Crème de la Mer The Lifting Eye Serum - Lift & Firm Your Eyes like Magic !

When it comes to eye beauty treatment products, I've always been skeptical & won't give into the hype easily; no matter how fabulous those "Reviews" I've read ..... well until I tried "The lifting eye serum" by Crème de la Mer, it's a magic in a bottle! (yes you will be like yeah.. yeah... you said you don't believe in reviews, well I have photo of before & after to show you in this post)

I just turned 43 this year and the Earth's gravity has not been kind to my skins in under eye area! I have very little under eye bags just 2 years ago and all of the sudden, my under eye bags getting bigger and bigger! So big, I think it can have its own zip code LOL. So desperately I am searching for a good eye cream / serum to help stopping this under eye bag madness.... I've tried so many products, from Clarins, Shiseido, Clinique.... they were all great moisturizer providing moisture for your eye area but nothing helped to reduce the size of my under eye bags and minor dark circle. So one day I decided to go to Nordstrom and got a bottle of the lifting eye serum by La Mer, just in 12 days ( I started using it on 8-1-2016) my under eye area appears much more firmer & brighter than before ! of course nothing can cure or get rid of under eye bags completely, that's something for those cosmetic surgeons on Beverly Hills to do their magics, but this eye serum has worked wonders for me!

Here is a before and after photo of me. One taken on 8-1-2016 (Left) and the after photo taken on 8-12-2016 (Right). I promise, there is no photoshop retouching, no special lightening effect, just a REAL before & after photo so you can judge for yourself.

This photo is when I just received it from Nordstrom on 8-1-2016

Here is the before and after photo in just 12 days. You can see my under eye bags are reduced dramatically and the minor dark circles are gone! Click on the photo to view in larger size (yes you'll see my pores LOL)

The texture of this serum is very light and thin, not sticky at all! I apply it around my eyes after washing my face & toner. After apply the eye serum, I count to 10 to let it completely sink into my skin then I apply my eye cream on top of it. Here is some info about of this fabulous eye serum.

A luxurious lift from La Mer. With our new interlaced Stretch Matrix Complex, this precision serum helps visibly support the “architecture” of the eye and brow area. Sea botanicals promote the natural production of elastin, helping the visible effects heighten with time. The look is rejuvenated and uplifted. Suspended in time.

With applicator, gently smooth a drop around each eye morning and evening. Follow with your La Mer eye treatments.

Size: 0.5oz $240.00

Available at La Mer Official Website www.cremedelamer.com

I know price tag is hefty... but a little goes a long way! I would say this bottle can easily last 4 to 6 months. If you are looking for something that can help reduce your big under eye bags and dark circle, I would recommend you to go to your local department store and get some sample to try it! I think you will be as happy as I am with the result that delivered by La Mer the lifting eye serum !

You can also get this eye serum at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Barneys New York & Net-A-Porter.com

Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

xoxo

Alan + Mei-Mei the Pug

Spirituality & Style - How You Can Look & Feel Fabulous Inside and Out

Recently I had some thoughts about myself after doing my meditation; me being a fashion designer & a spiritual person and how most of the people don’t necessarily associate “Spirituality” & “Fashion” together.  No, I am not talking about that moment when you’ve reached the “Fashion Nirvana” when you saw that fabulous Valentino couture gown down the runway LOL!

In all seriousness, when we think of spirituality, we associated with something that represent the higher power of the universe, Gods, deep meaning & wisdom of life, time and space.  On the other hand, people associate “Fashion” with superficial, materialistic “worldly” things that is not a necessity in life, but more of an excess (the image of Alexis Carrington Colby just pop into my mind).   So “Fashion” & “Spirituality” doesn’t seem like they can belong together or co-exist….  but throughout history, many costumes & jewelries were inspired by religions and spirituality with special purpose or ceremonial reason.

I started to look deeper into this and found this fabulous website that’s both spiritual & stylish ~ Style-Shift.com 

The Style-Shift and Style-Shift.com was founded & created by the Minimalist Style-Sage Saundra Saulnier.  She is not only a very successful fashion designer but also a Certified Holistic Life-Style Coach and the author of the forthcoming book: ‘CUT TO YOUR CORE’ Style From The Inside Out.

