Woohoo~ Here comes June, the month of school holidays!

I used to love June, because the holidays give me, not only the opportunity for a break, but also the opportunity to earn some extra cash!

Extra cash is always good.

Stroff.com (part time jobs singapore) offers a range of part time jobs for students that you can check out and apply for!

Now, the key thing besides applying for the job is the process of being interviewed.

So to help you out, I've created a list of tips to help you fly through this (possibly) new and daunting experience:

Hum A Familiar Tune

Feeling nervous? Is your brain going on overdrive with all the thoughts of what could go wrong for the interview?

Stop and hum a familiar tune.

By humming a song, it distracts your mind from all the unnecessary thoughts and it has a calming effect on your mind. The best way to enter to that room for your interview is with a calm, collected mind. So start humming away~

Ace Your Handshake

The intention of the double-handed handshake is to try to show trust, sincerity or depth of feeling for the receiver. And studies have shown that people who receive a double-handed handshake feels that the person is friendlier, more open and trustworthy as supposed to the normal one-handed handshake.

So do what Beyonce does in this gif, grab your interviewer hand with your right and cup their hand with your left. Grab firmly but not strongly and shake it with determination while giving a warm smile and a brief salutation/ introduction.

Prepare A List of Questions That Might Be Asked

The best way to ace your interview is to be prepared, so sit down and google the sort of questions that might be asked by your interviewer.

Here's a few that I've chanced upon with my own interview experience:

Tell me about yourself 

In your own words, describe my company and what is this job all about

Why do you want to work for us

What's your strengths

What’s your weakness

What is your expected salary

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years

I'm not going to give you any example of how to answer such question, because ultimately, your answer should be YOUR answer. These interviewers have sat down with more than enough candidates to know a model answer from a sincere truth.

So use this opportunity to sit down and reflect upon yourself and what you want, and also do up your research on the company, the job and your growth potential in the company.

And, form a few of your own questions to ask your interviewer too!

Generally, I place an emphasis on Company Culture and Career Growth... so I tend to ask questions regarding these areas.

Dress For The Part

First impressions are important, and how you dress plays a part for the part.

If you don't know how to dress, look it up online.
We live in a world where Google exist, so you don't have an excuse.

And there you have it~

Here's my tips for acing your Job Interview!

If you are looking to start laying the foundation for your career path, Stroff.com (internship singapore) also offers a list of internship opportunities that you can be part of during this holiday! So do head over to check it out!

This post has been brought to you by Stroff.com, the website to head to for job opportunities and guidance!

Last week, in midst of my busy schedule, I managed to find a day of serenity and peace in a simple homey organic beauty boutique located at The Adelphi, called Pure Tincture. Run by a group of empowered ladies, all of the products used in Pure Tincture are scanned and used by these ladies first, before they are used on their customers. Pure Tincture is not new to the block, and has won quite a few facial awards from various magazines with the latest clinch on Harper Bazaar Feb 2015 issue.

To find out more about Pure Tincture, the products used and the concepts of Organic Beauty, I sat down and spoke to Pure Tincture's Co-Founder, Helen Lien.

Hi Helen, thank you for inviting me down to Pure Tincture today! To start off this interview, could you please share with me 3 Interesting facts about Pure Tincture.

Firstly, it might be interesting for you to know that 80% of our clients have sensitive skin of varying degrees. We are known as the place to go if you have sensitive skin. 

Secondly, all products are tried and tested on sensitive skins to assess its suitability for our clients so we know exactly the products that will go well with the different skin conditions. 

And thirdly, as we deal with sensitive skin, we ensure that all of our therapists are experienced in the field and have been professionally trained with the different brands by their in-house trainers on facial massage technique and product knowledge to ensure that we understand the products or treatments, and are able to advise and provide recommendation to our clients accordingly. We also build long relationships with the brands that we carry, understand their concepts and philosophy and make a point to visit its factory to see how their products are made and to hear from the maker.

