It was a privilege to experience some of the single malts from Speyside’s hidden distillers, courtesy of Secret Speyside last week. Regina and I were blown away by the setting at Siri House. We were literally transported to Speyside in Scotland – the whisky collection was accompanied by beautiful flowers, fruits and candles against the backdrop of dazzling chandeliers. An actual whisky barrel was also specially modified to house the 6 exclusive single malt whisky bottles.

One of the hosts I met appeared surprised when Regina and I both told her that we are currently stay-at-home mums (SAHMs). SAHM and whisky, I am sure that is an image many would find hard to put together. Let’s just say that my life before being a SAHM was a relatively interesting one. I have always appreciated wine, but not many are aware that single malt whisky is right up my alley too. Having lived in Hong Kong for almost 8 years, I met a few friends who are whisky lovers and that was when I learned to appreciate whisky too. I am no expert in whisky so the feedback on the whisky tasting are strictly my personal views.

We were very lucky to have Gregory Plummer, who is a brand ambassador for prestige whiskies, to take us through the tasting. We had the chance to taste single malt whisky ranging from 18-28 years old from 3 distilleries – Caperdonich, Glen Keith, Longmorn.

The first one we tasted was the Caperdonich 21 years. Caperdonich is a vanished distillery. It no longer exists so their single malt collection is all that is left. Gregory gave an introduction on the distillery and what caught my attention was the story of the distillery owner who killed his daughter’s lover, hence the dagger in the middle of the brand logo. I guess this would be the Scottish version of Romeo and Juliet. When I lifted the glass of Caperdonich 21 years to my nose, the first scent I caught was rich vanilla. It was very smooth and had a unique herb aftertaste.

We then moved on to Caperdonich 25 years. The scent reminded me of chocolate milkshake! It definitely had a richer taste and it went well with the spicy chicken skewer served at the restaurant.

The next distillery is known as the landmark distillery in Speyside – Glen Keith. We had the opportunity to taste the 21 years and 28 years. Both had a very fruity fragrance, were very smooth and had a tinge of spiciness when you drank them. This 28 years single malt was probably the oldest whisky I have ever tasted. Imagine I was only 10 years old when they started aging it!

Last but not least, the pioneering distillery – Longmorn. They were the first to build a railway track to their distillery so that they could import fine ingredients to manufacture their whisky and then export their precious single malt to their admirers. We had the honour to taste the 18 years and 23 years. The first thought that came to my mind when I tasted the 18 years was that it reminded me of Japanese whisky. It had this distinctive toffee fragrance which I love. The 23 years boasts creamy milk chocolate, orange and scented sandalwood notes. It was excellent in my opinion and Regina’s favourite too.

If you were to ask me which was my favourite out of the 6, I would say it is the 18 years Longmorn. As a relatively new whisky drinker, my taste buds still have a preference for younger whiskies. Perhaps after more tasting sessions, I would learn to appreciate the older ones as well.

In case you are wondering where you can purchase this rare collection of single malt. They are currently only available at Changi Airport DFS. Be sure to check them out the next time you are traveling! Thank you to Secret Speyside and R.S.V.P for having Regina and myself at the event. Not only did we enjoy the tasting session, we now have more Christmas gift ideas for our whisky lover friends this festive season.

~ This post was written by Kelly Kong, a guest writer on Regina’s blog~

• Bedok Mall #B1-55, 311 New Upper Changi Road
• Causeway Point #05-02A, (near Woodlands MRT)
• Century Square #04-03, 2 Tampines Central 5
• Funan Mall #B1-18, 107 North Bridge Road
• Nex #04-08, 23 Serangoon Central
• Northpoint City #03-27, 930 Yishun Ave 2
• JCube #B1-05, 2 Jurong East Central

I started using Auolive back in 2016 and reviewed it in detail, before I became a mum. I was in the midst of starting up a cafe then, and these multi-functional skincare products helped me to save loads of time while giving my skin that added boost to look presentable despite all the late nights.

Now that I have baby R, time is even more precious and I honestly cannot afford the luxury of time to layer my skincare. That’s what I appreciate about Auolive. Auolive takes the minimalist lifestyle to another level with its 1-minute skincare, yet every single product in its line packs a punch with natural active ingredients. There really isn’t an excuse for you to skip skincare to achieve healthy, glowing skin, and I can’t be more grateful for the additional time to bond with baby R before I take her to school every morning.

The Day Glower is a life-saver. An all-in-one antioxidant brightening moisturiser with Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract and Vitamin C as an active ingredient and SPF 30, I love that I can skip sunscreen altogether and head out of the house every morning, knowing that I’m fully protected from harmful UV rays and environmental pollutants. That’s exactly what makes the Day Glower a game changer.

