Hello everyone, in this week’s Our Wedding Notes series, I would like to continue with a second part to Getting Into Shape I wrote about last week.

As the wedding day is getting closer and closer, I need some extra boost from everything I have mentioned previously. Besides watching my diet and taking exercising to the next level – courtesy of Clarins Singapore, I also stepped up the game with a brand new body treatment.

In Part 2, I would like to share my thoughts about the Clarins Skin Spa – from consultation, types of treatments I did, to my Clarins body care home kit and anything in between.

CLARINS SKIN SPA

Let’s start with an introduction of the Clarins Skin Spa, located conveniently at Wheelock Place, Orchard Road – whisk away from the busy streets to this tranquil space, a place I long to visit having heard so much about.

Tucked away at a cozy corner so to speak, I think the location is perfect for me with parking available in the building itself as well as an open car park directly opposite. It’s within walking distance and underpass links to ION, Isetan Scotts and TANGS Orchard – plenty of options for parking, shopping and eating.

For those who have not visited Clarins Skin Spa before, let me take you on a virtual tour.

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Once you enter Clarins Skin Spa, you can immediately feel the difference – the mixture of Clarins’ signature red ceiling, white linear display of products and lightings create a soothing ambient at the entrance. Not to mention you will also be greeted by all the friendly assistants.

I have walked in on several different occasions to inquire about their body treatment packages. Each time, I get greeted with a smile and the assistant always explains the packages to me patiently without being pushy like some other spas can be.

I am sure you may have experienced it before – I have walked into a few spas (which shall not be named) to inquire about their treatments, be it for body or face – their assistants are so pushy. They try to sell packages worth thousands and when I say no, they will try to push for packages of a lower value. And some of them even say nasty things like “I am sure you want to look good, right?”

Anyway, back to the virtual tour.

Clarins Skin Spa features a warm and restful Lounge – a waiting area before the treatment starts. Filled with reading materials and product sampling corners, hot and cold drinks are also available. A blend of warm down-lights, wooden ceiling and flooring together with white curtains and plush sofas, this space helps prep oneself for the upcoming treatment.

Clarins Skin Spa also features a Retail Space together with a Consultation Area where you can try and purchase their products directly off-the-shelf. I find it very convenient – after my treatment, I am able to purchase products to use at home.

Lastly, the spa also provides a cozy Touch-up Area for anyone who wishes to apply or touch-up their makeup after their treatments.

CONSULTATION

On the first visit to Clarins Skin Spa, there will be a consultation. During this consultation, the Beauty Therapist will go through a series of Q&A to find out what’s your main concerns.

Meet Candy Yong, my Beauty Therapist – she’s very friendly and honest. After the Q&A session, I shared my main concerns with her. Due to my frequent travels, late nights and hectic schedule, I get bloated and water retention easily. Because I have lost some weight and my wedding day is round the corner, I also need a little push to tone up – especially my arms.

During consultation, it’s best to be honest and frank about your concerns and expectations. If the therapist and yourself have the same mutual understanding, I find the results will be even better.

Having said that, I am also looking forward to a more defined body contour (because, ahem, I will be wearing a cheongsam and I need those curves).

Like I mentioned in this post, at Clarins Skin Spa, they only use exclusive formulas for the professionals for all their treatments (face and body).  This new generation of CLARINSPRO products are formulated by the brand’s laboratories. These high-performance formulas are specially created for the expert hands of the therapist trained in the Clarins Touch massage method.

Clarins offers a range of customized treatments. The picture you see above are three masks which targets your main concerns and three supplements which addresses your secondary concerns.

For example, if you have just given birth and would like to firm up your tummy – the Firming Body Cream Mask will help together with the Contouring Body Supplement. Candy has prescribed the Body Contouring Cellulite Control Gel-Mask and Firming Body Supplement for my concerns.

Unfortunately, the range of CLARINSPRO products are not available for sale. But no worries, Clarins has a series of products for us to use at home.

After confirming the type of treatments I will be getting based on the Q&A and my main concerns, Candy recommended a few products I can use at home. These products can help to further enhance results of the treatments and maintain the effects for a longer time.

Like skincare for our faces, I believe our bodies need the same amount of attention too, right?

Candy also taught me a few massaging techniques to help products penetrate into the skin better. Like mini facial massages I do at home, now my body gets its own set of unique Clarins Touch massages too.

