[Review] ClearSK V-face Shaper- Relaxing Method to achieve a V-face

ClearSK Medi + Skincare

I'm obsessed with the elusive V-line that after the effects of another V-line face treatment product I reviewed previously wore off, I wanted a treatment that would give me a longer-lasting V-line. Of course, the same conditions apply. No pain, needles, surgery or downtime. Old habits die hard and my tolerance to pain is negligible. =(

Luckily for me, ClearSK has offered SampleStore Beauty Panelists the chance to try their signature V-Face Shaper treatment that achieving the desired celebrity's V-line face shape is now possible! This treatment targets sagging cheeks, double chins/jowls, and crowfeet near the eyes. It is quick with no fuss, pain, needles, surgery or downtime.
 

ClearSK @ Novena

Before I go off about the treatments, let me tell you a bit about ClearSK. ClearSK Medi-Aesthetics ("ClearSK") was founded in 2008 to offer aesthetic treatments powered by medical technology. Their niche areas lie with their wide selection of skincare and slimming treatments that are personalized and prescribed by aesthetic experts. Currently, they are located at Novena Medical Center, Velocity, Orchard,Toa Payoh,  Tampines, Jurong East and they have 6 more upcoming outlets.



Interior

Welcome treatment

The reason why I mentioned their locations so early in the post is because I want to highlight their Novena Medical Center and Velocity outlets. Remember when I mentioned aesthetic experts earlier? ClearSK has a group of qualified doctors at the Novena Medical Center branch to administer medical-grade aesthetic treatments using medical-grade technology and they are assisted by the nurses there. Located close by is the Velocity outlet which is manned by nurses and therapists who administer salon-grade aesthetic treatments using medical grade technology as well. Now, can you tell me how many salons in Singapore offer treatments administered by qualified nurses?



Nurse Joyce administering the treatment for me. By the way, congratulations on your wedding!

Needless to say, I was suitably impressed because I was attended by the beautiful and knowledgeable nurses Joyce and Siti during my first and second visits respectively.


The bed which I fell asleep on--it is very comfy.

When you first enter, you will be showed into a clean room with a comfy single bed. The nurse or therapist (whoever you get that day) will start by cleansing your face (and remove your makeup if necessary). They used a cleansing milk which smelt divine and instantly relaxed me. I asked if I could buy it but it wasn't for sale. Boo.

Then it is time for the treatment! This treatment is called the Accent Ultra V Face and it combines ultrasound waves and radio frequency ("RF") technologies into one non-invasive procedure. You will start with the Ultrasound treatment so wax will be applied to the target areas of treatment for the easy manoeuvring of the machine head. There is no specific reason why wax was chosen sans the fact that it was specified by the manufacturers as the chosen medium.

Ultrasound treatment

The Ultrasound treatment uses both cold and hot ultrasound waves to selectively shear off the fat layers and break up the fat cells at the epidermal layer of our skin (i.e. the top most layer). It does not damage the other surrounding tissue types. During each treatment, the therapist or nurse will determine the target areas so they may focus on different parts of your face during different visits. For example, during my first session, the focus was on my jawline and it slowly went up to my cheeks and cheekbones during consequent visits.

After that, the wax will be removed and a floral smelling oil will be applied to the entire face. Correct me if I am wrong but I think it could be a Moringa Flower-based oil. The scent was subtle and relaxing... Ahhh...

Following which, the RF treatment would commence. The RF treatment consists of unipolar RF technology which generates alternating electromagnetic fields that cause friction and heating in the deeper tissues to improve the overall shaping, firmness and new collagen formulation.

Okay, if I were to be picky, the RF treatment would be my least favourite part of the entire treatment because the sounds from the RF machine can be quite annoying. There is also heat involved so those who are sensitive to heat have to be extra careful and communicate with their therapist/nurse if it gets too hot. For me, the heat was bearable for the most part though it did get a bit too hot for comfort at one point. Luckily, the heat was quickly turned down so it was okay.

The last part of the treatment is my favourite part of the entire treatment. FACE MASK TIME!


My favourite part: Face MASK TIME!

At the end of every facial treatment at ClearSK, a paper mask will be applied. There are 5 types to choose from and they are:-

1. Aloe Vera Hydro Mask;
2. Sensitive Calming Hydro Mask;
3. Pure Whitening White Mask;
4. Acne Control Mask; and
5. Age Delaying Essence Mask.

The type of mask used for you will depend on your skin condition and what your skin concerns are. The Aloe Vera Hydro and Sensitive Calming Hydro Masks have hydrating properties in addition to whatever is claimed in their names. The Pure Whitening White Mask contains milk- lactic acid for whitening purposes. The Acne Control Mask is self-explanatory while the Age Delaying Essence Mask is for collagen building to treat severely aging skin.

Since I have sensitive skin, the nurses have chosen the Sensitive Calming Hydro Masks for me on both occasions. When they say it is calming, they are spot on. I feel calm and relaxed that it was time for me to nap. Best 20 minutes of my day: 20 minutes of nap time with dimmed lights and soothing music... I just want to continue napping!

After 20 minutes, they will come in to remove the mask and massage the remaining essence into the skin. Since it is essence from the essence mask, it is intended to be left on your skin and NOT TO BE WASHED AWAY!

