Spa Review: The Ultimate

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Hi everyone, I decided to make an effort to update this blog! Thank you so much to those who took the time to contact me and ask after me. So yes, I need this blog as an avenue to express my thoughts about various things I try and recently, I went for a massage at The Ultimate spa, which I'd like to share with you.

I made a booking for a Ginseng Massage at The Ultimate Penthouse Spa at Shaw  under my DBS Card promotion at a special one-time rate of SG$38. I went alone and it was on a weekday afternoon. The reason for my attending this massage session was that I had a terrible body ache. All over my back, neck, shoulders and hips. Must be too much time at the computer that no amount of stretching, yoga or swimming could alleviate.

The environment at The Ultimate is very serene. As the name suggests, the spa is located at the penthouse level of Shaw Center. Once you step out of the lift, you'll find yourself at a beautifully designed lobby that leads to the spa. Stepping into the spa, you'll notice there's a way into a rooftop garden. I didn't get a chance to visit that garden, but I can imagine it must have a wonderful view of Orchard and Scotts Road, seeing that the spa is at the 27th floor.

There was little waiting time. I was served a warm ginger tea and then filled up a form, which included a space for indicating the level of pressure you prefer for the massage, and was sent into the massage room very quickly. There is a fresh set of towels and disposable undies, very cosy spa room, not too hot, not too cold and also not smelly with remnants of massage oils. The masseuse who treated me was very polite, unobtrusive and also strong enough to provide the "hard" deep tissue massage I requested for. At various points she asked me if her massage pressure was ok for me but other than that, she did not try to make small talk or sell products. Very good, I like that as I prefer resting when I'm having a massage. As part of the promotion, I had a choice of having a back or tummy mask. I chose the back mask and it felt warm and relaxing.

Normally the serenity and relaxation you obtain after such promotion spa sessions is quickly destroyed when you are greeted with hard sell for packages at the point when you make payment. However, I was pleasantly surprised that there was no hard sell at The Ultimate. The consultant who spoke with me told me about special rates and packages but politely backed off after I told her I'm not interested. Major PLUS point! Well done, The Ultimate. Also I was presented with hot green bean soup and a cup of water after my massage. I appreciated the little detail of including a dessert for the customer.

So here's a summary of my experience. As always, this is a reflection of my personal view and my personal experience. This session was also not sponsored.

REVIEW
Pros

• Beautiful and tasteful spa design
• Good location (easy to access with public transport and very central if you drive)
• Clean and cosy private spa rooms
• Nice service, good extras provided
• Shoulder and upper back problem was resolved with good massage
• No hard sell for packages

Cons

• My stiff lower back problem wasn't resolved, but I guess I can't expect too much from a simple relaxation massage
• Could be quite expensive if you are paying for it at the normal, non-promotional rate

VERDICT: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ /5

Address:
The Ultimate
Penthouse Spa at Shaw Center, 1 Scotts Road, Level 27 (Access via lifts A,B or C only). Tel: 6737 3383

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Unhappiness Can Make You FAT

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Right, lately I'm working more on my inner-self, hence my absence from the beauty blog. You can find my sporadic "creative"-related posts at my newly re-started craft blog Aichaku Creates.

Today I just wanted to pop in to tell you something about weightloss.

Cue music from Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah: Cathy here went for a Gastric Bypass Surgery, what we call "Stomach Stapling", and she lost more than 1000 pounds! Cathy tell us about what happened after your surgery.
Cathy: I was so beautiful, but I didn't feel beautiful inside. I still felt unhappy and empty, so I started drinking.
Oprah: Nodding So you used to eat to fill the void that you felt inside your heart and now you're drinking instead.
Cathy: starts tears Yes. I was soooooo unhappy. Until I dealt with the unhappiness, I was still a fat girl, even though I'm thin on the outside.

Well, I may not be so accurate with the dialogue phrasing. I mean, Oprah does have her very unique way of talking, but that was essentially one episode of Oprah Winfrey that I saw one afternoon.

I thought it was pure crap until just 2 weeks ago, I returned to work and found myself gaining weight! I noticed a trend.

When I was on my Sabbatical Leave in December, I was actually losing weight. I was happy and not fat. Now that I returned to work, I was stressed and unhappy that I didn't have enough time to work on my personal projects anymore. I started to think alot about food and ate alot of junk even when I wasn't hungry.

However, if on one particular night, I worked hard on a successful project, I wouldn't feel the need to eat so much on the day after.

So, I begin to think that there really IS a connection between food and emotions for me. Maybe weight-loss is just a simple matter of me making enough time for myself to ensure I am happy enough!

Maybe I'm over-simplifying things here, but I suspect there's some food for thought in here.

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Am I Transforming Into An Unwashed Hippy?

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hippie also hip·py (hĭp'ē)


n., pl., -pies.

A person who opposes and rejects many of the conventional standards and customs of society, especially one who advocates extreme liberalism in sociopolitical attitudes and lifestyles.



At the end of 2010, I started to wind down on my beauty efforts and although I'm back to work now, 2011 is turning out to be extremely minimalist for me.

I've stopped using base makeup and makeup in general, no deodorant (just a spritz of perfume/perfume oil), and no hairspray. I haven't been using my body scrubs or face scrubs, just some moisturising mask once in a while.

I haven't bought any new makeup or skincare or body care items since I came back from Japan.

It's not like I'm smelling bad or looking awful (just rather washed out and pale I guess).

I rather like the minimal effort needed before I leave the house. No one seems to have noticed anything different in me anyway (my office is conservative and few people wear loud makeup, if any). That is, I'm just wondering when's the next time another old lady will state matter-of-factly an unsolicited advice about how "aunty" I am. Again.

Not that I'm transforming into an unwashed hippy anytime soon, but I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't have bought all those new makeup palettes in 2010!

By the way, thanks for all the comments in the previous post. I agree with all of you! :D

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