meat were packed in a small plastic bag then into a big one, with a small bag of ice in it to keep items chilled. 

(View from my mobile email - receipt sent to my email)

Remember I mentioned that sometimes there might be a price difference when you replace intended order/s for something else? The total cost you see when checking out is just an estimate assuming the items are all in place. You'd only be charged accordingly after the delivery is made and the final bill is in place, indicating in the final receipt all the items purchased and also showing the replaced items and its replacements (see below picture).

The picture above shows the replaced items on the left and replacements on the right. My shopper was nice to help me save money in certain replacements, telling me oh this this item from another country is actually cheaper than my originally selection. Not bad service eh? But some items which did not have a similar replacement for example Raspberries I ordered b'cuz it wasn't available in stores due to it being seasonal, I replaced them with Blueberries altogether - this was a possible option too.

My originally total cost was $121.99 and eventually was billed $85.80, savings b'cuz either some items were unavailable or some items purchased were of cheaper price.

I was happy to receive my grocery items on time that rainy morning. If it weren't for honestbee's services I'd probably have to brave the rain to get my groceries and lug those bags home. Definitely recommending this to anyone who wants to shop for groceries, save time & effort while on it. Haha.. Hey, it's really a time-saver 'kay - especially for someone like me who's a Mom of a 11-month old baby, preparing for wedding and her girl's 1st year old party all at once. With my wedding dinner coming in less than 2 weeks, Honestbee is my life-saver. Hah!

By the way if you think this is an awesome service and would like to recommend shopping for groceries online to your friends & family, you can share your special referral code to them and both of you enjoy free credits for shopping!! Yay?? You'd be giving your friends $20 while you get $10 for every friend that signs up and shops on honestbee - awesome not?! Start shopping online for groceries & household items now with your free $20 credit, just click here! For those of you who don't have a referral code, you get to enjoy the first-time purchase discount of $12 off $100 directly on the platform. 

(Desktop view)

I would also like to quickly share honestbee's latest offering for their customers - the Farm to Table category in Singapore, that will offer customers greater freshness and unbeatable value. With such a collaboration, customers can order and receive the season's best fresh produce and be delivered to their doorstep as early as the next day to ensure freshness remains - talk about having farm-fresh produce harvested and sent to you directly. Some of the merchants under this category are FRESHdirect, Thygrace, and Sustenir.

You literally can get items like groceries, household products, Mom & baby necessities, pet items, alcoholic drinks, fresh produce, gourmet foods, and even mooncakes here on honestbee. So what are you waiting for? 

If you'd like to find out more about honestbee and their services, visit them at their:
Website @ https://honestbee.sg/en/ or 

Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/honestbee/

If you'd like your free $20 shopping credit, you can click here for my referral code. ; )

That's all for this write-up and hope you've enjoyed reading... Feel free to leave comments in the comment box below if you have any question/s and I'll try my best to answer if its not already stated in my blog above. Happy shopping!!

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Thank you for reading my blog. Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; )

Beauty Review - Facial Aesthetic Treatments with VidaSkin; Skin Lasers - In Preparation For My Wedding

Busy, busy, and busier... That's how I have been feeling almost every other day for the last four months. From wedding photography and throwing a wedding lunch in Taiwan, to running to & from my new place checking on home reno and then eventually moving in and settling down. I'm now at the last busy-phase where I finish up the final preparations for my wedding in Singapore and also baby F.'s 1 year old birthday party, which is just a week after the wedding *faint** imagine the amount of planning to do on top of all the advertorials lined up for the wedding!? Seriously will need the 16-day honeymoon in Europe after this long run, then only can I truly relax and take a sigh of relief.

Okay 'nuff of my rants... When it comes to wedding planning, one of the question a bride-to-be surely has is "how to look beautiful on the special day"... and yes, that was one of those things I've been busy with the last month or so - going for different treatments but I haven't yet had the chance to go for facial treatments.

Before coming to VidaSkin, I actually went to see other aesthetic doctors to seek opinion on types of treatments that could help prep me up for my big day. I finally decided with Dr. Leong because what she proposed could possibly get me the results in the least invasive manner as compared other opinions I've gotten thus far. Her idea was to subtly enhance my existing beauty without changing anything of me. Besides feeling really pleased with the 4-week plan she had in mind for me, Dr. Leong was also very calm & friendly which made me feel very comfortable around her.

Situated on the 14th floor of Ngee Ann City, VidaSkin was easily located thru a lift up from the lobby of Tower B. It was a very exciting day for me b'cuz they're apparently the first aesthetic clinic I'm patronizing in Singapore and Dr. Leong seemed like a really nice lady. Upon arriving at the doorsteps of VidaSkin, the place looked cosy & quiet from the outside and when I stepped inside I was quickly greeted by the smiley staffs, making me feel immediately welcomed.

VidaSkin offers an extensive selection of medical aesthetic treatments for the skin, face, eyes, hair, hands, neck, and body. There's a wide array of medical aesthetic services to choose from; like Botox, fillers, skin lasers, and IPL treatments as well as beauty treatments like facials and even bodily treatments like fat loss procedures, body contouring, and breast lift. They even have a peel bar for patients who'd like to improve the appearance of the skin on the face, neck or hands thru safe chemical peel treatments. So much to choose from!? Basically I say it would make a great one-stop place for all your beauty woes from head-to-toe!

Waiting area on the right.

Waiting area on the left.

If you'd like to bag home some beauty supplements or products, VidaSkin not only carries products from well-known beauty brands - Crystal Tomato, Viviscal Professional, Infractye Luscious Lips, Heliocare Oral Ultra, TopiCream, and the very popular Latisse, they also have their very own line of skin care products which are fragrance, paraben and colour free.