TREATMENTS

Clarins Skin Spa provides a wide range of face and body treatments depending on your concerns. For me, I was provided two types of treatments, namely;-

• The NEW Clarins Body Lift Sculptor Treatment which targets water retention, cellulite, contouring and slimming.
• And The Polisher which includes a 100% natural high-performing body scrub based on white jasmine, lavender and plant essential oils that deeply purifies the skin with double exfoliation benefits.

Before I go into more details of the treatments, I would like to show you some pictures of the treatment rooms.

There are 12 treatment rooms in total and 5 of them are equipped with an attached shower (featuring Hansgrohe mixers) which helps facilitate treatments that requires showering – for example, The Polisher. Every room features a serene sky cloud ceiling lens panel which provides a calming atmosphere for treatments.

To complete the brand’s philosophy and values, each treatment room is named after plants or herbs.

One last element that really impresses me is – each room is equipped with an mp3 player which we can plug into our smart phones to play our favourite music during the treatment. Sadly, I have no music in my phone to try this feature out but I enjoy the relaxing music they have.

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The NEW Clarins Body Lift Sculptor Treatment starts off with a CLARINSPRO Peeling Lotion to help cleanse and prep our skin for upcoming treatment. It is like toner so to speak, a little cooling. After applying the Peeling Lotion, the therapist will apply warm oil to hands and feet – this helps to calm the mind and body, followed with a breathing exercise.

Starting from the leg, the therapist uses a “contouring conditioning” technique to massage the products into the skin and finish off with a localised wrap to aid product absorption rate. This treatment takes approximately 60 minutes – timing is perfect, I didn’t feel that it was too long, neither too short.

The Polisher also starts off with a CLARINSPRO Peeling Lotion and it takes approximately 60 minutes including a shower. This treatment is usually done before the former and it is advisable that one shouldn’t shower and let the product settle into the skin for at least 2 hours post-treatment.

MY EXPECTATIONS

To be absolutely honest with you, I have done several kinds of slimming treatments before with other brands/companies. I have been to treatments which requires cold wraps, heat blankets and rolling machines.

My past experiences with slimming treatments have pretty much left a scar in my heart. When I think of slimming treatments, it’s always uncomfortable and painful. I shivered in cold wraps and sweated in heat blankets. Rolling machines “sucks” the flabby parts of my body and left bruises on my arms and thighs.

I didn’t know what to expect when Clarins Singapore offered me this chance to experience their new treatment. And I wasn’t sure if there are going to be any significant results to document.

MY CLARINS BODY HOME CARE KIT

How many of you neglect you body by not providing it with proper care? I am surely guilty of that – it’s ironic because I take better care of my face. I scrub, mask and moisturize but when it comes to my body, it’s always “I will do it tomorrow,” or whenever I feel like it.

The five products above have been keeping me fully occupied during the past 1.5 months.

I totally hooked onto Eau Dynamisante Invigorating Spray – I adore the smell so much, I keep one on my dressing table, one beside my bed and a back-up (just in case). This is a fragrance and body treatment in one spa-fresh formula. I love the scent so much, I even spray it on my bedsheets.

This invigorating aroma for women and men, moisturises, firms and tones with essential oils of Lemon, Patchouli, Petit Grain, Ginseng and White Tea. The non-photosensitising formula is safe enough to wear in the sun and the perfect partner to Eau Dynamisante Moisturising Body Lotion – which I have yet to try.

Let me briefly go through these products with you in this post – let me know if you want a more detailed write up about them or if you have any questions, pop them below and I will try to answer them.

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CLARINS SMOOTHING BODY SCRUB
S$60, 200ml

I redeemed my member’s points for the first tube of Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub last year and I have finished it in January. I bought another tube recently and I love their new packaging – it’s so much more luxe and chic with the award-winning cap design, don’t you think?

Candy, my Clarins Beauty Therapist suggests exfoliating twice every week. In the past, I only do so once a week or twice a month but looking at her smooth skin, I better start scrubbing.

This creamy body scrub contains smoothing Natural Bamboo Powders to casts-off rough, flaky surface cells and impurities. It’s gentle and makes my skin a nice and smooth. Mimosa and Shea Extracts help moisturize the skin and with regular exfoliating, skin can absorb all goodness of the products that follows.

CLARINS “ANTI-EAU” BODY TREATMENT OIL
S$78, 100ml

This Clarins “Anti-Eau” Body Treatment Oil is highly recommended by Candy. I am sure we are all aware that Clarins houses fantastic treatment oils – their Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil is one of my all time favourites.

