All my bags were packed and I'm ready to go. I was already anticipating this trip for a month! 

To where, you ask? Thanks to Papulex Asia, I was off for a weekend retreat back to nature and tranquility in the lush outbacks of Malacca.

Waking up early on a Saturday morning for this roadtrip

After two hours on the road, we arrived our destination – The Philea Resort & Spa, Melaka – at noon.

It was a enormous and superbly furnished eco-resort which boasted authentic pine-log architecture and rustic interior design.

Here are some photos I shot of The Philea's interor :

Lobby/waiting area/drinks area

Bar/Lounge Area

Outdoor concourse

There was a water feature fringing the resort with the MOST amount of Koi fish I've ever seen

These fishes respond to vibration and sound very attentively, as it was their cue to feeding time.

We teased the fishes and tapped the glass walls at different spots so as to confuse them teehee!

Me standing by the pond. You can hardly see the Koi but the school of fishes came in massive numbers.

Jessicat wears : Leopard print laced-back tank by TopShop | Denim shorts by Forever 21 |

Cap in nude by Hard Rock Cafe | Accessories from a bazaar in Bangkok |

Tote Bag from a bazaar in Singapore | High Top Sneakers in white by Converse

It was time to begin our day in Malacca with an ice-breaking and introductory session.

A light brunch was provided before Papulex Asia started the ball rolling.

So happy there was a wide array of Lipton tea!

I'm such a tea fag I almost wanted to take all the sachets to drink later 

A picture with the girls, Shazwani and Ivy during the ice-breaking session

After the introductory session, we were all required to play a game which involved teamwork.

That ever-popular form the longest line with everything and everything you have on you.

My team mate QuaChee and I forming our line

My other team mate Hafiz and I continuing our line!

Being one to be competitive, I removed all my bangles, rings, earrings, parts of my clothes and more LOL

Here are some of the items from our team and the other team

Lining them all up!
 

When it was all over and done with – well almost, as nobody wanted to strip their clothing off haha! – the longest line was measured and our team won!! Hurrah! 

We did well; I'm so proud. The three of us hit it off well in pushing for the longest line. Think EVERYTHING : cellphones, belts, socks, and yes, even shoelaces haha!

With my team mates QuaChee and Hafiz posing by our line of items

Fun times had to come to an end. It was now time for the more serious part of this session.

The sharing session, the experience, the history and our past with regards to this campaign and more.

My essentials for the mini seminar provided by The Philea 

Me sharing a little bit more about myself, my point of view and the battles I fought against acne

All of us Papulex Truthseekers – Team Malaysia!

Once that was over, it was already mid afternoon and our tummies were growling.

Lunchtime was at one of the restaurants in the hotel, with a continental concept – Cravo Cravo

Hafiz and I goofing around while walking over to lunch

Spotted this giant wooden throne with a ship steering helm at the entrance of Cravo Cravo!

Couldn't resist a photo with it.

The continental and Asian fare in Cravo Cravo left me spoilt for choice.

It was amazing how endless the selection can get. Here are some of the dishes from the buffet :

Bite-sized goodness

Carved roast beef

Desserts

Here are some of the stuff I took for myself

I didn't bother taking photos of the main meals as I was already hungry and couldn't wait to dig in

Lunchtime at the long table saw us catching up with each other and talking about everything under the sun.

Before we knew it, it was time to check into our rooms.

Got our room key-card and guest booklet!

The Philea sent us a chauffeur to take us to our rooms which was located at another zone of the resort.

We occupied two buggies to be driven off further into nature!

Bye! We were about to adjourn!

As the buggy drove deeper and deeper into what felt like a secluded bay of pristine forest giants with waterfalls cascading along stone walls and gigantic, lush greeneries engulfing me, I knew this weekend would be the most serene and tranquil one I've had so far this year.

Here are some photos of the short journey to my room:

Along the cobblestone walkway towards the chalets

Beautiful pine-log cabins fringed the gravel path

Roaring waterfalls at the bridge and swimming area

Steps leading towards the bridge

An aerial view of the swimming area (adult and children)

Weather-worn, wooden fence posts covered by damp moss from the morning drizzle

Approaching my cabin shortly!

What I'd typically do the moment I arrived

Wow looks like they know me pretty well, putting a giant convex mirror in front of my cabin

Haha kidding! It's obviously a security measure to allow buggies to see each other lest they collide at one of the many bends in this nature resort. 