I would think that usually aesthetic clinics are quiet and have lesser people in the vicinity since it is seemingly like an exclusive-to-rich-people place, but I was wrong. I was surprised to find more than expected number of people in the waiting area that afternoon I visited. Or maybe i'm just really suaku (aka mountain-tortoise/ country bumpkin)?!? Lol! Anyway I've concluded that aesthetic treatments or facials have now become a norm these days, just like how some of us usually go for our monthly facials at regular beauty parlors. And I was surprised to find that treatment prices are actually rather affordable, simply the kind of prices I was paying back when I visited some named beauty & spa salon. This thought actually made me think why didn't I start coming for aesthetic treatments earlier since I was paying that kind of prices with not much improvements to my skin - *sigh*.

My first visit to VidaSkin was to try one of their signature treatments; Dr. Leong recommended me the Signature Trinity Facetherapy which was supposedly known as the "red carpet treatment" because it is highly recommended for anyone who wants to achieve immediate radiance & glow. I was advised that I would notice immediate improvements in my skin tone just after one session, and reversal signs of ageing with long-term treatment - woah! Sounds good eh?

Since I was new to skin aesthetic treatments, whatever Dr. Leong recommended just got me hyped up because for some reason I really believed in the results of medical aesthetic treatments - perhaps b'cuz of the influence from all the famous people out there? Hah! I was also confident in Dr. Leong as she believes strongly to provide natural improvements thru minimally invasive and affordable treatments.

This three-part treatment comprises of: Microdermabrasion with Nutrient Infusion, Laser Toning, and Chemical Peeling. I was recommended this signature treatment to brighten up my dull and yellowish skin tone which made me look dark, as well as improve my dark spots (scars from pimples) and tighten up my pores. I've been having weird break-outs the last couple of months, which is damn sian (expression of being upset) can!! Can't wait to have good skin again!! 

I was taken to the treatment room by a beauty therapist for step-one of this treatment. My face was first cleansed thoroughly followed by microdermabrasion with nutrient infusion. I would say this process somewhat felt like diamond peel with some serum infused into the skin all at once. The microdermabrasion felt a tad rough on my skin but definitely not painful at all. 

Purpose of Step 1 - Skin Renewal and Optimisation

• removes old, dead skin cells to result in an immediate skin clarification and tone improvement
• infusion of plant essence and nutrients to provide the skin with an extra boost of radiance and hydration
• prepares the skin for the laser treatment, allowing even and consistent delivery of laser energy on the skin surface

For step-two, Dr. Leong performed laser toning on my face in the laser theater. Before we began, Dr. Leong did a demonstration of laser going over her own hand, to show me how it would look like on my skin since I would be wearing protection goggles throughout the procedure. She also explained to me the sensations I was gonna feel during the procedure to let me feel prepared. The laser felt warm on my face most times and almost no pain. The slight pain only came when she hit my hairy areas like my side burns, upper/lower lip, and baby hair on my forehead. It's a little like IPL, where the laser burns a little more when it is contacted with hairs. It can get quite stingy at VERY HAIRY areas, but the plus point is that those hairs will be blasted away - bye bye hairy face! Haha! So during these times there were slight poking stings and burnt-hair smells, LOL! If you're experienced with light treatments for hair removal you'd understand what I mean. 

Purpose of Step 2 - Correction of Tone, Texture and Elasticity

• energises the skin
• evens out skin tone and improves texture
• stimulates collagen production thus works as an anti-aging powerhouse

Hahahahaha.. I had to show everyone this picture of my face half way done. If you've noticed, the lower half of my face, i.e. my nose, cheeks, mouth and chin area, was totally a different skin tone as my forehead. The area that had received laser toning treatment was immediately brightened whereas my undone forehead was still dark & dull looking. Plus see all those hairs on my forehead.... -.-" 

I was already feeling confident at this point and smiling away in my heart while I got to step-three of the treatment. I was back in the treatment room for a gentle chemical peel using natural enzyme and fruit acids to slough away residual dead cells and ended off with a cooling and soothing facial mask to complete my day's pampering session.

Purpose of Step 3 - Skin Restoration

• remove residual dead skin cells
• kick starts renewal process
• instant brightening and radiance
• cooling & soothing facial mask for complete glow and rejuvenation

And now I reveal the true effects of the Signature Trinity Facetherapy; TADAH~~!!! The above picture was taken right before step 2 & 3, while the picture was taken after the entire treatment was complete. Both pictures were taken under natural sunlight and NO EDITING of colours & lighting at all!! *swears*... I was super amazed and pleased with the results of the treatment I have no words for my feelings - haha! All I can say is a picture speaks a thousand words, and this treatment was really worth my bucks paid for!

So just to recap on the benefits of this treatment:

(taken from www.vidaskinclinic.com/trinity)

• Short term benefits: instant glow and lift
• Long term benefits: reverse signs of ageing such a wrinkles, enlarged pores, pigmentation and photo damage.
• not painful, produces hardly any redness, provides immediate results and
• very little downtime after a treatment session.
• highly effective, safe, suitable for both men and women 
• ideal for an immediate boost to the skin 
• or a comprehensive treatment to maintain skin health.

If you'd like to find out more about VidaSkin or the treatment above, visit them at their:
Website @ www.vidaskinclinic.com/ or 

Facebook @ www.facebook.com/vidaskinclinic

That's all for this write-up and I'll be sharing more facial treatments with VidaSkin really soon... Feel free to leave comments in the comment box below if you have any question/s and I'll try my best to answer if its not already stated in my blog above. 

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Thank you for reading my blog. Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; )