This body treatment oil smells amazing and it’s roughly how Clarins Skin Spa smells like (to me). This energising body oil contains 100% pure plant extracts including Broom, Geranium and Marjoram – and it helps eliminate toxins to streamline skin and prevent sponginess. Hazelnut Oil locks in moisture, leaving skin soft, toned and satiny-smooth.

The proper way of applying this oil is to apply a small amount to dry or damp skin, from the ankles up to the waist. Lightly massage and follow with a cool shower if possible. I have totally missed out the cool shower in the past and I still don’t do it often (being lazy at night). But I tried it once and the feeling is very different – I felt “lighter” immediately.

CLARINS BODY LIFT CELLULITE CONTROL*
S$88, 200ml

Newly launched, this Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control smoothes, firms and refines the skin.

This product is lightly scented and the soft, light pink gel-cream spreads over the skin like a dream. Upon contact with the skin, there’s a very notable cooling sensation which I adore. Skin seems smooth and hydrated after application. And after using it for the past 1.5 months, I noticed the texture of my skin is a lot smoother with less bumpiness on the thighs.

I also noticed some lifting effects after using this product – the effects get more pronounced after the 1 month mark.

However, there’s something I don’t quite like about it – after applying this gel-cream and when I massage another cream over, I experienced flaky/rubbery residue. It gets messy whenever I try to do that. To counteract this problem, instead of massaging another cream over, I apply in a quick, upwards stroke movement – with this method, no flaky/rubbery residue at all.

CLARINS BODY SHAPING CREAM
S$87, 200ml

Lastly, to complete my body home care kit, I apply the Clarins Body Shaping Cream.

I purchased this cream last year and since then they have changed the packaging – much sleeker in appearance. This cream is lightweight yet rich and creamy in texture. A little goes a long way – it helps to boost micro-circulation and reduce stubborn curves. It also firms the skin, hydrates and leaves it feeling soft and smooth.

IMPRESSIONS

Till this date, I have been to three Clarins Body Lift Sculptor Treatment and one The Polisher. I have one more set left next week and so far, I am very happy with the results.

The Body Lift Sculptor Treatment is the most relaxing slimming treatment I have ever been to. It’s like a body massage but filled with slimming benefits. The pressure Candy used on me is not painful and the process is smooth and seamless.

After my first Body Lift Sculptor Treatment, I felt lighter, my skin is well moisturized (in fact, I find it a little too oily because of the humid Singapore weather) and my skin feels tighter, less flabby. The morning after my first treatment was beyond my expectations because my arms look firmer and tighter – I was truly amazed.

Can you imagine? I woke up to firmer and tighter arms overnight!

The results after my first treatment lasted for approximately 1 week. After my second and third Body Lift Sculptor Treatment, I felt that the results are longer lasting – and I have gotten used to the layers of products on my skin after the treatments. It has been 1.5 weeks since my last treatment and my body still looks toned and feels lifted.

I also feel that this treatment helps to detox – could be due to the massaging techniques.

Overall, I am very impressed with the treatments I have done so far. I may continue the treatments on my own even after the wedding, perhaps once a month to help maintain my body shape. To me, not only the treatments are impressive, I am very happy with the nicely renovated interior spaces, treatment rooms and the level of service at the Clarins Skin Spa.

My treatments also include a very brief 2 minutes bust massage (optional) with their Bust Beauty Firming Lotion. For those who wishes for something more compelling, you may want to try their Bust & Décolleté Beauty Treatment instead.

I hope this post has been helpful and that you are enjoying this series of Our Wedding Notes so far.

Days and nights have became even shorter recently as we are putting together all the finishing touches for our wedding which is happening very, very soon. I haven’t had time and chance to play with many summer collections too – but I am very happy I am able to share this special journey with all of you here, on this blog.

I highly recommend checking out the range of body treatments at Clarins Skin Spa – brides-to-be or not, we deserve some pampering. Together with a well balanced diet, regular exercise and proper products to use at home, I feel that the Body Lift Sculptor Treatment really works hand-in-hand to help enhance my body shape.

Strange enough, my weight hasn’t gone down much – maybe 1 or 2kg since I started my whole new lifestyle program (diet, exercising and body treatments) but I look slimmer for sure.

I can do it, you can do it – we can all do it. Happy weekend.

Thank you for reading.