SKII Facial

My sister sent me a link to a promotion for $50 off an SKII facial so I went yesterday.

It started with a skin analysis - you know, one of those machines that magnify your skin wherever the scope rolls over. The therapist showed me what good skin and bad skin looked like. First time I did such a thing. Was mildly grossed out.

As my skin was rather "dull", the therapist recommended that I take the illuminating radiance (or something like that) facial, which was the third least expensive (normal price $160). Since I haven't been for a facial in a long time and I had been running around Little India and Chinatown the past two days while recovering from a flu, I decided to pamper myself and go with it.

(On a side note, I also pampered myself with a good lunch at The Handburger. Food tastes good, but I wouldn't recommend you order the onion rings and I guess similarly, the calamari. It tasted good - onion rings were sweet, batter was crispy, but it was WAY too oily.)

The facial itself was supposed to be an hour. I think it took 1h 15 min in all. It was pretty good. My face still feels "firmer" than usual (although it could be a psychological effect having spent so much on a facial). Would have been nice to take a longer nap though. =P

The staff weren't too pushy with the products and packages at the end of the facial. Could be because I told them that I'm not based in Singapore.

A good experience overall.

LeNotre

After living in AD for the last three months (of which at least one third of the time was spent overseas), I still don't know the name of the building with the Marks and Spencers (that is right in front of my apt building - Vision Downtown) . I only know it as the Marks and Spencers building, which is good enough I suppose, cos the Hanoi (Vietnamese food) service staff don't know where my apt building is (there are 4 apartment buildings called "Vision" here), but they know where M&S is.

That building has two floors of shopping, which although small, is one of my favourite shopping malls in AD. (Although I guess it's also cos the mall is less than 5 min walk away and doesn't require me to drive/cab/bus to. ) It's got:

• a TWO-STOREY M&S which even has its own cosmetics and perfume section
• an organic supermarket & cafe (DD says the presence of an organic supermarket makes the mall one of the most upmarket malls in AD)
• ALDO (bags, accessories and shoes are slightly cheaper here - bought a pair of sunglasses the other day but have no idea when I'll ever get to wear them since I have dry eyes and can't really wear contacts)
• Body Shop
• LeNotre

LeNotre is a French boulangerie and patissierie. After 3 months, I finally went to try it the other day. I don't know why I didn't try it earlier - the food is really good and more importantly, not too salty.

I had risotto the first time I went there. The risotto came covered w rocket leaves, which help lessen the gelad feeling of eating a whole plate of risotto. It was less salty than the one I had at Hediard. Only thing is that the risotto got cold faster than the Hediard one, although I think its cos at Hediard, they use heated plates.

Went back to LeNotre yesterday and ordered a steak salad and a strawberry & banana smoothie. YUM. Although the steak salad didn't have any dressing, the salad that came with the steak complemented the taste of the steak well. The steak pieces were grilled till crisp on the outside, encrusted with black peppercorns but not too much, and pink on the inside. The salad also went well with the herby tomato paste which served with the bread.

Will post photos the next time I go there with DD. Feel a bit weird taking photos of my food by myself in a crowded restaurant. =P