Tuesday, June 12, 2012

SK-II AND LEE SINJE SHINE WITH NEW CELLUMINATION ESSENECE EX AND CELLUMINATION DEEP SURGE EX

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

TOP MALAYSIAN SUPERSTAR LEE SINJE CAUSED A STIR WHEN SHE APPEARED LIVE IN PERSON TO LAUNCH SK-II's NEW PRODUCTS. THE STAR OF 'BETEL NUT BEAUTY' AND 'THE EYE' (IN WHICH SHE WON 3 BEST ACTRESS AWARDS) WAS A VISION IN WHITE AS SHE WALKED IN FROM NEARBY MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL WHERE SHE STAYED.

SK-II HOSTED A SENSATIONAL AFTERNOON EVENT IN THE CONCOURSE OF SURIA KLCC ON 12 JUNE 2012 WITH THEIR INTRODUCTION OF THEIR NEW SKIN WHITENERS CALLED SK-II CELLUMINATION ESSENCE EX AND WHITENING SPOTS SPECIALIST CONCENTRATE.
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Lee Sinje signs the new SK-II Cellumination Essence EX bottle
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Ellie Xie, Country CEO of Procter & Gamble looks on as Raymond Teo, COO of Parkson signs the giant bottle of the new SK-II Cellumination Essence EX
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Signed, sealed and delivered!
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Raymond Teo, COO of Parkson, receives a plaque to Lee Sinje to celebrate Parkson's 25th anniversary this year
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It is obvious Raymond Teo uses SK-II too as he also looks radiant!
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Can you believe Anjelica Lee Sinje is all of 36 years old? Me neither! She looks 25 max! All due to SK-II!
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Lee Sinje with Jenny Chew, Sales Director of Procter & Gamble
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 Lee Sinje with Ellie Xie, Country CEO of Procter & Gamble for Malaysia and Singapore
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Kee Hua Che and Lee Sinje
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2 radiant beauties
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Lee Sinje and Raymond Tiew
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 Notice Lee Sinje and Raymond Tiew sport matching hairstyles!




Personally I think the names are too long and difficult to remember and 'Cellumination' is a tongue twister. Even I, being a super genius and smarter even than Einstein, have to stop for a split nano-second to spell the name correctly. 'Cellumination' reminds me of the tongue-twister 'she sells seashells by the seashore' or 'I saw a saw in Warsaw'. 


If I were the owner of SK-II I would name it Cell Life or Cellife. I also forgot to ask Ellie Xie the Country CEO of SK-II the meaning of 'EX' that appears behind Cellumination Essence Ex and Cellumination Deep Surge EX. 


'EX' normally means 'former' as in ex-Miss Malaysia which is rather negative. I would die if someone says I am an ex-Greatest Writer as 'ex' means 'has-been', over, done with and passe. I think 'Cellumination Essence' is enough don't you think? Mind you, I am just repeating what the other reporters were talking about while waiting for Lee Sinje.

I can't even phone SK-II big guns to ask if EX means 'Extra' as it is now 2am and I am sure Ellie Xie is sleeping peacefully now, her face being nourished by SK-II Treatment Essence. But I will email her tomorrow when I wake at noon.


Then again, a fabulous name is meaningless if the products don't work and SK-II has been working crystal clearly for over 30 years!


A huge portrait of the breathtakingly beautiful Lee Sinje with her shockingly crystal clear complexion monopolised the entire stage. The media and guests just sat, stared and sighed in envy. 

Around 4.30pm the superstar arrived to applause from her fans where she was welcomed by Raymond Teo, Chief Operating Officer of Parkson where SK-II is sold and Ellie Xie, Country Manager of Procter & Gamble Malaysia and Singapore.

Clad in a flowing white gown, Lee Sinje was a vision of beauty and looked like a Greek goddess or a Vestal Virgin.I thought she was wearing one of her designs from her own fashion label CACAC but in an exclusive interview later, she told me she was wearing BCBG. Now I respect BCBG even more as it does come out with stunning designs often though itis not considered couture.


Lee Sinje went on stage to speak about her personal experiences. She had been using SK-II for several years prior to her appointment as SK-II Global Brand Ambassador in 2008. Mind you, not all ambassadors are 'global' as some are regional for localised markets. This is an honour for Lee Sinje as she joins the ranks of megastar Cate Blanchet!

She said, "I was impressed by QiQi's radiant complexion when I saw her advertisement so I went and bought some SK-II products. The results were unbelievable and I have been using SK-II ever since. 

"When I received Cellumination Essence EX and Cellumination Deep Surge EX, I was thrilled to try them. I applied them happily all over my face like a child being given candy. One day, I was walking in the street with no make-up and bumped into an old friend who I had not seen for around 20 years. She stared at my face and asked what I had done as my complexion looked so radiant!"

Lee Sinje assured her she had not done ant facelift or plastic surgery and simply used SK-II products. "My friend was the perfect person who could tell the difference as the last time we met, we were teenagers so she could really tell the improvement to my skin! I was so pleased and grateful to SK-II.

"I grew up in Kedah and loved sports and outdoor activities. With the constant sun, I never thought I could have fair skin. But after using Cellumination Essence EX and Cellumination Deep Surge EX, my previously dark and yellowish skin had turned fairer and radiant! It is now so crystal clear I can show it off up to 20cm!"