Quite coincidentally, my cabin was right in front of the gym and the spa. Can they read my mind or what?

My home in the woods for the weekend!

I climbed the wooden staircase; they didn't creak as I had expected it to, and no gnomes were in sight.

Okay, I think I get taken away by fairy tales sometimes.

The moment I stepped into my cabin, my jaw hung with astoundment and I knew for a fact that my eyes were gleaming in delight. Was this really where I was going to be put up for the next two days? 

Here, be amazed for yourself!

My king-sized bed!

My desk!

My bathroom! (It had a  giant bath too, so you can be sure that I had a hot bubble-bath thereafter)

I jumped on the bed, stretched like a yawning cat on my comfy bed and watched some telly

What am I doing? I don't even watch telly. At all.

Perhaps its the holiday mindset that's doing this to me. Haha!

We were required to gather at the outdoor concourse for a treasure hunt game.

Being briefed on the rules before we set-off on our hunt

Here's my task!

I was brimming with energy and adrenalin caught me on a choke-hold the moment I read it.

Always up for a good game, I had one goal in mind – to win this challenge! 

The fastest, most alert and smartest player will win. I hope it'll be me.

(Okay, I didn't know this is how I look when I run. So unglam LOL)

My closest rival was QuaChee.

We always found the next clues at the same time and as a fellow fitness buff, he was pretty darn quick too

We raced to the finish line and sprinted all the way! In the end, he won the challenge.

Great job! Good game, mate 

Perspiring heavily and sapped off our energy levels,

I reckon we were looking like zombie grub by the end of the afternoon

Game over. That was a good exercise. It gave me exactly the rush I needed.

I think I pretty much crashed on the bed by the time I trudged all the way back to my cabin.

But I recharged quickly and dressed down for an evening dip at the giant swimming pool!

It's time to work the cardio in the swimming pool today!

The swimming pool was mine and mine to dominate!

Waddling in the pool like a duck, swimming like a puppy and

lying on my back floating allowing the world to pass me by

Hey, it isn't everyday I just take a weekend away from the busy city to do absolutely nothing but relax.

The team behind Papulex Asia are amazing. Knowing that stress, tension and dirty/dusty city environment does contribute to acne and pimples, this weekend getaway to be one with nature was perfectly what we needed.

QuaChee and I in the pool

Walked back to my cabin after that fulfilling swim and had a long, hot bubble-bath.

I think I fell asleep at some point. Aromatherapy and relaxation does that to me.

We set off for dinner at another one of The Philea's restaurants – Bayu Cabana by the scenic river front and pool side. We had a warm and scrumptious steamboat meal altogether!

All of us!

The desserts stole my heart 

All of us enjoyed the dinner which seemed to keep coming and coming!

The chef kept refilling our steamboat pot and even helped me break open my crab. Yeah, I fail on all levels peeling crabs and prawns. How sad, I know. But he was nice enough to offer!

What's a weekend without good music and a few drinks? I had my favourite

White Russian at Chiillout Bar with some of the rest who was up for sprucing up their Saturday night

I headed back to my cabin a little after midnight.

Spent some me-time writing a few blog posts and surfing all my social media channels before I said goodnight to my fluffy pillows and crisp white sheets. I had the bed all to myself!

Had a good sleep, I must say, as I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

For once, it felt different to wake up to the sweet melody of the birds in the morning, chirping of crickets and opening your windows to the smell of fresh, moist dew instead of being rudely awaken by cars blaring their honks or clanging from a nearby construction site.

Breakfast at another one of their restaurants – Nusantara!
 

Their fare presented an impressive choice of both international and Asian cuisines.

There were so much to choose from and I had breakfast like a King!

My breakfast! I couldn't finish it all 

We gathered at the al-fresco lounge and waited for the session with Dr. Hew Yin Keat, a professional skin specialist.

He's also the owner and Medical Director of M.A.C – Malaysian Aesthetic Clinic.

His clinic in Bangsar Shopping Center offers medical aesthetic procedures, corrective skincare and rejuvenation treatments without surgery, fusing science and aesthetics together!  So you know where to go now, aight? 

That's M.A.C (Malaysian Aesthetic Clinic) for you. Call for appointments : 03-20936136

The Question & Answer session was so enlightening!

