Urban Homme Icon

*Enters and looks around*

“Hey! Where has everyone gone?”

Just thought I’d write an epilogue of sorts to round off all my entries in this blog. Those of you who weren’t there last evening – well, you missed *quite* a show! I got to St. James at 3pm to discover that omy.sg and Urban Homme were sparing no effort for the finals – they even got life-size standees of each of us.

All photos belong to Darren…the night’s BIG winner and owner of the best camera amongst us!

Which is the real me?

Like a celebrity, I had a pseudo Madame Tussaud’s moment with my standee double.

All right, easy to tell - I'm on the left...I wouldn't run around in public dressed as a "superhero"!

Here are all six standees:

Smartly dressed, relaxed in berms and a few "superheroes"...here's looking at us, guys!

There was also a large billboard with our best photos outside the Boiler Room:

This huge billboard with our best "mugshots" greeted guests upon arrival.

The show got underway and as the first contestant up onstage, I was a bundle of nerves and have no idea what I said to Danny Yeo, who was the host. Can only hope nothing too embarrassing spilled out. We were far more relaxed subsequently, and had the audience laughing along, especially in a segment where we engaged them in a round of charades.

The stage is prepped for the big event.

But we just knew there would be a moment coming when we had to shed some clothes. Danny finally revealed that the audience could cast their vote by sticking cardboard lips on us – but only on our skin. Of course, those who flaunted it got the most votes. Not quite my style…luckily I was in a singlet, so I managed just 8 votes on my arms (THANK YOU!!!) from a few diehard supporters.

I’m really happy for Darren (Urban Icon winner), Dennis (Mr Photogenic) and Peter (Mr Personality) – Congratulations guys, and continue enjoying the fabulous treatments at Urban Homme! But thanks to our generous sponsors, Benson, Daniel and I walked away with our arms quite full too:

TDK iWave - Sound System for the iPod. All of us received one, along with TDK headphones. Thank you, TDK!

Thanks again to Urban Homme and Omy.sg. I think my ultimate prize is a more youthful, radiant face and the elimination of the bulging tummy – and I’m going to keep it that way. One last look at the six of us – the first alumni of the Urban Homme Icon Challenge:

Thanks, guys..."We're ALL winners!"

In less than 24 hours, the winner of the Urban Homme Icon Challenge will be revealed at St. James Powerhouse. It’s been just over three weeks since the Challenge proper started, and I have to say the results, even in this short span of time, have been amazing. Yesterday, a colleague who’d been overseas for a month returned to the office. She saw me and blurted out, “Wow! You’ve lost a ton of weight!” My cheeks and jawline have visibly sharpened and the love handles and bicycle tyre around my mid-section have vanished. It’s very encouraging to see all this happen, especially when others notice the difference as well.

I simply must express my heartiest THANK YOU to the team at The Cocoon – they have been most obliging and professional at every point along the way. They didn’t stop at administering treatments, but also gave us all great advice on simple, positive changes we can make to our lifestyles to help us maintain and improve on the results achieved. I’ve become more conscious of my food intake, and have come to realize that I consume a lot more calories than I need. I will also be sticking with my exercise routine – it makes me feel much more energetic throughout the day. (And yes, Vince – I’ll remember to touch my face with the back of my hand if I need to – never the fingers, as they usually have more bacteria on their surface!)

Yesterday, my penultimate session at Urban Homme comprised an RxP with deep-pore cleansing, Photopneumatic treatment and an Oxy Face Rejuvenation, followed by a balancing facial. The Oxy machine had just undergone a complete overhaul, and the cool jets of oxygen felt extra powerful. I will miss being comfortably wrapped in towels and under the meticulous care of Lily, who’s been fantastic – she even plucked my eyebrows during one long treatment.

Today’s session was my last. We targeted my mid-section with a second round on the LPG machine:

I managed to get a shot of the state-of-the-art LPG machine with touchscreen.