Her new advertisement proves it. In it, she is shown seated on a white sofa in a white dress amid a white livingroom (remember this is a skin whitening commercial) and saying provocatively 'Come closer' as the camera zooms in ever closer to her face till you can see her luminous skin at 20cm! 

Well at 36 she can show her skin in the harshest of sunlight s it is devoid of dark spots or blotchy patches. In fact, the new products can even out spots and blemishes up to 5 years old! There, now all your problem patches can be renewed!

Lee Sinje is the second most famous and successful actress after Datuk Michelle Yeoh. I am rather surprised the Bond Girl is not an ambassador as she half a century old but looks divine for her ancient age! In her movies for the last decade Datuk Michelle Yeoh plays the role of mother, elder sister or older woman and no longer the role of some teenage vamp. Should Lee Sinje and Datuk Michelle Yeoh appear in the same movie, I bet Sinje will play the role of Datuk Michelle's daughter though both look much younger than their age. 

At 36, Lee Sinje looks 25 and Datuk Michelle Yeoh looks 35. I won't be surprised if Datuk Michelle Yeoh uses SK-II.


Said Ellie Xie, SK-II's boss for Malaysia and Singapore, "For over 30 years we have raised the bar for skin whitening skincare. Whether women are seeking highly defined aura or spotless clarity, we are confident our latest additions will empower women to achieve a real breakthrough."

Lee Sinje had an exclusive chat with me and Raymond Tiew after the launch. As I was admiring her white gown, I asked why she did not wear an outfit from CACAC, her own fashion label. After all, why should she promote other labels like BCBG when she should be promoting her own?

She explained, "CACAC is mostly casual and smart casual. I wanted to look more formal as this is an important event for me."

I asked why she did not use her own name for her label. After all, 'Sinje Collection' or 'Lee Sinje Fashions' or 'Anjelica Lee' sound very nice and hip.

"I wanted a Malay name as I am Malaysian and proud to be one. A Malay name shows my heritage,"

 And isn't CACAC a bit of a tongue twister as a few may be unsure of its pronunciation. Can sound like the cackling of a crow!

"Since its launch in 2010 I think most know CACAC is pronounced as 'kakak'. I also explain 'kakak' also means 'sisterhood' and not just 'sister'. I have a strong sense of sisterhood with all my sisters all over the world. Through CACAC I can spread my love of fashion and personal philosophy. 


"My fans used to admire my sense of style and liked what I wore but did not know where to buy them. So they asked me to produce my own fashion collection. My clothes reflect my personality and I want to share my friendship with my sisters through my label."


She was adamant she designed her initial collections herself without outside, professional help. "I personally drew the sketches and designed the clothes. I created the concept and planned the details as I wanted to see if I could do it and whether my fans would accept my creations. I basically designed what I would wear myself.


"Luckily my fashion business succeeded and now we have to produce 4 collections a year. As I have other commitments and travel a bit, I now have a team who helped with the designs. I still design and all the final designs are approved or improved by me. I have the last say since this is my brand and I control everything."


She seemed pleased when I observed her prices are so budget friendly. "I want as many sisters to wear my fashions so I decided CACAC would be a mass label. That way, everyone can afford. The most expensive dresses are around RM 500 but these are very few. Most are under RM 100 to RM 300."


What about menswear? Don't leave us out!


She grinned, I thought about it but no, not in the near future. CACAC by its very name is meant for sisters and the sisterhood! So for now it remains for women."


Mind you, she can always launch ABANG or Big Brother for the brotherhood!

What does she use daily to maintain her skin?

"Facial Treatment Essence!" she answered in a flash. "Facial Treatment Essence is the most popular product as it is the basis of SK-II.  I use it daily without fail. Now I also use Cellumination Essence EX and Cellumination Deep Surge EX which is a moisturiser. This is the cream that delivers defined aura at a close range of 20cm."


Lee Sinje is busy as a bee but finds time for charity work. With buddies Gigi Leung, Valen Hsu and Charlie Yeung, she founded Little Yellow Flower Foundation for underprivileged kids. On top of her involvement with Hope Education Foundation, she is life volunteer for World Vision.


"I am very pleased to work with World Vision!" she said enthusiastically. "I was introduced to World Vision by my manager when I was a singer more than 10 years ago. I was a singer before becoming an actress. So I have been involved with World Vision for a long time now.


"Through Malaysia World Vision, I have visited their projects in Kenya, Lesotho, Mongolia and Philippines. They have taught me a lot about looking at life. At first when I saw poverty and suffering children I was very upset. But I realised each time I saw poverty, I also saw hope!


"World Vision helps poor children  and I am so touched by what they are doing. Through World Vision, poor children deprived of so many basic things, know they are not alone and there are people out there who care for them."


Meditation is another favoured activity. "I tend to meditate in the morning but not daily. During a short period of my life, I was depressed and attended a Buddhist camp. There I learned how to meditate so I could find peace in my soul. Meditation helps me to be calm. I sometimes meditate for an hour but it depends on how I feel. If I am at a Buddhist retreat I could be meditating all day long."


With her meditation, charity work and SK-II, no wonder Lee Sinje is the picture of radiant beauty!

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