I would highly recommend ClearSK for the effectiveness of the V-face Shaper treatments, the soothing and relaxing ambience, and the knowledgeable staff. To see the effectiveness of the treatments, let's have a look at the photos from Week 1 and Week 4:

Week 1:

 

 

Week 4:

 



Things to note:-

1. On my last visit, the therapist chose to use the Acne Control Mask on me because I said I was stressed. At first the methol effect of the Acne Control Mask was refreshing but slowly, it started to sting with increasing intensity that I couldn't take it and asked for it to be removed. The reason I brought this up is not because the Acne Control Mask isn't good but perhaps it isn't suitable for those with sensitive skin; and

2. All the above pictures are unedited, have no filters applied etc. except the addition of the Miss Bon Viveur stamps.

Disclaimer: The treatments were sponsored by ClearSK in collaboration with The SampleStore but this is not an advertorial or a paid blog post. My views on ClearSK, their products and services are not influenced by ClearSK and are completely my own.

Nylon Coffee Roasters

White: 7oz (left) and 5oz (right) pictured together with 72 Smalldive Neo Vintage Handbag

 

 

I am painfully aware of the backlog I have but a Sunday trip to Everton Park resulted in the discovery of a coffee joint that I am excited about enough that warrants this post.

Coffee aficionados lament the lack of a coffee scene like those down under especially places like Melbourne. Having lived in Perth for the past 8 years, I got a coffee shock when I came back to Singapore to work. While it was the norm for cafes in Perth to serve decent to good cuppas, I found it rare for cafes in Singapore to serve cuppas of similar quality and standard. So can you imagine my excitement when I find a place in Singapore that serves a good cuppa? But for the fact that I already had coffee prior to going to Nylon Coffee Roasters and would be fidgety if I consume too much caffeine, I would have gladly overdosed on the coffee there.

The Maillard Project i.e. In-House Coffee Roasting

Nylon Coffee Roasters is a name that is known in Singapore for its bean to cup approach i.e. they source, blend, roast and brew their coffees. I'm also very much impressed by their efforts to source for the best beans that they travel to visit coffee farms in faraway places like Brazil and Africa to see the coffee in its natural habitat. Their personal approach to coffee is such that they see and taste the coffee in their natural habitats. They understand the coffee's characteristics as affected by the weather conditions, methods of processing at the farm, and TLC (tender loving care) from the farmers etc. before they are transported to Singapore to be roasted in-house.

Because of the above, they are able to bring out each coffee's full characteristics to create the ultimate blend to achieve its maximum potential. To me, this is what artisanal coffee is all about.

Four Chairs Coffee Beans. Santa Rosa was unavailable.

With all the available blends at sight, I was overwhelmed by the choices that I asked the lovely barista which blend would be suitable if I wanted a latte. Notwithstanding that the Santa Rosa was unavailable that day, she recommended Four Chairs as being a good blend to pull an espresso shot for a latte.

Coffee Machine

She also explained the differences between ordering the 3oz, 5oz and 7oz. They refer to the amount of liquids the varying sized coffee cups can hold. All contain 1 shot of espresso and are topped with steamed milk. For the best balance of milk and coffee, she recommended the 5oz. Nonetheless, taste is subjective and if you prefer more milk in your coffee, go for the 7oz.

I heeded her advice and went for the 5oz while my milk loving friend Su went for the 7oz. When our coffees arrived, Su offered me the opportunity to taste hers to draw the comparison between the 5oz and 7oz.

At that point, I understood why the barista suggested the 5oz.

Coffee works as such. Connoisseurs balk at putting milk into coffee because milk detracts the taste of the coffee. However, unadulterated coffee is an acquired taste and my personal preference is coffee with milk. It is not necessarily a bad thing to put milk in coffee because it helps create a creamier and smoother mouth feel. The disadvantage is that there is the potential for the milk to overwhelm the coffee and blanket over the nuances of the coffee.

The 5oz had the perfect balance such that the berry notes from the coffee were fluttering ever so lightly on my palate while the milk provided the smooth and creamy mouth feel that I had a mental image of berry fairies dancing lightly on the surface of gentle waves of milk. The two components had complemented each other perfectly. There was a lingering smoothness at the end of each sip that I thoroughly enjoyed as well.

That is not to say that the 7oz was bad. With the 7oz, it was significantly milkier and the smooth mouth feel remained the same. However, it lacked the coffee notes that were peeking out in the 5oz. I felt that the coffee and milk components had fused into one that the coffee notes were masked and indistinguishable and felt more like milk coffee.

For those who balk at adding milk to your coffee, be rest assured that Nylon Coffee Roasters also have their recommended blends for your filtered cup.

Cupping room

If you are still not convinced as to their dedication to their craft and coffee, this cupping room should change your mind. From what I know, there are only a few places in Singapore that conduct coffee cupping. (Coffee cupping is the equivalent of coffee tasting where the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee are determined. Imagine wine tasting but with coffee instead.)

Standing coffee bar with products on display on shelves

Since coffee is all they offer and it is not recommended for one to consume copious amounts of coffee consecutively, the standing coffee bar is a clever concept to ensure that customers do not overstay given that the premises are small. The place fills up quickly and can get noisy so do get your coffee and leave quickly so that others can get their coffee fix too.

Nylon Coffee Roasters
Address: 4 Everton Park, Singapore 080004
Tel: 6220 2330

Opening Hours:
Weekdays: 8.30am to 5.30pm
Weekends: 9am to 6pm
Closed on Tuesdays

Nearest MRT Station: Outram Park