Not only does it contain Titanium Dioxide, a physical sunblock, it also contains multiple UV filters to protect your skin against UVA and UVB protection. The texture absorbs readily into my skin without leaving a white cast or sticky after-feel – a huge plus point for our humid climate. After a few weeks of usage, you will notice that your complexion is brighter too.  

Every sleep-deprived mum needs the Eyes Lifter. Specially designed with an innovative blend of power packed active compounds and natural active ingredients like Raspberry Leaf Extract, Plankton Extract and Chrysin, this invigorating eye serum enhances your eye contours and is clinically proven to reduce dark eye circles. Say goodbye to wrinkles, fine lines, puffiness and eye bags too!

The Night Booster is my personal favourite because I never fail to wake up to plump, baby soft skin every morning. There’s no need for me to use a sleeping mask as this beauty workhorse is formulated with 80% Marine Collagen, an exceptionally high concentration (most skincare products contain less than 5% of active ingredients).

As a mum in my late 30s, I also need all the help I can get to boost collagen production. Thanks to the low molecular weight of collagen (3000 Da) in the Night Booster, I can be assured that the collagen is able to penetrate easily into my skin.

I make it a point to exfoliate with the Radiance Revealer, a superfruit exfoliating gel at least once a week. Pomegranate is the natural active ingredient present in this product, and it contains enzymes that dissolve and lift away dead skin cells without the need for abrasive scrubbing beads. It feels remarkably gentle on the skin, but when you rub away the dead skin cells to reveal noticeably brighter skin, that’s when you realise this product actually works!

I guess it is pretty evident that I am a fan. I change up my skincare routine from time to time depending on my skin condition, but Auolive is a brand that I always return to. 

Brighter, more even complexion with faded acne scars

Here’s a before and after comparison of my complexion after using the products continuously for a period of 2 weeks – can you tell my overall skin tone (including my eye contours) is brighter and more even? I had some faint acne scars that faded away too.

[Day Glower Giveaway]I’m currently running an instagram giveaway for the Day Glower, so do check out my IG post (@reginachow_sg) to stand a chance to win it!

[Day Glower Promo] Auolive is also holding a promo for the Day Glower where a free pouch will be given as a gift with purchase for the first 20 customers. – Use my code “REGINA18” for $18 off your purchase (no minimum spend and includes free shipping).  You can also click here to redeem a travel-sized sample of the Day Glower!

Did you know that Hotel Seine Cafe is a filming location for popular K drama Hotel Del Luna? Xinyi and I visited this beautiful cafe that spans 4 levels during our recent MFP trip to Seoul! Located at Ikseon-dong (read the article I wrote about this instagrammable neighbourhood), this cafe appeared in episode 11 of Hotel Del Luna, when the hotel received their first pair of human guests who were on honeymoon. To complete the experience and fit in with the cafe vibes, you may wish to consider renting a vintage dress from Ikseon Boutique, just like what we did!

On first impression, the pink building may not look like much on the outside. When you take a step inside however, be prepared to be wowed by the luxurious baroque decor as seen in Hotel Del Luna.

Doesn’t this concierge ring a bell? Contrary to what is depicted in the drama, this isn’t exactly a concierge. It is a counter where customers pick up their drinks and food.

Take your pick from an array of cakes and breads on level one, order a drink or two and chill out at a photoworthy spot of your choice on any of the 4 levels. The food and drinks are pretty average but come on, that’s not what we are here for right?

Here’s what every level looks like:

Level 1 Seating Area:

Level 2 Seating Area:

Level 3 Seating Area:

We decided on level 3 as there are more photo spots here!

Level 4 Full Moon Bar:

What’s a Hotel Del Luna inspired cafe without its very own Full Moon Bar? Now, you too can reenact some of those magical romantic moments between Hotel Del Luna CEO Jang Man Wol and General Manager Goo Chang Sung at this bar, particularly at the balcony overlooking the traditional hanoks of Ikseon-dong.

Here’s how you can get there:

As it’s located within Ikseon-dong, take the subway to Jongno-3-ga station, walk out via exit 4 and cross the road.

Address: 28-5 Donhwamun-ro 11-gil, Nakwon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Opening hours: 12pm – 10pm daily

AQUAGOLD Fine Touch, lovingly termed as the “Golden Cocktail Facial” by celebrity Kim Kardashian, is now available in Singapore, only at Clifford Aesthetics! I was privileged to be one of the first to try this highly sought after treatment that Kim Kardashian did before the MET Gala in 2018. I have nothing but positive feedback about the treatment, which left me with glowing skin, even when bare-faced.

AQUAGOLD Fine Touch is a skin rejuvenation treatment that involves the use of a micro-needling device which incorporates 20 gold plated needles to deliver multiple injections. Each gold plated needle is finer than a strand of human hair, thus making the procedure painless yet efficient. Skin loving ingredients that go into the device can also be customised by the doctor during a consultation to assess your skin’s needs.

