Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

INVISALIGN (PART 2)

November 09, 2014

Time flies so quickly! It felt like only yesterday when I just started my Invisalign journey at Orchard Scotts Dental (OSD) clinic. If you read the first blog post I wrote a year ago, you've probably seen how crooked my teeth were. I also shared about how uncomfortable I felt when I had to smile for the camera, and how much I dreamed of having a beautiful Hollywood smile. That dream will finally become true in about 8 weeks when I finish my 30th aligner.

In fact, I don't really need to wait till aligner No. 30, I can now happily share with you my new smile after one and a half year.

Are you ready?

At my 25th aligner, Dr. Jerry Lim finally removed the attachments on my teeth (as seen on aligner no. 20). These bubble-like attachments act as an anchor point that helps to move the tooth to the desired direction. I'm wearing aligner number 27 now, there are only 3 more to go. I'm so excited and I cannot express how much I love my new smile right now.

From this:

to this after one and a half year?

I must be kidding, you say? But no, I don't. I won't blame you for being doubtful, because I myself can't believe that this is actually happening either. You have no idea how much this new smile has changed my life. I'm much more confident now when I smile, when I talk to people, and especially when I'm interviewed (watch this interview I did with the Clozette team during Digital Fashion Week to see it yourself). The fact that you can see, for the first time on this blog, a photo of myself laughing out loud without worrying about my crooked teeth, is the biggest change by far.

With all that, I must say "Thank you so much" to Orchard Scotts Dental. Thank you for changing my smile! You have changed my life in a certain way and I don't think I can thank you enough.

Just in case you don't know, OSD is an Invisalign Platinum Elite provider clinic, which announced the launch of the Orchard Scotts Dental Flagship Clinic Powered by Invisalign in June 2014. The clinic has helped more than 700 Singaporeans find and achieve their best smile, including past Miss Universe Singapore winners (OSD has been the Official Dentist for Miss Universe Singapore since 2009). As Smile Architects, Orchard Scotts Dental is a firm believer of constantly growing their expertise and staying at the forefront of aesthetic dentistry technology, to the benefit of their customers.

With a newly renovated premises, OSD is more than happy (and ready) to welcome you to experience the holistic approached smile-makeover.

On 30th May, I was extremely happy to share on my Instagram a photo I shot for Invisalign and OSD as one of their ambassadors. I wrote "Never in my wildest dream I thought one day I could be a model for a dental clinic. Here I am showing my biggest smile with my going-to-be-perfect teeth in a few months, posing for camera as one of the @invisalign ambassadors. Thank you so much @orchardscottsdental & #Invisalign for the opportunity. I cannot be more grateful and excited about everything."

These are some photos from the shoot I did with my fellow ambassadors for Invisalign and OSD in May. Don't be surprised if you see them at OSD's clinic and on the website :).

As you can see, it's not so hard to achieve your dream smile, is it? You just need to find a good doctor who will go all the way to make your dream come true. I'm so lucky to have Dr. Jerry Lim (and the OSD team) to help me in this journey. He is such a good, caring, and experienced doctor. Of course, he has a good smile too.

If you are still wondering whether or not Invisalign is suitable for you, how long does it take, how much does it cost, you can read back my first blog entry under Q & A session. Or, better still, visit

Orchard Scotts Dental
501 Orchard Road, Wheelock Place #05-08, Singapore 238880.
Contact: +65- 6732 9939 or +65- 8223 6334 (emergency)
Email: enquiry@orchardscottsdental.com

Thank you so much for reading!

Till next time.

INVISALIGN WITH ORCHARD SCOTTS DENTAL

December 05, 2013

I guess, it's time for me to finally reveal the truth that I've been hiding for so long since I started up this blog. Most people know me as "a girl who is confident in everything she does" (well, most things) but they don't know that I do have one thing that I'm not very confident and happy with; my smile. Don't argue with me just yet and let me show you. Take a look at this photo below:

Does this smile look familiar to you? I don't know if you've ever got bored of seeing the same smile all the time on this blog but I do! I'm tired of looking at this typical smile that only shows a little bit of teeth, a smile without much feeling and emotion. Sometimes, I really want to take a photo of myself laughing out loud freely with a mouth wide open but I can't. I'm afraid to let people see my embarrassing crooked teeth, that's why I've hidden them away as much as I could and never taken any photo of my big smile ever since I grew up. How sad it is!

The truth is here!