Dr. Hew was patient, informative, explained so well in layman's terms and had a great sense of humour too

It went on with a rather intense discussion and sharing-learning session from Dr. Hew

Apart from the basic causes of acne, he also imparted us the knowledge of different types of acne, ways to prevent it and how to treat the infection if it spreads out of control.

Dr. Hew also showed us samples of procedures and their before & after results

Why we look so solemn and serious in the photo, is beyond me. Most likely he's showing us one of the most horrible skin conditions he has treated before and our minds were like "OH MY GOSH THAT'S SO DREADFUL".

After the sharing session, they held a quiz for us to test how much we know and have learnt about this entire campaign so far. Then it was time to check out and leave The Philea. I don't wanna go! I'll be fine living here forever LOL

We all headed to Malacca town to do a little bit of shopping and food hunt

I had a wonderful time being a Papulex Truthseeker. It was one heck of a ride!

View my previous blog posts here :

——> Part One

——> Part Two

——> Part Three

…and you're reading Part Four now! 

All of us! Team Malaysia consisting of us bloggers and the Papulex Asia representatives

From knowing and understanding the history of my skin condition, the true root causes of acne, spreading the truth and busting myths about acne, propagating confidence to other acne-ridden people, and introducing Papulex to our readers, of newfound friendship, good food and a fun weekend getaway, I would do this all over again, if I could.

Thank you, Papulex Asia! 

I've just returned from my weekend trip in Malacca and feeling really exhausted now! 

This entire week had been a really busy, eventful and a nerve-wrecking one (you'll see why)

Managed to snap a quick photo whilst out!

Had been caught up, back-to-back, with heaps of errands, appointments and meetings.

Apart from all the boring jizz, here are some other stuff that made my last seven days.

Sampled a new product : NBrew! 

I watched, as Malaysia's first Liquid Nitrogen ice-cream was prepared on the spot for me

Unlike some stingy ice-cream parlours which charge a pricey amount for the tiny scoop of ice-cream, N-Brew's portion of ice-cream was a lot more generous! I took my time enjoying it.

As a health advocate, I'd definitely recommend this. It's low in sugar & fat, and does not contain any preservatives, food colouring and stabilizers! 

Had the Aglio Olio Fish Fillet in The Apartment @ The Curve over a brief meeting on Monday

Despite the pretty decent food presentation & garnishing, it lacked in the taste department.

Took my little one out for a cat spa – showering, grooming, nail-clipping, fur-trimming, powdering & detangling.

He was pretty edgy that afternoon, for reasons unbeknownst to me 

Frolicking at the back of my car. I hate his afternoon eyes. They're beady and menacing.

Much prefer how it looks like at night, I'm sure you've seen some other photos I've posted!

As babyChivas was busy for about an hour or so, Konzy and I had some time to kill.

We decided to check out a Chinese restaurant called Annie 1 @ Damansara Uptown.

Recommendations: the Chicken Curry Egg Noodles were delicious and the Pork Rib Stew was to die for!

It was so cheap too, under 10 bucks 

Mid-week saw me darting back and forth to Mont Kiara and back home several times a day.

Can you guess why? You'll find out soon  It's quite obvious, but I'll announce it once it's confirmed!

Had dinner with bestieJoyce, Jo and Konzy.

I'm beginning to love the food in my *cough* new *cough* neighbourhood already 

Highly recommended : Kin San Kichi Japanese Restaurant @ Desa Sri Hartamas

I absolutely love their Salmon Sashimi; it's touted the best in KL too!

For only 36 bucks, nine pieces of freshly sliced, EXTREMELY THICK AND BIG CHUNKS of raw salmon were served to us (as you can see in the picture above) 

The Salmon Teppanyaki was unbelievably good too. Portions were huge and it was rich in flavour!

Another night of dinner with the fantastic four at Chow Yang Kitchen (潮阳美食店) @ Desa Sri Hartamas

I had a steamed Red Snapper (Tilapia fish) with ground ginger & lots and lots of Chicken Satay!

Again, a more-than-satisifying meal, I must say. Where was I all this while?

How could I not know how good the food was around Mont Kiara & Sri Hartamas? 

This week's self-manicured nails! O.P.I's Bastille My Heart and Revlon's Silver Dollar

Some of my simple and quick whips in the kitchen!