And then Vince had me experience one of the most effective slimming treatments – the Ultrasonic Wave Frequency Advanced Slim. Zoey, my therapist, rubbed some oil onto my belly and then ran the treatment tip over it in quick circles. Soon, the waves heated the belly area. For the treatment to be effective, an optimum skin temperature of 43 deg C had to be reached. Zoey constantly checked a remote thermometer to make sure I wasn’t being burnt (too much!). It’s now just over two hours and I can still feel some residual warmth in my belly. Effective, powerful stuff!

Zoey and the Wave Frequency Advanced Slim machine.

Am now going to get a good night’s rest – adequate sleep is just as important as having the right diet and wellness care, and then I’ll try to fit in some exercise tomorrow morning before heading down to St. James to prepare and rehearse. I am aiming to look and feel my best.

One last look at The Cocoon...I REALLY, REALLY hope to be back! *Fingers and toes crossed*

If you haven’t been sent an e-vite that’ll grant you complimentary entry to the event, an entrance ticket to the finals, which commences at 7pm, is just $12. It comes with one drink and a goodie bag worth $90. You’ll catch the six of us talk about our transformation, pick up some health and wellness tips and find out firsthand who’ll be the new Urban Homme Icon. See you there!

With the bubbly Ai Ling at Eurocuffz.

Ai Ling was very patient in going through all the shirt options with me, and then making sure I got the perfect pair of cufflinks to go with it. The store specialises in exquisitely made cufflinks and tailored shirts. I’ve never seen a wider array of cufflinks before, and all neatly categorised. There’s a Novelty series for those with a more expressive, playful streak; a Precious Stones series which features beautifully cut gems and there’s a Designer series, for go-getters who wish to make a dramatic statement – and more!

Just a small section of their huge cufflink selection.

Their shirts come ready-made in either slim or straight cuts, or else can be made-to-measure. Clients can select from a massive array of fabric, collars, cuffs and other finishes to create a truly unique personal shirt.

With Brian - fabrics galore for those who wish to tailor their own shirts!

I love the fabric of my new shirt, and the beautiful pair of cufflinks that go with it. Catch us all in Eurocuffz this Thursday!

Possible options - various collars and cuffs on display.

Wow. In the blink of an eye, there are only 3 more days left to the finals. Over the last week, all of us finalists have gone to The Studio to get ourselves turned into “models”. The photos will speak for themselves. We had the option of buying prints for ourselves, and some packages included canvas printouts that would be sent for digital enhancing. But thanks to Urban Homme, my complexion has improved so much that I was able to select about 10 photos in soft copy that didn’t need any editing, including a few close-ups! Here’s one shot of my “new” look, as a teaser:

Visibly leaner and more radiant. Photographed by The Studio.

And on Saturday, I received over four hours of intensive treatments on both my face and body. I got to try out the new LPG slimming machine from Europe that uses massaging techniques to stimulate the body’s lymphatic system. Jacky, the therapist, informed me that the machine was barely a month old, so I was very fortunate to be able to experience a treatment. It’s a very sophisticated piece of technology – there’s a touch screen for the therapist to select the part of the body that is being targeted for slimming, and the type and strength of the treatment. I experienced two types of deep massages – the first felt like a deep pressure point massage, and the second one was an all-over kneading.

With the brand new state-of-the-art LPG machine. I'm not modelling a superhero costume. This is a full-body LPG suit, which is worn during the treatment.

This was followed by another round of “G5″ comprising bio-electric vibrations to the mid-section to loosen stubborn fat. Then 10 minutes in the sauna, and another 15 on the vibrating bed, and again, I perspired like never before. After a quick wipe down, Jacky wrapped me very tightly in industrial strength cling-wrap, starting from my thighs and up to the chest to “keep the heat in”. This apparently helps to maximize the results from all the treatments. I kept the wrap on for the next three hours. It felt weird, but it’s worked magic – the tummy has remained completely flat since Saturday night.