This is how my teeth look. I can't wait to call them as "my past" and keep them in my memory in another 18 months. While the upper teeth look quite ok except for the 2 front big teeth "refusing to stay in line and trying to fight for attention", the lower ones seem to give me more trouble as they don't follow the alignment, size and shape at all. The simple teeth alignment issue makes such a significant difference in how I look and how I smile. I used to feel so jealous with anyone who has beautiful straight teeth. I'd probably still feel the same way if it weren't for the help of Orchard Scotts Dental.

Right here where the amazing thing happened to me.

They made my 10-year-long dream of having a Hollywood smile come true. I still can't quite figure out how this happened. I mean, it's too good to be true. Despite their super occupied schedule with appointments pre-booked months in advance, they still managed to arrange a time slot for me. I went to the clinic 2 months ago to have my teeth scanned. I had my consultation with Dr. Jerry Lim to discuss about how he could help to straighten up my teeth with Invisalign. I was beyond excited. Literally, all I heard during the 20-minute-consultation with Dr. Jerry Lim was "Yes, you can have a Hollywood smile", nothing else.

Orchard Scotts Dental is one of the rare clinics that received the Platinum Elite Status for being one of the top Invisalign Treating Dental Practices in Singapore in 2012. That's good enough to show they are very experienced and good at what they do.

Besides the big wall full of awards, certificates, achievements, I'm sure you'll be amazed at how well-equipped, modern and beautiful the clinic is from the inside to the outside. There are so many rooms for different functions and usages, and the nurses are so experienced and helpful.

That's my uber-handsome and friendly dentist, Dr. Jerry Lim, who will be helping me with my beautiful smile journey.

Just in case you don't know about Invisalign, it is an orthodontic treatment which uses a series of clear, removable aligners that are custom-molded to fit your current teeth perfectly and to straighten your teeth by moving them little-by-little to achieve your desired outcome. It works just like metal braces, but THIS is invisible. As I said earlier, I have been dreaming of a perfect smile for the past 10 years, but I did nothing to make it happen because I did not like how the metal braces looked. I thought they'd make me look even uglier than my crooked teeth. Anyway, back to the Invisalign procedure, it's much simpler than I thought it would be.

First, I had a consultation with Dr. Jerry Lim to discuss my teeth issue and explore what would be the final result. I'm still amazed at how I could even foresee what my smile will look like during and after the Invisalign treatment. After the consultation, I had my teeth molded and an impression of my teeth was sent to Align Technology (a company that designs, manufactures and markets Invisalign). A few weeks later, this was what I had in my hand:

The Invisalign kit!

Good thing comes in a small package!

Like the name itself, the aligner is completely transparent and harder to detect in comparison to the traditional braces. Also, it's removable and so easy to wear.

Look at how transparent it is.

I have 30 sets of aligners in total and am required to wear each aligner for 2 weeks, optimally 22 hours/ day except when eating, brushing and flossing. Initially, I thought it would be quite troublesome having to remove the aligners so often, but after a while, I just got used to it. It's like a piece of cake now and even helps to keep my oral hygiene always in tip-top condition.

This is me without aligners

and with aligners. Notice any difference? I bet you could because it's INVISIBLE and that's what Invisalign is all about.

I was wearing my first set of aligners when I took this photo. Right now, I'm on my 3rd set with some attachments on it. I'll update you guys again, it's quite fun and interesting to see how the teeth move.

For now, here are some common questions you guys might be interested to know:

1. How much does Invisalign cost?
Approximately S$4500- S$9000 depends on the condition of the teeth. I know the clinic offers an installment plan in which you just need to pay after each visit. Please call the clinic +65- 6732 9939 to get more information.

2. Does it hurt?
Not really. Only the first 2 sets and whenever I change to a new set of aligners, I feel the pressure on my teeth but somehow I like this type of pressure. It's bearable to me.

3. Will it be uncomfortable when I speak, eat and do other things like playing sports, singing, swimming etc...?
Well, it was a little bit uncomfortable to me at first when I spoke because obviously there was something in my mouth. But like I said, after a while, I got used to it, it became normal and part of me :D. *Just kidding*.

4. Does it change your face shape?
I'm sure when you have a new smile, your face will look different. That's what I was told. As right now, nobody even notices that I'm wearing Invisalign and if my face looks bigger or smaller, I'm so sad :(

5. Do I need to extract my teeth?
In my case, Dr. Jerry Lim asked if I wanted to extract my 2 upper teeth and 2 lower teeth as my teeth are quite crowded, but I decided not to as I was afraid I would regret when I get old and my teeth start leaving me :D. Anyway, this is optional and it depends on your individual case. Your dentist will give you the best advice.

