Friday, November 22, 2013

Browhaus Brow Resurrection

After contemplating the above-named treatment from the above-named shop over numerous sporadic moments across a span of a year or so, I nose-dived into its Raffles City basement outlet and got myself involved with 7 + 2 sessions (the 2 being "complimentary" follow up sessions offered during the Singapore Sales period) at a price that I wish-not to disclose or in any other way remind myself. All price information is easily retrieved from multiple public sources.

All that action happened before I left my previous employment, as a vain excuse to pamper myself a little better after being booted from the job.


New beginnings, new brows. Intriguingly named Brow Resurrection, I envisaged a phoenix emerging from the ambers, with its wings looking curiously like a pair of wispy, brand new brows.


6th November was my first consult with a Miss Lydia at the store. I requested for a set of Korean brows that's all the rage now. L carefully painted on a suggested brow shape with a fine ink brush for my go-ahead. Then L explained that because I had once before done another brow embroidery job with a different brow shape, the colour (though much faded) shows up as a shadow. The brow shape she's suggested had to overlay the bluish-grey shadow and had to consist of a stronger tone of brown.


I was pretty happy with her efforts and agreed with the brow shape so L proceeded to apply a layer of numbing gel. It was chilled and supposed to make the treatment significantly painless. The application required a sitting time of 10-15mins so during the wait one of their customer relations cum sales guy appeared and did a lengthy briefing of the dos-and-dont's, and made me sign some acknowledgement and indemnity forms. His fringe was funny and I detected a hint of cigarette breath while he talked. Glorious!

Numbing gel settling in

The next step was for L to colour in the drafted brow with the 'organic-semi-permanent-deep-brown' dye that the shop was so proud of. Thankfully the numbing gel worked - what I felt was a series of needles pricking lightly into my skin. And then the numbing effect wore off.. and then it really hurt! 


At this point I'd like to recommend for the boys and girls who plan to undergo this treatment to do a thorough check on the symmetry of your brows after the colouring is completed. Despite the skills and experience of the beauticians, they are having to work with your face tilted to one side only and with the lighting focused on one part of your face more than the others.


Well it happened to me that my after my first round of pricking my brows were not symmetric. I pointed them out to L and she made a few extra pricks to balance out the height of the brows. And then I thought it was a rather good job done! It was a good job done that hurt-a-hella-lot at the end!


Feeling wounded, I was easily persuaded to purchase a post-treatment kit that consisted of a soothing liquid and a water-proofing balm. L explained that the kit would last me a few months as it could be used after future follow up treatments. I decided very quickly that for that money to be apportioned over the months it was okay. POW!! Extra money thrown in.


Over the next several hours the pain gradually crept up as the numbing effects wore off completely. And then my brows throbbed and swelled up. I didn't even even dare touch my brow by accident.

About 2 hours after treatment

The worst experience post-treatment is that I'm disallowed from washing my brows for the next 5 days. Rationale was that with the dye being natural and organic it gets washed off pretty easily. To allow time for my skin to absorb it I needed to leave my brows untouched while they performed their natural peeling after being stabbed repeatedly. Also during this period I should apply the post-treatment product twice daily to retain the dye for as long as I could.

Obediently I let all that happen to avoid the need for scheduling a follow up that is too closely spaced to the first one. It was a rather traumatising experience for me. 



Day 16 - Blog conclusion

Now at Day 16, the dye has significantly faded. I stopped applying the post-treatment product. The skin is no longer feeling injured and I can scratch an itch on the brow bone as per normal. I did however notice that there is still asymmetry in my brows. One being more rounded and than the other. The issue didn't fall away together with the dead skin during the peeling phase.


I think this is how it's gonna look for the next several weeks. It doesn't reduce my effort in colouring my brows since I need to continue to mask the asymmetry. This I will not miss in asking L to fix in our follow up appointment.


How Glorious!! So do you think it was worthwhile...?

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Insomnia

I wistfully wish to fall asleep, it's terribly hard right now.

A pain it is to count the sheep, in place of pots of gold.

My mind is cluttered my mood is bleak, tomorrow's plans will be a mess indeed.

I earnestly beg to find some sleep, before dawn arrives and daylight peeps.

Send me my pots of gold, lay forth my pots of gold.

-- written on my Kindle Paperwhite Experimental Browser
<3 p="">

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Gratitude

With one family member undergoing cancer treatment, I am certainly jolted with a bolt of reality. Cancer is real and there is a possibility that one day my body cells may decide to hit the mutation dance floor and get crazy.

Everything I put into my body matters. My lifestyle matters. Maybe my DNA would be my downfall, but well, the least I could do is not to let everything go free-falling down the cancer rabbit hole. 

Time to think about my way-of-life and remember that I alone, is responsible for my own well-being.

I am thankful that right now I'm still able and about, in good shape to go for running sessions, having a normal body that allows me to read and write this blog. I am thankful for all the people in my life for hanging around, providing me with a comfortable working and living environment, a roof over my head. I am glad I can go to work and earn my keep, having sufficient ability to dress and eat well. I am really content with my place, really appreciative of all this.

No doubt with passing of time, signs of aging will begin to show up all over my healthy body and I will become frail and weak, but I will always be grateful that I am able to live comfortably and loved by so many right now.

Thanks, yah!
Lisa, hang in there because you have much to live for and celebrate!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Paws-to-Ponder: This has Always been the Beginning..

We tend to segment our lives into chapters.
Beginning of new year.. End of day.. Start of new employment.. Start of marriage life..
What it really is - is that life is fluid and each moment just as significant as the last.

We are all great multi-taskers, even if we momentarily forget. I work, I bond, I learn, I fight, I plan, I do. These are all ongoing experiences we simultaneously take on.

It is a beautiful thing to be able to take a step back and appreciate what we have achieved. But because life is so fluid, we also want to use that information to recalibrate our minds and actions so we can continue towards our goals in life.

Be content, be happy, but don't be stagnant. Be aware of life, and that time is really a precious thing.
Love life. Savour the moment. Stay motivated.