With the slimming session concluded, Lily took over and administered another facial and a Refreshing Eyes-capade. Her treatment felt quite short, because I was sound asleep for much of it! Nothing like a nap after sweating it all out…

Vince has saved the best for last. I have two more sessions over tomorrow and Wednesday together with the other finalists. All of us are set to receive Urban Homme’s most effective therapies, so that we’ll be in the best shape possible for the finals on Thursday. Here we go!

I’m gradually feeling a sense of complete wellness.

Last Sunday, I managed to do a long, slow jog of about 16km at East Coast Park.

East Coast Park - ideal training paths for long-distance runners.

Probably all the facials at Urban Homme have unclogged my pores, because I seemed to be perspiring a lot more than usual and had to do a pit-stop halfway to splash my face and rehydrate. The whole jog took just under 100 minutes and I was immensely satisfied to feel the burn on my legs. Cooled down and showered, then did the usual face care regimen of cleansing, toning and moisturising before tumbling into bed. The good thing about intense exercise is that I’ll be certain of going straight to dreamland – the body powers down and deep sleep comes very quickly.

Monday evening saw me checking in at Urban Homme for another round of body sculpting. This time, I got to experience what is termed “G9″; it’s really a 3-in-1 treatment to the middle comprising deep vibrations, bio-electricity and ultrasonic pulses to loosen and reduce the hold of stubborn fat. The slimming machine has to be tuned just right, or one ends up getting “zapped” by the electrical current! But it was all completely safe in the hands of my experienced therapist, James.

We followed this up with a cooling Jamu wrap, and then a Cold Wrap - and it is REALLY cold. Two long super-chilled elastic bandages encased my tummy very tightly. It was as close as my body had ever felt to being frozen. But things got better after the initial shock of the cold. I lay there thinking, “I’m chilling out. Literally.” The wrap also contains a small amount of mint, which gives a refreshing sensation.

Cold wrap pic – My tummy is "mummy-fied"!

Yesterday evening, the focus shifted back to my face. I received a second round of Diamond Microdermabrasion, a PHA facial and an Oxygen therapy, all administered by my therapist, Lily. We still got quite a lot of dead skin matter from the abrading process. The PHA was of a stronger concentration than before, and my skin tingled as the mild acid did its work. The oxygen therapy cooled things down and gave me a great glow – I say it’s the ideal way to end any facial!

This isn't a great photo, but you can just make out the dead skin matter removed via my diamond microdermabrasion.

 Tomorrow, omy.sg has arranged an exciting photo-shoot for us finalists at The Studio. They do really great makeovers – here’s one example. The photos will be shown at the grand finals on 11 November. This really feels like the perfect ending to a month-long complete rejuvenation. It’s been over 10 years since my last studio-taken photos – have a laugh at these “Jurassic” ones, shot way back in 1999:

Hello, would you like me to sell your property for you?

And now, a close-up:

Could I be any paler? The overexposed look was hawt back then...

Thanks again to everyone who has voted for me. Do come catch us at the finals if you can – goodie bags worth $90 each will be distributed!

As you can read from Peter’s post, five of us Urban Homme Icon Challenge finalists were at Jurong Point to give the public a sneak preview. It’s now midway through the challenge and everyone’s stepping up on the intensity – every time I’m at the Cocoon, I’m bound to meet one or more of them undergoing yet another round of treatments! We’ve really bonded well, and as Peter says in his short video, I think we’re all winners already. Darren, we missed you yesterday, but hey, your resort life at Ko Samed looks wonderful and is making the rest of us mighty envious!

All comfy in an Urban Homme bathrobe at the start of the session - but not for long!

Day 11 was my second session of body sculpting. We started with an Abdominal Trimming and then it was time to get DIRRRTY with a Body Detoxification. Before we started, I was weighed…

65.1kg - before the start of the session.