6. I'm interested, how do I start?
Easy peasy! Please contact my clinic:
Orchard Scotts Dental
They are at: 501 Orchard Road, Wheelock Place #05-08, Singapore 238880.
Contact: +65- 6732 9939 or +65- 8223 6334 (emergency)
Email: enquiry@orchardscottsdental.com
Don't forget to mention "CRYSTAL PHUONG" when you see the doctor ;)
For more information, please visit their website and follow them on Facebook.

Last but not least, I know I can't thank you enough, but again thank you so much Orchard Scotts Dental for making my smile makeover dream come true. I couldn't be more blessed and happier to have you taking care of my teeth and making them look more beautiful.

Thank you so much for reading!

I'll update you the whole process and result again, I promise!

Update on 11/11/2014: Want to know how my new smile looks? Click HERE to continue reading and see the before and after photo.

EYEBROWS ENLIVEN AT HIGHBROW

December 14, 2012

Advertorial

Today I'm going to talk about one of the most essential and simplest things yet very often be neglected by many people. It is about your EYEBROWS.

When it comes to facial beauty, people often pay much attention on their eyes or the nose as they are more visible instead of the eyebrows. In fact, eyebrows are so important that without them, our face looks horrible. I'm not exaggerating. If the eyes are the windows to our soul, then the eyebrows should be the curtain to make everything complete.

You can have the brightest eyes, prettiest smile, perfect hair and skin like this, but without eyebrows, you would look so weird.

WHY EYEBROWS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO OUR LIFE!

But the problem is, not everyone was born with perfect eyebrows. Some have too little hair, some are not balanced, some are too long while some are too short. And that where we need a professional help.

My eyebrows used to be very light, thin and mis-shaped. I hate it as it made my face look coarse. I had my first eyebrows tattoo in 2004 if I'm not wrong and it was hell so painful. The color has faded since then and turned purplish but I didn't want to redo it because it was really painful and I was lazy to be honest.

Until I was introduced by my friend Camile to her client's salon called HighBrow, I started considering about getting my eyebrows fixed. As what Camile introduced to me, Highbrow's signature service is eyebrows enliven which is totally different from eyebrows embroidery and it's pain-free. I trusted her! And 3 weeks ago, I went with Camile to Highbrow for my eyebrows enliven.

Arriving at their premises! First thing first, photo taking time.

It's located in a new shopping mall thus everything is so nice and clean. Their shopfront is so eye-catching too with bright lighting and beautiful exterior.

Andy- the Creative Director of Highbrow was the one did the eyebrows for me. I felt so special and privileged. My worry was gone immediately as I knew my eyebrows were in good hands ;). After all the formal introduction, he looked at my eyebrows and my face shape to define what would be my ideal brow shape.

And then, he drew few different brow shapes so that I could see how my face would look like with different shapes and I would pick one that I like most.

Look at the pencil he used to draw my eyebrows! It's so fine that I almost thought whatever he drew was my eyebrows hair, lolz.

Every single step he finished, he always let me to look at myself in the mirror and look at how the job done and whether I'm happy with it.

Here he was showing me some of his customers' before and after eyebrows photos. They look so different and of course the after photos are so much nicer.

Next step, there was an amount of numbing cream applied onto my brows. This was to prevent the pain would occur during the process.

While waiting for numbing cream to take effect, we made use of the big-ass DSLR camera that Camile brought along and took lot of photos.

Out of curiosity, I asked Andy "Why do you called it "Eyebrows Enliven" instead of "Eyebrows Embroidery"? Is there any difference?". He said "Yes" and so enthusiastically, he explained to me what are the differences.

Basically, Highbrow is the one that coined "Eyebrows Enliven" term and they are the only salon in Singapore that applies this technique. It's their trademark! I'm sure most of you heard about "Eyebrows Embroidery" or "Eyebrows Tattoo". And if you think this is their marketing strategy to change a common method to a different name with purpose of making themselves different from the rest, you are wrong! Just shut up and read please!!!!

I'm sure there must be reason(s) why HighBrow is so proud to call themselves a pioneer in this. Here are the main two reasons:

1. Tools

This is used for eyebrows embroidery. It's a hard, metal cover of 9 to 11 prong needles blade. Because the cover is made of metal, it can only allow you to draw straight lines due to its hardness.