This might come as a surprise but I was struck by the motivation bug and started job-hunting!

I know, how random. I'm still so busy being a full-time blogger as it is.

They must've liked my resume, as I received a call to come into the office. 

After tedious written tests, evaluation tests and whatnot, I got selected amongst many and was short-listed to go for the next round of interviews!

In the end, I got the job offer! 

Feeling very thankful to be given the opportunity to be a part of this esteemed, prestigious publication company with an impressive portfolio of top magazines under their belt! 

More about this piece of good news if I feel like divulging more information next time.

For now, I'm one step closer to being the best that they've ever had.  

At least, that's what I aim to be!

Off down south on a weekend trip to Malacca. Thanks, Papulex Asia! 

This was my pine-log chalet. It's enormous!

I stayed in Philea Resort & Spa, a breathtaking 5 star eco-resort surrounded by nature 

Just some quick snaps of the interior. So rustic and cosy, I don't even! 

Apart from being occupied with the sharing sessions, meeting, discussions and activities organized by Papulex Asia,

I had some time to myself and did not hesitate to dive into the pool by the waterfall!

I should swim more often, just despise having chlorine in my hair. 

More about my weekend trip in a full blog post soon!

Konzy picked me up after I arrived back in KL. We headed for dinner at DIB Coffees of Hawaii.

Little did I know that this outlet tucked away in the deeper part of Damansara Perdana was actually operated by the deaf! DIB here means, Deaf in Business.

The coffee was strong and aromatic! (I don't know about the food because that burger was Konzy's,

but he sure looked like he enjoyed it haha!)

I initially wondered why the waiter was so rude not to greet nor welcome us to the restaurant (I didn't know he was hearing impaired and mute at first, obviously!) 

But I soon discovered after I noticed the sign language and gestures he used. 

Eventually, we spoke It was so easy to "communicate" to the deaf and mute!

He understood my food orders so easily and we even had a brief conversation with each other.

Hmmm… I forsee myself working with the deaf some time in the near future. 

I was impressed with their resourcefulness, determination and dedication to their work! 

The most devastating highlight of this week was the death of a friend of mine from Penang

She was the innocent passenger & the driver is now in critical condition in the ICU.

The wrecked Porsche 911 Turbo which crashed into a tree at Kelawai Road (estimated at 4-6AM)

on the 13th January 2013 after they were both clubbing at Nueve, Precinct 10 @ Tanjung Bungah

We were from the same hometown, same gym, same Guides & Scouts camp and have the same passion for electronic music & raves. 

 My heart goes out to you and your family. Rest in Peace, Eli. I'll always remember you.

It is a hefty price to pay – with one's own life. We don't need another loss to remind ourselves that we should all NEVER drink and drive, do we? 

 Good times, I know. But what happens after?

Never attempt to drive while intoxicated or under the influence of any substance.

What really affected me was that she wasn't only my friend, she lived a similar lifestyle as I did.

It could have easily been me 

I shall end this on a very sombre note. Cherish your loved ones and live a life that makes you happy, for you'll never know which day will be the last.

Have a good week peeps. Party responsibly!

Much love,

Jessicat

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Today I'm going to be revealing what exactly THE POWER OF 3 is.

Once I'm done, you don't need to feel like a rocket scientist to understand what these powerful potions are!

Sugar, spice and everything nice?

Nope! That's the PowerPuff Girls!

The Power of Three will set you free? Witch sisters Rose, Phoebe & Piper?

Nope! That's popular American TV series, Charmed!

So what exactly is the Power of 3? It has something to do with your face.

In fact, these 3 special ingredients act as bold, wise and brave soldiers working together in a unique triple action formulation to treat acne and vanquish them forever! 

Remember both my previous blog posts about discovering the truth behind acne and revealing my ugly acne-ridden past? Today's blog post is a sequel to these three.

It is no complicated strategy to solve a problem. 

Identify the root causes & tackle them from the bottom.

Apply the same methods to solving your acne problems!

By now, you should already know the main causes of acne:

1. Bacterial colonization

2. Inflammation of the affected area

3. Excess sebum

4. Thickening of the skin that blocks your pores

With the Power of 3, this is how acne problems are being solved right at the root of it all!

Allow me to introduce the warriors of the Power of 3 to you!