Wow, sounds very comprehensive and assuring~ Haha! Now, talking about sensitive skins, would you then recommend everyone to use natural and organic products instead? If yes, why should they and how does using natural and organic products make a difference?

Yes, most definitely. You see, the skin is our body’s largest organ. It is alive and it has the wonderful ability to mature and develop. Regardless of your skin type, generally, organic and natural products are made with less chemical or harmful ingredients and we believe that these products can help our skin to gain strength and resilience to protect and recover on its own. 

Over time, the skin stays stronger and regains its innate strength without being over reliance on external skincare products to stay clear and radiant. Additionally, organic natural skincare are sustainable and contributes the health of our earth.

That makes lots of sense... In my own blog, I share with my readers with posts on some of the ingredients in our daily products to avoid. In your opinion, what are the top 5 ingredients in skincare products that we should avoid, and why?

Personally, I try to avoid these top 5 ingredients because they can irritate the skins or cause allergic reactions. My top 5 that I avoid are: parabens, propelene glycol, bismuth oxychloride, and the laureth family which are ingredients with laureth, laurate or lauryl extensions, as well as any ingredients that contains these words “myristate or Myristyl”.

That being said, I also avoid using products using any of these ingredients and Pure Tincture definitely does not bring in products with these ingredients. For the specific skin issues that each of these are associated with, I always advise my clients to read up about these on their own.

Since we are touching on something personal and reflective in the way you operate Pure Tincture, may I know what's your philosophy in skincare, and how does Pure Tincture reflect it?

I firmly believe that we must love ourslves and take time to care for ourselves daily, and I use organic skincare for home care and, if needed, employ the benefit of advanced technology such as machines to rejuvenate or firm the skin.

At Pure Tincture, we have created a beauty space – there’s a lounge, open display of the full range of products for clients to sample or test and a make-up area for them to put on make-up after facial treatments. More importantly, we have private rooms for facial treatments, some of which are at least 90mins long. We believe in using hands, not just machines, for facial massages and these sessions are all part of the “Me Time” for clients to pamper themselves.

I always advise our clients to listen to their bodies as their skins need time to adjust to external environment and stress. Pure Tincture’s therapists make recommendation not just based on the skin's condition but also the lifestyle (active or sedentary ; in aircon or under hot sun, etc) and personal preference (if you prefer products with nice scent etc) so that optimum benefits are received from the recommendation.

I know that Pure Tincture offers both services and products. For those who haven't been to Pure Tincture before, what are the Must-Try service and product you would recommend?

If you’re looking at a one-size-fits-all type of treatment or product, it’s difficult to pick just one. The reason is that people who come to Pure Tincture already have particular skin issues and that they choose not to continue with their present aestheticians or therapists for various personal reasons.

In any case, when a new client with hyper-sensitive skin (eczema-prone; red, blotchy or highly irritated) comes to us, our first order of the day is to help deliver a calm skin. We have a number of clients who found our PAI Organic face Treatments and facial products very effective in helping to calm their skin. For at-home maintenance, they can use PAI cleanser, instant calm toner, rosehip regenerative oil and instant calm day moisturiser daily.

For acne prone and very oily skin, we tend to recommend suki’s range of facial treatments and skincare, in particular, the suki balancing oil is a must-try product. Yes, oil for oily skin! Our clients love this because it is specially formulated to be a light, breathable solution yet provide light moisture and calm for oily skins.

As with any natural or organic skin care products, it does take time – weeks, not minutes – for our bodies to adjust to the products and treatments, and usually, after a period of one to four weeks, clients enjoy the benefits of calmer skin.

This month, I sat down and interviewed two very empowered ladies who are no stranger to me, to find out more about their fashion and business sense.

Who are they?

They are none other than the Directors of theWYLDshop,

Gursheel Dhilon (On the left) and Kara Bensley (On the right)!