Style-SHIFT was launched as a result of her life experiences and passion for inspiring people to “style their own lives”.  She has a heartfelt purpose to generate shifts in our perceptions of what style is and how we can connect “Style to Our Soul.”

She believes there is absolutely “no disconnect” between anything we do; our thoughts, words, choices, environment, career, relationships, possessions and wellness are all connected. And when we tap into our internal guide we thrive in our genuine.

I absolutely love her philosophy about style & spirituality! You can learn more about Saundra’s style & spiritual teachings and her upcoming book “CUT TO YOUR CORE” Style From The Inside Out. At her official website http://style-shift.com

Until next time, be well and look fabulous

Xoxo

Alan + Mei Mei the Pug

Proenza Schouler PS Elliot Satchel is a great unisex style bag for men !

I just received my Proenza Schouler PS Elliot Satchel from Barneys New York today.... the bag is gorgeous!! The leather is smooth but sturdy.  Shoulder is long enough to wear it cross body when you need to free up both hands (like traveling, at the airport... ect).  It's big enough to carry your laptop and documents to work, also great for weekend shopping and having brunch with your friends.  Over all it is a FABULOUS bag!

You can get it from Barneys New York 

Here are some stats of this bag

Front flap, debossed logo at back, oxidized silvertone hardware

Lined with black suede; zip pocket and two leather slip pockets at interior

Rolled leather top handles with leather keeper; detachable, adjustable flat leather shoulder strap

Signature metal turnlock closure

11.5" height x 14.0" width x 7.0" depth, approximately

4" handle drop, 20" maximum strap drop, approximately

Made in Italy

Until next time, be well and look fabulous! 

XOXO 

Alan & Mei-Mei the Pug

Please visit our online store for luxury candles & gifts at www.LuxeGifts.com

Carrière Frères Industrie Paris Couture Candles - A Story of Two Brothers Fascinated by Wax & Nature

Ever since I got my first bottle of Carrière Frères candle in Paris, I've falling in love with their fabulous fragrance, the minimalistic candle jar with beautiful hand drawn graphic in front of the bottle. These candles not only look and smell beautiful, but have an interesting history behind it, too!

Founded in 1884, by the inquisitive and entrepreneurial minds of two brothers, Carrière Frères Industrie is the keeper of wax craftsmanship from the XVIII century. At the dawn of the industrial revolution, obsessed with patents and new inventions, the Carrière brothers revamped wax-making.

They pioneered the famous Carrière night-light, which burned for six hours with a constant beam and without smoke, and turned the indoor candles into an object of comfort and quality. Awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1889, the "Madeleine" candles, Carrière Frères Industrie has supplied them to the Basilique du Sacré Coeur ever since.

Erudite and demanding the Carrière brothers developed and modernized the manufacturing secrets they inherited from past wax masters. They selected the finest waxes and the most durable wicks, and brought them to the masses. Fascinated by Botanic, they strenuously sought out a formula for a purely vegetal wax. The result was a recipe, free of paraffin and other petrochemical derivates, which does not produce smoke or unpleasant odours, and is easily blended with perfume. This wax, still used today in the fabrication of our Carrière Frères candles, allows for their slow combustion and clean burning.

Carrière Frères Industrie botanical candle - Lilium Regale - Royal Lily

Centuries of botanists and explorers have enriched Carrière Frères Industries scented candles. Soliflore scents, inspired by exotic or indigenous oils, and reminiscent of the romantic “language of flowers”, in vogue during ‘la Belle Epoque’. The candles evoke the flower markets of Les Halles of Paris, where at the turn of the XIX century, the most beautiful and rare specimens were brought from faraway lands. The Century was avid of sensations of intoxicating bundles perfuming cargo ships, freight trains, and the backs of porters.

