
Happy belated New Year, y'all. Hope you all had a fun filled sparkly celebration with a jug full of resolutions. I literally spent my new year's eve chasing fireworks around KL. It was a "meh".
2010 got me in a wrong...face, pretty much. It gives me PIMPLES, ACNE, ZITS...whatever you call it. I usually have an occasional t-zone, but OMG, ever since my visit to Leonard Drake in MidValley, KL, my pimples have migrated from forehead to my cheeks, which is quite rare especially when it comes with sets of twins...triplets at once.
Last week I had my first facial treatment at
Yves Rocher, Sunway Pyramid. It was a leap of faith coming here, having no reviews on the treatment from friends nor the internet. Couldn't find any local reviews online! I actually wanted to go here with my friend but they don't have an empty slot for the whole weekend. Must be quite popular, I thought.

Price list on services @ Yves Rocher
Moment of truth. As I stepped inside the bright white store, I was attended by one of their aesthetician,
Kak Siti. With my skin condition, I opted for the facial Botanical Intensive Treatment (Ultra Matte: For oily/combination skin). It is priced for RM165, but after member's discount, I got it at RM132. Kak Siti gave me quite a lot of good tips on facial care and she pretty much knows her stuff! Unlike others I've been to, they just explain on what's been put on my face and more $$$. The extraction didn't hurt that much, she was pretty gentle and get the job done. Two of my ugly pimples have now recovered thanks to her.
My face feels so clean and smooth after rituals on washing, scrubbing, steaming, antiseptic (using a glide machine) , extracting and lastly the heavenly mask! Wait...there's also shoulder massage at the end for like, 5 mins?
All in all, I'd say it's the best, modest facial treatment I've been to so far.
You only need to purchase any of their products (as cheap as RM7.50) to become members and receive discounts of their service and products. LOVELY!
Summaries on facial treatment I've been to:
Yves RocherHigh recommended for cheapo minded but wants a decent facial such as moi. Definitely a pampering experience and I love the smell of their products, natural and fresh! And you gotta love their icy cooling mask! It was thick-skin like and feels so heavenly cool on the face. A very good ending to a wonderful facial experience. Good value for money too. 10% for members! I definitely coming back again, next month we'll see.
Star rating:
4.5/5Unisense Slimming Centre near Bukit Raja, Shah AlamIt was okay. I went here with a friend for a discounted price. Extraction is okay, not painful. A bit pushy on buying their products. I bought this one perfecting gel serum from Monreo, which kinda works but a bit pricey (more than RM100). I'm sure their specialty is more on slimming regime, not much on facial.
Star rating:
3.5/5Leonard Drake, Midvalley Megamall, Kuala LumpurI went here with my friend, who's a guy. I received a RM100 voucher and it only valid for treatment RM160 and above. My friend has a sensitive skin, so he opted for RM190 intensive treatment. Mixed reviews between me and my friend.
My friend: Painful extraction but good results on the face 2 weeks later.
Me: Painful extraction and painful ending. I don't have a sensitive skin, but they did quite a few damage on my forehead.
All in all, it was quite pricey for a first timer. Mine cost RM120 for a session. They called me and my friend the following week, just to follow up on the results of our face, which I think its sweet of them...but when I mentioned I got a few break-outs, they just replied "it's normal". :p
Star rating:
2.5 starsLancome Beauty Institute, Bangsar Village III went here two weeks after my Yves Rocher visit. Due to my project location and excellent reviews online such as
this and
this and
this, I went here expecting what the reviewers been through. It was definitely the state of art/technology, I'd say one notch higher than Leonard Drake, with all the facial scanner that was able to check the size of your pores, your sebum amount, hydration level and fine lines/wrinkles just by poking your face with some rod.
Being a newcomer, I thought I'd be getting RM105 (np: RM 150), but the aesthetician, Lynn, told me to get the eye treatment (RM 120, after discount is RM84) or else I won't be getting the 30% discount. From what I thought RM105, has not only become RM 150 but RM189.
Fine, a 5-star wallet surely equals to 5-star treatment. I like the nice decor details from the white roses on the washroom and storage place...white and white.
Now let's get to real deal. The extraction was EXCRUCIATING! I know I have a series of bombastic pimples, but I would appreciate a TLC on them, not the other way round. Despite a few "ouchie" reaction, she keeps popping those injured bombs...and later the ELECTROCUTION aka antiseptic... OMG! WHY??? WHY??? It's like trying to disturb the dead...
I cringed and uttered a few profanities in my head, hoping that these painful experience would make my face as soft and flawless as Alicia Keys...
For me, I judged my facial session from the extraction and the ability/service of the aesthetician. Don't get me wrong, the one who attended me was friendly and all-smiles, but I'm not sure she's your girl when it comes to
extraction.
Update: I went there second time (in June '10) cos I always happen to be in Bangsar. Again, extraction was painful, but my acne scars recovered faster than usual. Thumbs up! But too bad it's expensive :(
Star rating:
4 stars (super deco and tech, painful extraction, acne scars heal fast)
Dewi Sri Spa, Alam Sentral, Sghah Alam (no longer around)
Lovely interior, with Balinese decor. Went here with my mom. I've no complaints on the extraction, but my mom wasn't too lucky with hers. I went through a full body massage here before. It was nice, until they massaged my upper areas...erm...
Star rating:
3/5
To read more on the
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