Tell me a little bit of yourself *grin* and theWYLDshop.

KB:​ I am a crazy Aussie Entrepreneur living in Singapore, running theWYLDshop with G! I have a hubby and 2 fur babies (a dog and a cat). My passions are interacting with people, having a good time and I am super lucky that I am able to combine both!

G: I'm definitely the left brains of theWYLDshop whereby I manage the boring part of the business which I absolutely love, considering my obsession with KPIs and ROIs (Kara's two most favourite words lol). theWYLDshop focuses on Australian high fashion given my business partner's background and we're just injecting some life to Singatown.

Hahaha! Online boutiques are such a rave nowadays, how does theWYLDshop differ from others?

G: Being a start-up, I guess it works to our advantage that it's just the both of us steering the ship and we get to inject our personalities and heart as we're absolutely passionate about what we do. 

KB: We are different because we only focus on injecting Aussie fashion​ in Southeast Asia. We also host trunk shows, where we bring our boutique to our customers and in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. It is a great way for women to shop with their girlfriends and spend time together.

G: And we also do fashion installations and pop-up events! You'll see us doing a pop-up over the weekend at Tanjong Beach Club as it's our fav getaway from the city so we're just integrating our lifestyle into our business.

OOoo~ I would love to host a trunk show with my girlfriends, it sounds like fun! So I understand that theWYLDshop has been involved in a social cause recently too... What was it all about?

G: My business partner, Kara, has a huge heart and she's really involved especially when it comes to animals as she's got a rescue dog (you know who Tigger is) who is really part of WYLD's family, he's our mascot ;) So it was only natural for us to be doing something for animal related causes. 

KB:​ *Gushes* I'm a big animal lover and I am all for giving them a voice. We had a small event with SPCA and Animal Lovers League​ to create awareness for the organisations, and had a mini adoption drive. In the near future, we hope to work with and continue to create more awareness for locally run charity organisations in Singapore.

Yes, I know Tigger! Hahaha! Ok, I like asking this question in my interviews: "What's your motto in life"... and how does that translate into your style?

G: Kara and I share the same motto of living WYLD and Free, and being whoever you wanna be which is also our company's motto. Being an entrepreneur now, I shuffle a lot from rocking a hobo look, as I'm pretty darn serious when I'm focused in my work, to looking half decent in minutes and attend fabulous events in Singatown.

KB:​ ​I have an eclectic wardrobe, I pretty much dress according to my mood each day (or whatever fits) I believe that being comfortable is so important and it really does have an impact on my confidence level.

I get that with your motto, which leads me to my next question... Who's your fashion inspiration?

KB: Riri (Rihanna) is someone in my eyes who Lives WYLD & Lives Free so she would have to be my fashion inspiration. She comes across as someone who is comfortable in her own skin and dresses to please herself..

G: My fashion inspo has gotta be VB (Victoria Beckham)... Need i say more'

Cool! It's interesting to see how your fashion inspiration really relates to both of your styles and ultimately translate through with your motto! Love it! So, I understand that theWYLDshop is a new start-up. What's your future plans/events for the business, if any?

G: Plans of expansion are definitely on the cards as we're getting more offers to open up stores in major malls in the city so stay tuned :) 

KB: We are having a pool party at W Hotel on the 19th & 29th of October where we will be showcasing our exclusive range of swimwear! All of our events information are posted on our Facebook page.

Awesome! Ok, one final question to wrap things up and this is for all my aspiring entrepreneurs out there.What's one business advice you would give to someone starting out a new business?

G: I'm very results orientated and I love challenging myself constantly. My two cents worth would be this quote that really sticks with me "No one remembers you for your thoughts, they'll remember you for your actions."

KB:​ Oh~ I have loads!! Have a plan, write everything down, do your research (i.e know your industry & your target audience), get a mentor, do a budget but most importantly believe in yourself and never lose sight of what motivated you to start the business in the first place.

