Hada Labo Launch Event

I was recently invited to an intimate media session with Hada Labo, to learn more about this Japanese skincare brand that has finally made its début in Singapore. The event was held at Takumi Tokyo, a quiet little Japanese restaurant nestled in Marina at Keppel Bay.

If you don’t drive, the place can be somewhat inaccessible. I met Chantana before the event, hoping to take a shuttle bus in but it turned out that such a bus doesn’t exist (shakes fist at the Internet for giving me false info!). We eventually took a taxi into the area and were greeted with yachts floating idyllically on blue waters – how our Singapore waters can look so blue baffles me. :P This is a photo taken from the inside of the restaurant.

We saw these sake barrels at the entrance of Takumi. They immediately reminded me of the one I saw at the Shiseido 40th Anniversary press event.

Next, we saw a product stand filled with Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid (SHA) Hydrating Lotion, the brand’s star item (a bottle is sold every four seconds!). Like Cure Aqua Natural Gel, this product has a stand that looks just like its bottle. Clever!

We had a chance to look at the Hada Labo range before settling down for a presentation. The range is small but the products can be mixed and matched for skincare efficacy.

The presentation was informative and among other things, we learnt that:

• Hada Labo believes in simplicity (evident in its fuss-free packaging, yes?).

• Mentholatum and Rohto have been in business for a long time. I’ve tried the Mentholatum lip balms and still use the famous Rohto Lycée eyedrops, so it was interesting for me to know that the two companies have merged, bringing the best of their knowledge under one corporation.

• Rohto has a research village. How pretty it looks!

• Among other fields, Rohto has done extensive research in the areas of cosmetic regeneration and bio-defence.

• Hada Labo products do not contain colourants, fragrance or mineral oil. pH-balanced for the skin, the products strive to be gentle yet effective.

The Hada Labo girls demonstrated how to apply the SHA Hydrating Lotion. Basically, we were told to pat the lotion on our faces with our palms. I’m not sure how the patting motion helps…perhaps the heat from the palms allows the lotion to absorb better? My theory is that the time taken for the patting is the same amount of time the lotion needs to sink into the skin! ;)

The Hada Labo commercials will show you how the models apply the products.

After the demo, we had our skin’s moisture level tested before and after application of the hydrating lotion. I was a little sceptical about the results as there wasn’t a standard time given for the absorption of the viscous liquid. :P

Here is the Hada Labo AHA/BHA exfoliating range that comprises the face wash (creamy foam) and the foaming wash (foamy mousse). I tried both at the event and liked the clarity I saw on the back of my hand, as well as the firming effect they imparted.

Isn’t Chantana lovely in the photo? She’s one of the very few people who can beautifully carry off a centre-parting.

And here we are with Clara (dblchin), whose misnomer made us chide her! ;)

Here’s the food we were served. What was memorable was the melt-in-the-mouth cheesecake topped with azuki beans (red beans), as well as the green tea ice cream served with colourful fruits and drizzled with caramel sauce. The edamame (baby soy beans) reminded me of Bandai’s Edamame toy, a squeezable pod with pop-out beans (ooh, tongue twister there!).

All the guests received a goodie box which contained the complete Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid (SHA) range, sans the makeup remover (I’ve since bought a bottle from Watsons ;)). I’ve been using everything except the mask for the past week and I’m fairly certain my skin is thanking me for it! I’ll be writing my review soon. :)

Image sources: Hada Labo Singapore and Rohto Japan