Believe it or not, fillers and botox can be added into this concoction too! I asked Dr Gerard Ee if there was any difference between injectibles like botox that was administered in this manner as compared to a typical injection. I was told that the effects are similar but in the case of botox, your muscles won’t be affected as the AQUAGOLD device will only deliver botox to the dermis layer of the skin to enhance the appearance of your pores.
Besides minimising the appearance of pores, AQUAGOLD will also be able to help improve your skin texture and brighten up your skin tone.

The AQUAGOLD fine touch treatment at The Clifford Clinic ends with a massage, red and yellow LED light therapy and a soothing mask. Red light therapy promotes faster cell growth to accelerate wound healing while stimulating collagen production.

Yellow light therapy, on the other hand, soothes and calms the skin.

A layer of numbing cream was applied to my entire face before the procedure, hence the process was painless and very comfortable throughout. Another perk – there’s no downtime or redness, which makes it the perfect pick-me-up treatment before any special events. Here’s how I look immediately after the treatment, as well as a before and after comparison of my skin.

As the age old adage goes, there are no ugly women, only lazy ones. There’s really no excuse not to give your skin a well-deserved pampering treat when all it takes is an hour to achieve radiantly beautiful skin!

Those of you who have read my CoolSculpting post with Dr Terence Tan of Halley Medical Aesthetics must be wondering if I saw any results after the treatment. I completed the treatment in February and I just had my review done in May as the results are supposed to be evident only after 3 months.

If you have seen my IG stories, you might have already seen how drastically different my tummy looks post treatment. The skin looks and feels more taut. Overall, my stomach is so much flatter now. I didn’t realise how round my tummy was pre-treatment. In fact, I looked like I was in the early months of pregnancy! Photos don’t lie and I didn’t edit any of the photos in this post because there really isn’t a need to! Check out my before and after photos below (there are some marks on my tummy in the after photos as I was wearing a pair of high waist stretchable band pants):

I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. A body analysis done at the clinic also revealed that I lost weight overall as well, but what’s even more amazing is that I lost fat (which is very difficult to achieve according to Dr Terence Tan) and gained muscle mass too! No more mum tum for me! I didn’t have to go on a diet and I still eat whatever I wish. My only exercise these days is taking baby R for her daily walks in the carrier. Now all I have to do is head to the gym or work out at home to tone up my stomach and get my long lost abs to finally make an appearance again.

Thank you Dr Terence Tan for the incredible results. I cannot be more pleased with my flatter tummy. Perhaps those crop tops hiding in my wardrobe can finally see the light of day again!

About Halley Medical Aesthetics: 

277 Orchard Road, #03-15 Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858

+65 6737 8233

info@halley.com.sg

www.halley.com.sg

www.facebook.com/halleymedicalaesthetics

www.instagram.com/halleymedicalaesthetics

www.youtube.com/HalleySGMedicalAesthetics

Life is wonderful with children, they say. Children bring you so much joy and fill a gap in your heart that you never knew existed.

Everywhere on social media, my feed included, portrays motherhood as an extraordinary experience. A positive, fulfilling experience complete with gleeful smiles from cute babies who always seem to be beaming from ear to ear. People talk about the lack of sleep that becomes part and parcel of motherhood but hardly anyone talks about post natal blues, depression or even just the anxiety that comes along with being a mum. Nobody tells you your hormones are a mess after delivery. You cry a lot for no reason. You feel anxious because you have no idea how to deal with your newborn who is solely dependent on you for survival – even if you’ve placed him or her in the care of an experienced nanny or helper, you can’t help but check in ever so often just to make sure everything is ok, because your maternal instincts have kicked in, like it or not. You also realise that your baby wakes up frequently at night (it’s normal for young babies to feed a few times at night, especially during growth spurts). Rhapsody had colic from bottle feeding and would burst out crying for extended periods of time in the evening until we gave her medication. The nightmare finally ended when I decided to direct latch her and co-sleep (for my own sanity).

Physically, your body is not quite what it used to be. Your stomach feels jiggly because well, simply put, a 3-4kg human just evacuated from his/her home for the past 9 months. Without a body binder, you will feel your insides jiggle every time you move or laugh. When will you feel normal again? Will you ever get back into shape?