My right leg with the Dead Sea mineral scrub applied.

It's getting HOT in here! Me inside the full body thermal jacket.

The bed was a really icky mess at the end of it, and I take my hat off to the staff of Urban Homme for professionally going about the awful task of having to clear it all away:

The remains of the Dead Sea mineral concentrate that was scraped off my body post-treatment.

 I took a shower, and then got myself weighed again…voila – 800g lighter:

64.3kg after the Abdominal Trimmming and Body Detox! I lost 800g under 2 hours.

 Yesterday (Day 12), was the sneak preview at Jurong Point. Five of us gathered by the side of the stage, and Peter’s wife kindly consented to take this photo:

(Left to right) Peter, Benson, Dennis, Daniel and yours truly.

Jurong Point was crowded, and many took the opportunity to catch the activities onstage.

Models show off the Bio Nano suit by Mary Chia.

Before we knew it, we were up on stage being interviewed by the two bubbly DJs from 97.2FM. I managed to say something about my sedentary job giving me a spare tyre, and how the Abdominal Trimming really helped reduce it, and they cracked a joke about muffin tops showing…and then the others had their turn – I think they’ll blog about it for you soon. The sneak preview was over in 15 minutes and our hosts encouraged the public to come forward and vote for their favourite finalist. As I had to rush back to town, I didn’t stay to see the voting, but even before the preview, Dennis had garnered two votes, and Benson and I got one each!

The public could vote for their favourite finalist by writing their name and contact no. in a heart under our photos.

I am really touched that someone voted for me. THANK YOU!

Day 13 found some of us back at The Cocoon - bumped into Dennis and Benson there. I underwent another facial with ginseng mask, had a self-heating paste slathered over my eyes to remove more of the dark pigmentation and shrink the bags further, and then had another round of Abdominal Trimming performed.

For next week, our consultant,Vince, has upped the stakes and scheduled four appointments instead of three for me. I’m really hoping to lose the last of my eyebags and love handles. Keep coming back to this space to see how we all hold up!

These corridors inside The Cocoon just envelope you with a sense of wellness.

It was a relief to head down to Urban Homme for my 4^th session. My nerves were frayed, no thanks to a stressful couple of days at the office. I soaked both feet in the Dead Sea salt bath and shut my eyes, reclined in the plush armchair and made a conscious effort to take slow, deep breaths.

Many clients have slumbered on the comfortable treatment mattresses.

The treatment session that evening dictated an RXP (RadianX Phototherapy) Deep Cleansing followed by an Oxy Dermal Infusion. I almost fell asleep, lying there inhaling the fresh aroma of the facial wash being applied and then rinsed away.

There wasn’t much chance for a slumber once the RXP started though. Something that felt like a large crab pincer latched on to chunks of my face for a few seconds at a time. The skin was pinched and then released. Later, I learned that this was really the machine’s treatment tip, and during the “pinching”, impurities are extracted from the skin. The process thoroughly cleans pores, removes unwanted hair and pigmentation, and leaves skin looking more youthful than before.

Read all about Urban Homme's RXP by clicking on this photo.

Step two comprised intense warm flashes of light that were visible despite shutting my eyes tightly. Phototherapy is said to rejuvenate the skin by penetrating the epidermal layers to stimulate regeneration.

Next up was the Oxy Dermal Infusion. Like last week, cold, concentrated jets of oxygen were blasted onto my face to aerate the skin. The result is a refreshed visage, ready to face the world.

We ended the treatment with a more “traditional” face mask infused with ginseng. My therapist tactfully dimmed the room lights and left me to snooze for a good 15 minutes while the mask steeped its nutrients into my skin.

OK, I know my photos are starting to look the same...