First up, it's the EU patented ABA Technology 

This is what happens without (left) and with (right) the ABA technology

The EU patented ABA Technology inhibits the acne bacteria (scientific name: Propionibacterium acnes aka P.acnes) avoiding it from attaching to the cells on the outer layer of the skin.

It also helps block the proliferation of this P. acnes bacteria!

The second fighter is called Nicotinamide 

Pink bar shows the percentage of reduction of acne using Papulex

(the grey bar is without Papulex) after two different periods of time

Nicotinamide has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce skin inflammation .

No more redness & swelling! It's natural molecules are derived from Vitamin B3 too 

Our final combatant of The Power of 3 is Zinc PCA 

Pink bar show the production of skin sebum (oil) with Papulex & the grey bar is without Papulex

Zinc PCA is effective in reducing oil and excess sebum & significantly decreases it

After some research, I discovered that Papulex contains ALL THREE of these ingredients!

So there you have it! The answer to all pimple/acne problems. 

For those of you who are have pimples or acne or even know of anyone with a bad pimples/acne phase, it's time to help put an end to their misery. Introduce the Power of 3 to them, okay? 

This weekend, I'll be off to Philea Resort & Spa in Malacca for a retreat to mother nature! 

I'll be finding out more about this acne-busting star products by Papulex Asia during the tranquil escape to the lush forests, waterfalls, fresh air and more. Toodles! 

Wow, it's been a week already? Let The Sunday Times roll again!

This week, I am thankful for :

1) My trusty DSLR which has served me in innumerable moments that I aim to capture

2) My friends & to appreciate those around me even more.

This week has been crazy. Especially the weekend of back-to-back events!

Here's what rocked my week this time round :

Guess where we were at on a Friday night?

Media & Celebrity Night of Superstars of Magic 2 at the Genting International Showroom!

Thank you Resorts World Genting for having us tonight 

(Full blogpost coming soon!)

Did a longer routine on Tuesday afternoon spanning for an hour!

LOL typo! It ain't POT ribs for dinner (how I wish!) but *PORK Ribs lah! 

Did some catching up with thebestie Joyce & our other halves @ Chicken Hot Pot, SS2 Mall

The Asian bites here are really, REALLY yum! Especially the Pork Ribs one, which I had

Made dinner again!

Garlic-baked Mackerel, fluffy cheddar omelette & fresh lettuce with thousand island 

Caught sight of my cat sitting on my carpet listening intently to what I have to say

Sometimes, I swear he thinks he's a human being 

Indulged in some sin at New York New York Deli @ One Utama

Unfortunately, I didn't like it at all. The food (we ordered 4 dishes!) tasted meh to us

Attended Guinness Arthur's Day Media Launch!

Expect a great month of events leading up to the concert on Arthur's Day itself

(Full blogpost coming up!)

Theboyfie & I decided on Pasta Zanmai @ Mid Valley Megamall for dinner.

We had Squid, Garlic Fried Rice with Omelette & Teriyaki Chicken and Unagi & Avocado Crepe Maki.

I'd recommend these three!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR13EKA9D_8

This week's eargasm : Nicky Romero – Toulouse!

Was introduced to Kairo Kingdom too! Digging their electro-dubstep beats 

Clocked in my 5KM run routine in 36:45mins @ Celebrity Fitness, One Utama

Stir-fry veggies for dinner! Deliciously healthy bites 

Attended ELEVATE KL in Black Magic @ Voodoo KL along Jalan P.Ramlee

(Full blogpost coming up!

Saturday night shisha (drunken) crew! Apart from the usual suspects theboyfie & thebestie Pamela,

Jeremy and two old buddies, Ragu & Dylan from my Penang days joined us too! 

2A.M shisha & delicious Iranian food @ AVA Bistro along Jalan P. Ramlee

Ended my weekend on an impromptu trip to Malacca, one of Malaysia's World Heritage Site!

Not only did the 4 of us go random food hunt, I ended up getting to know more about my beloved country 

(Wait for the full blogpost!)

That's all this week has to offer. Can't wait to see what next week has in store for me!

Have a great seven days ahead, dear readers 

Much Love! 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Sunday Times is a new once-a-week series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to share recommendations for to-go places and to-eats throughout the week

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook as it happens.

So follow me to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around!