Last month, I was invited to Crème Simon’s launch at Knightsbridge to know more this new brand in Singapore and to find out more about their products. Being a lover of all things natural, Crème Simon naturally had my interest piqued. 

This month, I got the opportunity to speak with Celia Rohmer, Assistant Managing Director of Crème Simon to know more about the brand, products and ingredients used. 

Yup, it’s a tough spot to be in when I get down and dirty with digging the truth behind ingredients in products but Celia took it in stride and was open and honest with me. 

Felicia Soh, Managing Director of Crème Simon, even commented lightheartedly to me in reference of Celia, “She has a Master in Biotechnology Chemistry and seriously, she is the Go-To-Person when I have questions about ingredients and she freaks me out on a lot of the harmful ingredients in beauty products sold in the market, like cheap baby wipes!” And it was on that note that I dived deep into my interview with Celia Rohmer...

How did Crème Simon came about?

It started in 1860 with our founder, Joseph Simon, who was a gifted young apothecary. At a time when women were using cold creams and ointments often made from beeswax or whale lipids that lasted 2 weeks at the most before turning bad, Crème Simon’s natural plant extracts enabled stability over extended periods. It is also the first known natural glycerine skincare that could be easily available because of its shelf life.

From there, the brand was managed by 4 generations of the Simon family before changing hands after World War II. We finally took over in 2010 and since then, have been conducting market research to find out what women want and need, testing and fine-tuning the products with focus groups and clinical studies, then planning production and distribution before finally launching last July.

Wow! So I understand that part of the changes made in the original formula of Crème Simon’s products (mentioned during the presentation) were the smell and texture of the creams, what were some of the other challenges that you had to overcome to meet the demands of the women in the focused groups and clinical studies, if any?

Yes, we found out that in this part of the world, women prefer a fresher, more natural scent, and lightweight textures. All our products were reformulated, but we recall in particular working on the sunscreen and foaming cleanser.

For the DAILY DEFENSE UV PROTECTOR SPF 50, we went through 52 rounds of formulation, before we found the perfect product. We worked hard to achieve a high SPF 50, with a light texture that did not leave a white cast and was not oily or greasy, to suit our unforgiving hot and humid climate.

For the OXYGENATING FOAMING CLEANSER, we use a foaming agent so gentle it is also featured in babycare. We went through over 30 rounds of product testings to find the perfect texture, a pleasant foam that’s not watery, and not too dense either, with the cleansing efficacy to remove light makeup and impurities.

It was a challenge for us to find that balance between what the market wanted and staying in line to what Crème Simon is all about, but we did it.

It seems like it really isn’t easy to please everyone in the market. Being an Assistant Managing Director of Crème Simon, I am pretty sure women look up to you when it comes to beauty and most importantly skincare. May I know what's your philosophy in skincare, and does Crème Simon range reflect this?

I am a realistic person when it comes to skincare, I do not believe that a $500 cream would make my skin look any younger at all. But I do believe that you can limit the effects of time or any other skin concerns if you use the right quality products.

The worst is using products that are not of good quality and are full of silicones that fill up the lines at the time of application, but this is not a proper skin treatment! In the long run, silicone actually has an occlusive effect, which means that it prevents your skin from breathing properly, and slows down toxin elimination. So I’d rather use a very simple plant based natural moisturizer along with a consistent beauty routine. It is what we are trying to do at Crème Simon, providing busy women with simple and safe, natural skincare that’s easy to use, while offering a nice pampering moment with pleasant scent.

Talking about plant based and natural skincare, do you think it's important for Crème Simon to be certified natural?

Crème Simon is a natural skincare brand with over 90% ingredients, some of the products even reach 95%. For some companies the main deterrent would be the high registration fees for these certifications.