I’m also evaluating other aspects of my lifestyle: diet, exercise and sleep. I haven’t been able to adhere to the diet plan that was proposed, but have consciously cut down on portion sizes. I’ve also stayed away from deep-fried foods and started eating more vegetables and fruit. The one improvement is that I feel less sluggish around mid-afternoon. Exercising outdoors was a problem during the haze last week, but conditions have improved now, so I’m back to my regular runs and weekly swims. Sleep has not been very good for me – I suffer from insomnia, and sometimes log no more than four or five hours’ sleep on weekdays. It’s essential to get more rest in order to be re-energised. Hopefully this will improve as a result of my working on the other areas.

Next up: Watch for a bumper post of sorts from me late Sunday, covering the next two sessions and the ‘live’ radio interview at Jurong Point.

The awful haze is back, and everyone’s obsessing over the latest PSI readings, which have crossed into the “moderate” range several times over the last few days. I have not been able to jog, and there’s only so much running on a treadmill I can do before I a little voice in head starts screaming, “Hamster! Hamster! You’re a hamster!” and I just have to stop.

Today was facial and eye day at Urban Homme. The session started with another dead sea salt foot bath, and then we went straight into one of the suites for my facial. Out trundled the trolley full of treats:

What will it be for my face today?

My hair was pulled back and wrapped in a towel – there’s an abundance of towels everywhere – towels are used to cover the legs and body and a third one covers the bed. More towels are placed around the face to absorb any spillage in the course of the treatment. I’m a happy camper midway through – you can make out 31 years of skin abuse in this close-up:

I bid farewell to 31 years of skin abuse.

My face was thoroughly washed and gently cleansed with cotton pads. There were a total of three treatments: a ginseng facial, a hydrating/balancing facial, and a fruity citrus mask with a self-heating paste over the eyes to eliminate the appearance of tiredness – dark circles and crow’s feet are diminished and eye bags reduced. Most of Urban Homme’s products come from the USA, with the rest sourced in Japan. The products that are used come in either nifty little ampoules or thick pastes that are generously applied.

With a steamer against my face to open the pores, the therapist went to work, skilfully extracting all the impurities – white/black heads, bits of coagulated acne. I would wince, and then suddenly grin as I’m ticklish at some parts of my face. I hope she wasn’t too freaked out. We chatted, and she said, “After so much experience, we no longer lose our appetites doing this – instead, the more we manage to squeeze out of a face, the more fulfilled we feel!” I was treated to a close-up view of all the icky stuff that was merrily teased out. Then the final, thick mask and thermal eye treatment was applied and I was left to snooze for 15 minutes:

Potential Halloween look?

My face now glows. It looks like someone’s given it a mattifying polish!

After that, I had a simple lunch of ban mian (yes, I am trying to eat healthier, somewhat), and then spent the next hour in the gym. This weekend is shaping up to be one of real wellness for me. If only the haze would go away…

Today’s treatment focused on my mid-section. But first, we started with another lovely dead sea salt foot bath:

My feet just can't get enough of this!

Then it was on to the treatment proper…first up, Abdominal Trimming (G5). Something like a gel or oil was spread over my belly and love handles, and then the therapist pressed this against my midsection:

This is connected to a machine. Pressed to the skin, it gyrates at a high frequency.

The vibrations are quite intense, and I was told they would break down the stubborn fat that had been accumulating gradually over the years. It simulates the effect of doing a few thousand crunches, but within the space of 10 minutes. It’s now over four hours after, and I am feeling a distinct burning sensation. A few sessions are required before results are visible. After that, my belly was covered with a light gauze, then slathered in a paste that emits heat upon contact with skin:

2.

The heat-emitting paste is slathered on.

A sheet of aluminium foil was then placed over the paste to keep the heat in. I couldn’t help feeling like I was slowly roasting, like a turkey. After 15 minutes, the therapist unwrapped and freed me. I checked that I hadn’t really been “cooked”,  and then it was on to the Intensive Weight Vaporiser. First, I was enveloped in an air pressure slimmer – it works just like a gigantic blood pressure sleeve that goes around the whole torso:

A rather bad photo of me in the air pressure slimmer.