Carrière Frères Industrie botanical candle - Damascus Rose

Damascus Roses, Jasmine of Grasse, rare Tiaré, Ebony, Vanilla, vertigo of spices… traders and audacious merchants garnished the baskets of flower girls with these small treasures to accessories ladies necklines and gentlemen’s buttonholes, and in turn introduced new colours to wealthy Hausmannian homes. From that day on, Paris would never expect any less than for the world’s fragrances to drop at its doorstep, and Carrière Frères candles captures the rare essence of botanical aromas.

Carrière Frères Industrie botanical candle - Lichi Sinensis - Lychee

These fabulous couture candles are so hard to find and is only available at few fine boutiques in the U.S. ! You can get it from our favorite luxury candle store at LuxeGifts.com

Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

XOXO

Alan & Mei-Mei the Pug

Please visit our online store for luxury candles & gifts at www.LuxeGifts.com

Photo courtesy by : WatsonKennedy / Frenchblue / Carrière Frères Industrie

SK-II Cellumination Mask-In Lotion is Luminosity in the bottle!

I live in the beautiful California, where every day is sunny and perfect for the beach! The weather is great but the constant sun exposure has left some marks on my skin. Also because of my acne marks, it made my skin tone looks uneven and lack of luster. So I’ve been looking for some skin brightening products that will help me to get rid of the dark acne marks and make my skin tone more even looking. I recently got a bottle of the cellumination mask-in lotion, OMG! is like a "Magic" in a bottle!

Many might be confused about what exactly is this for? It’s light & liquid consistency makes it not really a mask (but it does offers mask-like hydration benefits) or a lotion texture kind of moisturizer… but it is a very great Toner / Softner for all skin types.

The whole Cellumination collection (Cream, Mask-In Lotion & Aura Bright Essence) delivered just as they advertised! A brighter, crystal clear skin that has an “Aura” glow from within (maybe that’s why they make the bottles has this rainbow aurora borealis effect) and adding luminosity to your skin.

Here is the commercial from Asia for the SK II 2 Cellumination Aura Bright essence



Not like other brand’s "Whitening & Brightening" products, this cellumination mask in lotion contains a nice mix of water-binding agents, an anti-irritant, the cell-communicating & whitening brightening ingredient such as Niacinamide, and vitamin C (ascorbyl glucoside).

I just used it for 1 month and already seeing a big difference! My acne scar has faded dramatically and the uneven skin tone has transformed to a more even and “brighter” shade! It hydrates and brightens my skin, just having a healthier glow to it. Here is my before and after photo just after 1 month uses of the Cellumination Mask-in Lotion ( I use it twice a day, morning & evening). I promise! there are no photoshop effect or touch-up on the photo!

 

For those who wants to know the ingredients of this product

Aqua (Water), Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Niacinamide (Brightening & whitening), Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ascorbyl Glucoside (Vitamin C for brightening & whitening), Centella Asiatica Extract, Nylon-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum (Fragrance).

I highly recommend the Cellumination mask-in lotion to use as a toner. With great result like this, I am going to go buy the rest of the Cellumination collection for a complete brightening benefit.

Cellumination Mask-In Lotion

Available at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue

Cellumination Aura Bright essence

Available at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue

Cellumination Cream Illuminating Moisturizer

Available at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue

Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

XOXO

Alan & Mei Mei the Pug

Please visit our online store for luxury candles & gifts at www.LuxeGifts.com

Crème de la Mer the Miracle Cream of the Sea - My 1 week Transformation Review

I’ve heard all of the amazing reviews and miracle stories about the legendary face cream " Crème de la Mer " ever since I was in my early 20s. Now I’ve just turned 40 this year, I start to noticed my face starts to droop & sagging downwards, enlarge pores & uneven skin tone; due to old age but also daily stress from work during the day and staying late at night finishing up my design projects. So one day I decided to splurge and treat myself a bottle of Crème de la mer! OMG! the "miracle" transformation stories you’ve been hearing are all true and plus more! I am truly impressed by the result I got just with 1 week use of the original moisturizer version of the crème de la mer!