Then there’s breastfeeding. There’s societal pressure to breastfeed, which adds to the stress of a new mum. After all, breast milk is best right? I can probably write another post on breastfeeding alone but let me just keep this as succinct as I can. Your boobs get engorged on the 3rd or 4th day after delivery. The pain is worse than delivery (if you had epidural) especially when you try to massage the milk out. I got a trained masseuse in and to say the pain was excruciating is an understatement. Fortunately, R had no problems latching, As a newborn, they also latch all day but not everyone understands that that’s normal. I got asked all the time “Are you sure you have enough milk? Why is she always hungry?”. I must have rolled my eyes a million times. There were also times when I gave in to formula milk because the experienced nanny and mums around me told me she wasn’t full. I believe in fed is best. However, if I can offer breast milk, I would rather do so at least for the first 6 months. But I had no idea why every time formula milk was given during the first 2-3 months, a part of me just felt like I was inadequate.

And then comes the couple dynamics. If you think you’re clueless, your hubby probably is, or even more so. Also, your focus switches from your hubby to the baby. You try to strike a balance but when you face all these changes at the same time, this new normal doesn’t feel so normal. It is overwhelming, physically and psychologically for both parties.

Every mum gets some degree of post natal blues but some end up with post natal depression if they or their loved ones do not recognise the signs early and seek help in time. It doesn’t only happen to new mums. Every time you conceive and give birth, your hormones wreck havoc. Recently, someone told me that she knows a mum who is always behind locked doors sleeping and doesn’t seem interested in her kids. Perhaps it isn’t because she doesn’t care. It may be a sign that she needs help and isn’t getting it. Perhaps we need to stop being so judgmental and just be more supportive of one another.

My purpose of penning this post is to increase awareness on what motherhood entails so that everyone around us can hopefully empathise better and lend a helping hand when possible.

Now, the good news is, the days are long but the years are short. Things do get better with time and you begin to embrace the new normal. In the blink of an eye, it has been 1.5 years since I became a mum and it is still the most rewarding role I’ve taken on. Returning home to a little toddler running towards the door, flashing a wide, innocent smile with her arms flung open for a hug, is one of the simplest pleasures in life that also happens to be absolutely irreplaceable.

I’m perfectly fine with how I look, especially after Dr Gerard Ee from The Clifford Clinic zapped away all the stubborn pigmentation marks on my cheek with just a few Q Switched and Pico laser sessions. Those marks have been bothering me for close to 2 decades, and I almost lost hope of finally seeing clear skin again until Dr Ee came along. Needless to say, I have complete trust in his recommendations. Hence, when he suggested I try Ultra V HIKO Nose Thread Lift, I said yes without any hesitation. The last time I had any injectibles done was 7 years ago, so to be able to convince me to take the plunge readily is truly no mean feat.

What is Ultra V HIKO Nose Thread Lift?

It is a method of nose augmentation using PDO (polydixanone) threads. These threads, which are placed under the skin to provide a scaffolding effect and shape the nose, have been scientifically proven to be fully bio-compatible. As the threads dissolve, collagen and tissue fibroblasts are stimulated, which further support the overall shape of the nose for a longer period of time.

Why Choose Nose Thread Lift over Fillers?

Nose Thread Lift is a non-surgical and minimally invasive procedure that immediately lifts, contours and shapes your nose without the risks of filler injections. Filler injections, unfortunately, can potentially result in lumpiness, allergic reactions and vascular complications, among other possible side effects. In addition, nose thread lift is able to lift and reduce your nose tip while creating a higher and straighter nose profile. This is not achievable with filler injections.

Did it hurt?

I would rate the pain factor 2/10. Numbing cream was applied, followed by local anaesthesia just before the threads were injected. The most painful part was when the needle was first inserted for LA but it felt like nothing more than an ant bite.

Is there any downtime?

Besides the injection point mark at the tip of the nose, there aren’t any other tell-tale signs. I didn’t get any bruising and could head out for appointments immediately after and in the days that followed without makeup as it didn’t bother me at all. In terms of aftercare, I was prescribed some antibiotics and painkillers to prevent infection and inflammation. I was also advised to avoid swimming. No issue for me since I can’t swim at all.

I love the effect of the Ultra V Hiko Nose Thread Lift as it accentuates not just my nose, but my facial features as well. This before and after shot was taken on the day of the procedure.

The after shot in the comparison collage below was taken 5 days after the procedure.

Before and after shot of my side profile:

As you can tell from the photos, my nose looks more contoured and my features appear more refined. The results are most evident from my side profile, but the difference is pretty stark even from my frontal photos.

I’ve received several compliments and DMs about the procedure, and even my hubby was amazed by the results! I can’t stress enough the importance of exercising caution when it comes to choosing an aesthetics doctor though. After all, it is your face and health that we are talking about here. Engaging a trained, skilful doctor with a keen eye for aesthetics is of paramount importance and I would highly recommend Dr Ee.

The Clifford Clinic

24 Raffles Place, #01-03, Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621

Open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00am to 8:00pm

Open Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm

Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

Call +65 6532 2400, Whatsapp +65 8313 6332