The massive sleeve inflates, constricts the torso for about 15 seconds, and then releases the air with a mighty whoosh. This process was repeated about 30 times over 15 minutes. Then it was off to the sauna for another 15 minutes of baking…no photos from here on – I was a perspiring mess! Then 15 more minutes of heat on a vigorously vibrating bed. OK – that last sentence sounded wrong, but it IS literally what happened! The bed vibrates to simulate 45 minutes of intense exercise in 15. At the same time, it releases heat so the body perspires. Say bye to water retention! Phew. I took a cool shower before dressing up and heading out to a soothing cup of tea.

I also received a recommended diet guide and record book:

My recommended diet and record book.

I have to admit, sticking to the diet is going to be real difficult, being a Peranakan and a foodie. I promise to avoid fast food and all-you-can-eat buffets though. And I’ll eat in moderation – smaller portions than usual. I can’t cut down too much as I do gym and am training up for the half-marathon. Will definitely look into taking on as much of the protein-based diet plan as I can.

And on Saturday morning, it’s back to a facial and Thermal Eye Therapy – yes, eyebags and dark circles, please be gone!

Earlier this evening, I commenced the first in a series of treatments that will continue for a month at Urban Homme.

We started with a foot bath. A panel in the floor was removed to reveal a shallow basin with pebbles at the bottom. As warm water gradually filled it, I was invited to soak my feet. Some sea salt was added as well:

My foot bath

 It felt great, especially since I’ve been training - slow jogging up to 16km now - for the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (I’m doing the half marathon) on Dec 5. Incidentally, Urban Homme is this marathon’s Official Spa & Wellness Partner! Only just realised this when I surfed onto the Marathon’s website. After the foot bath, a therapist towel-dried my feet and then placed them on a foot stool. Both soles were then pummelled - I think this helps promote the circulation - strangely relaxing:

My soles are pummelled - oddly relaxing...

After that, it was on to treatments for my face. Vince, who had customised my skincare and bodysculpting program, informed me that he found my face to be in more urgent need of help than my body. Our skin renews itself once every 3-4 weeks, but it has a problem with the rate at which dead skin cells get sloughed away; as we age, the renewal process results in skin becoming more and more uneven. To remove dead skin and even it all out, Vince had me undergo Diamond Microdermabrasion. The left side of my face was done first. There was a visible difference between my left and right sides when I looked in the mirror at that point. If it had stopped then, I’d have to do a Mariah Carey for the rest of my life, “Photograph ONLY my LEFT side, y’all…” 

This l'il cotton patch gathers up all the dead skin from the abrasion process. It was a sickening yellow by the time we were done.

I was told these tubes contain the tiny diamonds that enable microdermabrasion. How preciousssss!

Two more facial treatments followed. For the Oxy Epidermal Mist Spray (Step 2), I felt a fine, cold jet of pure oxygen being directed across my face. Starting with the chin, the jet moved upwards slowly. When it reached my eyelids (eyes must be kept shut), I thought, “This could be what it feels like, standing atop Mt. Everest, completely covered and wearing a balaclava…” It was an interesting sensation.

And more cool sensations rounded up the evening’s session. The 15% PHA Treatment felt like a series of wet masks. It concluded with a really heavy peppermint coat that was left on for maybe 20 minutes - by that point, I was in total bliss and had lost track of time:

Nope, this isn't Lady Gaga's new outfit. That's me in a peppermint mask giving a thumbs up.

"Magic potions" on a cart in the treatment room.

My customised skincare & bodysculpting program. I promise to stick to it!

Already, my skin feels more even, firmer and looks brighter. Next up: Abdominal Trimming and the Intensive Weight Vaporiser…sure sounds like sci-fi! I can’t wait for Thursday evening.

I'm going for the half marathon this Dec 5. Maybe I'll see you there?