So before I show you my before and after photo of my zoom in close up shot of my face, let me tell you a little history about the crème de la mer. Half a century ago, aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber suffered burns in a laboratory accident. Neither medicine nor science offered the benefits Dr. Huber sought, and he began a personal quest to transform the look of his skin. 12 years passed. 6,000 experiments were conducted. Finally, he perfected the precious, nurturing Miracle Broth™ using sea kelp, which he incorporated into the very first La Mer formula, the Crème de la Mer.

  

They harvest the sea kelp at Vancouver Island, BC. They fermented sea kelps for 3-4 months (like fermenting grapes to wine) and this is what went into creating the main ingredient, Miracle Broth. Here is a video about the process.


 

Here is the photo of my face before using the crème de la mer (left) and 1 week later (right); and what a big difference! As you can see I have some redness and irritation on my skin on the left also the wrinkle on the side of my nose, under my eye bags and some age spot on my cheeks. After 1 week day and night usage of crème de la mer, the cream calms my irritated skin! The redness has faded, my skin tone looks more even, more clear and has a healthy glow to it! The skin around my nose & cheeks feels more firmer, less sagging also the wrinkle next to my nose and under my eye bag is not as visable. I am totally beyond satisfied and impressed by this “miracle of the sea” crème de la mer’s healing power!

Click on the photo to see larger size to really see the difference!

La mer also just has the new “Treatment Lotion” came out about 2 weeks ago, of course I’ve already order one bottle! It’s a miraculous source of vitality, the essential first step toward transformation. Like “liquid energy,” this rich and silky hydrator visibly awakens the complexion and drives moisture deep into the skin to improve texture and even tone. Skin is perfectly prepared to receive the full benefit of the La Mer regimen that follows. I use it right after I wash my face as a toner to prep my face to absorb all of the nutrients from the crème de la mer I am going to apply on to my face next. It feels amazing!! Click here to buy it from crème de la mer official online store ~ Crème de la Mer Treatment Lotion

I know la mer products are pricy, but for me it’s worth every penny! You should go to the la mer counter at your local mall and ask for a bottle of sample, you’ll be amazed by how fabulous your skin will look after just one week of use!

Don’t forget to visit the official website Crème de la Mer  

Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

XOXO

Alan & Mei Mei the pug

Please visit our online store for luxury candles & gifts at www.LuxeGifts.com

Cartier’s New Romantic Short Film Destinée Enchants You about a Second Chance at Love in Paris

Cartier puts the most beautiful love stories in the spotlight again just in time for the Valentine’s day. Discover the new romantic short film “Destinée” telling the story about a second chance at love in Paris. This international production stars the English actor Oliver Jackson Cohen and the Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen 陳妍希.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino & screenwriter Drake Doremus, tells a story about a group of childhood friends gathers together for the reception at the wedding of two of their friends. Which enable the two stars’ characters Nick and Claire to meet again and eventually fall in love for the 2nd time.

Ok so go your handkerchief or box of Kleenex out and ready for some tear jerking moment at 3:54 ~ 5:24 ….. OMG, can anyone say “NO” to Oliver Jackson Cohen in this short film? He is so dreamy!!

Here is this beautiful short film “Destinée”

Don't forget to click on the "CC" button at the bottom of the video to pick the subtitles of your language! They have Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, French, German languages.

Here is the behind the scene of this short film with director's comments

Don't forget to click on the "CC" button at the bottom of the video to pick the subtitles of your language! They have Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, French, German languages.



This is the beautiful Cartier diamond ring featured in the film!

Just 4 more days then it’s the Valentine’s Day again, We want to wish all of you a wonderful Valentine’s day! If you are single, don’t give up! Just like the name of this year’s Cartier short film “Destinée”, there is someone out there destine to love you and he/she will show up at the right time and right place when it’s meant to be!

Don’t forget to check out and see Cartier’s romantic short film from last year in our previous blog posting! Click on the link below to see it!

Cartier Love Stories - True Love Has a Color And a Name

Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

XOXO

Alan + Mei-Mei the Pug

Please visit our online store for luxury candles & gifts at www.LuxeGifts.com