HighBrow's pens? They are all designed by Andy himself with his rich experience of more or less 20 years in this business. After designing process, they will give the needle specification to their manufacturer to come out with these:

Their blade covers are made of rubber, thus they are not so hard to use. It has so much flexibility and freedom to create whatever shape you want. I tried to draw a eyebrow arch using both pens and I'm telling you, the Highbrow pens are so much easier to use. They create such natural curve and fine lines. Not to mention, Highbrow even designed different blade sizes for different types of eyebrow hair in our eyebrows. This is because our hair at beginning of eyebrow is always finer than the one on the arch area so logically, they can't use the same blade size.

2. Technique.

Technique is the utmost important thing that differentiates the good and the bad in any service. While eyebrows embroidery works on dermis layer of your skin (where the collagen and fibers are located), eyebrows enliven at Highbrow only works on the epidermis layer (the outside layer of the skin that contains nothing but dead skin cells). Therefore, it will not penetrate the inner layers or blood vessels which cause brows to change color after time.

*Photo for your better understanding.

Lastly, Andy applied some amounts of ink onto my brows. He asked me what color would I like for my brows and I preferred it to be as close as my hair color so I chose dark brown. Once done, he started drawing and drawing til he satisfied with its look :D

You want to see how it turned out?

Here you go!

Tadah ~_~

THIS IS MY BEFORE PHOTO!

You might not notice my before eyebrows because I drew it whenever I went out. But here is my before photo in case you are wondering:

Nice shape? I drew it. Without make-up, my eyebrows almost don't exist. :(

and here is my after photo:

YAY for thicker eyebrows! :D

For that, I must say! I'm so pleased with their eyebrows enliven service. I think i look younger with a thicker eyebrows too, don't you think? Super love it! I'm super happy with the result because I no longer have to draw my eyebrows anymore. I hate it especially whenever I'm late for work.

Before I left the salon, Highbrow gave me some aftercare cream and nourish essence to use at home for 5- 7 days.

These are their own inventions too.

After all was done, I only had time to take a look at their entire salon :p.

VIP treatment room where I had my eyebrows enliven.

Some in-house products displayed at the waiting area.

Salon interior. They have total 5-6 treatment rooms if I'm not wrong. The chairs are comfortable, the environment is cozy, staffs are friendly, they will definitely make you feel like home.

Not to mention, the Creative Director- Andy is so friendly and warm hearted. You can ask him everything about eyebrows and he will tell you everything that he knows.

And finally, a group photo with Highbrow team.

Thank you for the awesome service and professionalism.

Say Cheese for nice brows at Highbrow

Do you have problem with your eyebrows too? Don't hesitate to call them, they are very helpful and experienced.

You can visit their Website, follow their Facebook to get more updates.

Of if you want to visit their salon, here is their address:

Highbrow

The Star Vista #B1- 25, 1 Vista Exchange Green, S138617

Tel: 6694 2777.

Before I end this blog entry, I know you might have some questions for me. Very common questions are:

1. Is it safe?

I must say: YES! IT IS SAFE as Highbrow emphasizes on high standards of cleanliness and sterilization. Their products and tools are used one-time only for one customer's treatment and disposed after. As the treatment only takes place in the outermost layer of skin (epidermis layer), the whole process is clean and painless.

2. How long does it last?

Treatment results can last between 6 to 18 months. I would not recommend you to go for permanent eyebrows as our face, body and style may change over time and that's why we need to adjust our brows accordingly. You will look weird if at the age of 50, you have the brows of 20 years old girl, lolz.

3. How much does it cost?
Prices are various. You might need to ring them and ask 6694 277. Don't forget to mention "Crystal Phuong" when making appointment ;).

4. Is it difficult to take care and maintain?
No. In fact, it's pretty easy to take care of your eyebrows within first week after the eyebrows enliven. You only need to avoid contacting with water, scrubbing your brows as much as possible and don't forget to apply the after care cream for at least 5 days. That's it!

So yeah, i hope it's useful enough for you to decide whether or not you should get your eyebrows enliven. If you have not done it before, I would strongly recommend you to go for it. C'mon! Your brow is frame of your face, give it some loves.

If you go to Highbrow and get your brows done, don't forget to show me some photos here and share with me your experience, I would love to hear that :D

Til then, stay happy and chic!
Love,
Crystal

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INVISALIGN WITH ORCHARD SCOTTS DENTAL

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