As for me, more important than certification is ensuring the quality of the ingredients in my products and making sure to keep away from any controversial ingredient. The key is to explain people who we are, the philosophy behind our product formulation and the steps we take to ensure quality and safety, etc… rather than having the certification.

On your packaging, it is stated that Crème Simon’s products are made up of over 90% natural ingredients and are free from paraben and silicone. I did my own research on the ingredients and found reports that some of the ingredients in them are synthetically derived and one of the products contains polyethylene (polymer that isn’t biodegradable). Are these ingredients safe and of quality?

As much as we can, we use the best quality natural ingredients, for example all the floral extracts are pure natural ingredients. The synthetic ingredients used in our products have the same molecular structure as that of the natural ingredients, so it delivers the same effects as a natural ingredient.

One example is Tocopheryl Acetate, which is derived from Vitamin E. To use pure Vitamine E (Tocopherol Acetate), which oxydises very easily, would be inefficient, as this molecular compound is too unstable to benefit your skin. Instead, we use Tocopheryl Acetate, another form of Vitamin E, which changes into its natural form when it reaches inner layers of your epidermis, giving the formula its efficacy.

Another example is Squalane. Again, this is a more stable version of natural, easily-oxydised Squalene. On the skin’s surface it acts as a barrier, both protecting the skin from moisture loss and providing a shield from environmental toxins, and helps achieve a softer texture and smoother skin sans greasiness. It is a great asset in our formulas! But natural Squalene is obtained from shark liver oil. Crème Simon can not sustain or justify such activities as shark fishing!

As for polyethylene, it is used to allow the molecules of the triticum turgidum durum (wheat) seed extract to latch on to give structure and increase the effectiveness of the scrub. We did many rounds of testing without and then with this ingredient, and results consistently showed that scrubs including this ingredient had the best efficacy and offered the most pleasant experience.

Fair enough. So besides that, how does Crème Simon differ from other brands?

Crème Simon is the iconic French heritage skincare brand that has inspired women to enjoy natural beauty rituals since 1860. Adored by generations of women, Crème Simon was the celebrated unrivalled #1 French brand, passed down from mothers to daughters as their secret to beautiful skin.

I definitely think that our climate-customised philosophy is our main differentiating factor. In line with Joseph Simon's belief that climate conditions influence our skincare needs, our products have been specially formulated for hot summers and climates with products that make skin matte upon application, and for cold wintertime with enriched textures for deep nourishment.

So, for those who haven't tried Crème Simon before, which product is a good starting point?

I would recommend 2 products, because of the innovation behind it and the instantaneous result from the women who use it. The first product is our LYMPHATIC CONTOURING AND LIFTING GEL, to be massaged on the face using Crème Simon’s Lymphatic Massage Method. This product comes in a gel form that turns into oil as you gently massage it onto your face, which can then be perfectly rinsed off without any greasy or oily residue. It’s the perfect example of climate-customised skincare, as it’s versatile enough to use it under colder climates, where instead of rinsing off, you can just blot off excess and go to sleep with it. It’s a great product to have to pamper and de-stress as you give yourself a facial massage in the comfort of your own home!

The second product is our MULTI-BENEFITS EYE TREATMENT GEL. This product comes in a gel-dispensing roller-ball twist-pen that you can use to gently massage and moisturize your undereye area, reducing the appearance of dark circles, fine lines and puffiness with key natural active ingredients derived from pure botanical extracts. This twist-pen innovation prevents contamination from occurring while the metal roller-ball aids in reliving puffiness.

The Lymphatic Contouring And Lifting Gel is one of my favourite product in the range! So what are the future plans for Crème Simon, if any?

Crème Simon’s Brightening Detox Range is our newest range, with additions of creams specially formulated for cold winter climates coming in next month. Later on, we will be launching ranges to cater for other specific skincare concerns, maybe even a BB cream one day!

Psst! Special Perks for my readers, get 10% discount off when you shop online at Crème Simon and simply quote "5GHYJXD" when you are making your payment!