Viva Shop Tour: V&M Dead Sea Cosmetics
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Have you been stopped in your tracks while you were shopping in Suntec City or Vivo City by a foreigner only to be asked for your hand? Well, I have been approached a couple of times when I walk past this particular push cart at these shopping outlets but I’ve never stopped because I was rather skeptical about what they’re trying to sell me. Plus they seem quite pushy for my liking.
Heard on the Morning Express
However, I changed my mind recently when I heard about how their products have helped cleared acne problems over the Morning Express on Class 95 FM. Although the name was not mentioned, the description fit the Vardi & Migdal Dead Sea Cosmetic Products. So I decided to find out a bit more about this range of skincare products sold on push carts when I had the chance over the weekend.
Amazing buffer block for natural shiny nails
For those who have ever stopped to hear their spiel, you must have already had the chance to experience their amazing Vardi & Migdal Buffer Block which will give your nails a natural, healthy and shiny look without any chemicals. My two nails which have been polished only by the V&M Buffer Block are still shiny and smooth after a few days. I was told the shine will last a month and the company offers a two-year warranty on the Buffer Block! In fact, there is a current promotional on the nail kit including the buffer block, a cuticle oil and a hand cream at S$60 per set.
Products made from minerals of the Dead Sea
I found out that Vardi & Migdal Dead Sea Cosmetic Products are made in Israel from the minerals of the Dead Sea, which are able to improve various chemical imbalances of the skin, balance the skin’s natural pH levels and rejuvenate the skin texture. Some of their products, like the Body Mud is 100% natural stuff. Others like their facial skincare products and shampoos include some preservatives and fragrance. I was also told that their best seller is their V&M Eye Gel which is supposed to help reduce dark circles and puffiness. I gawked at the retail price of $180 but was told that there is currently a promotional price of S$120.
Over zealous sales approach
Their products do seem promising and I have also read some good reviews on some of them on the forums. However, a common complaint seem to be the level of service from some of their sales staff who are too “over zealous” to sell their stuff. I guess this is unavoidable as I understand that they are dependent on the product commissions. Benny, who serviced me was fairly pleasant even though I walked away empty-handed. But then again, he knew I was going to write about them.
A Vardi & Migdal shop in the pipeline
Well, I learnt that Vardi & Migdal is in the process of setting up a shop early next year. So perhaps the service experience at the shop would be different. For the time being, if you are keen to find out what their products can do for your nails and your skin, look up their website or check out their push carts at the various locations including Suntec City, Vivo City, Harbour Front, Raffles City, Parkway Parade and Junction 8. However, just make sure you’re prepared to walk away buying something.
© www.vivawoman.net copyright notice
_______________________________________________________
Stumble This | 
Get Email | 
Subscribe to RSS
Posted in Shops, VivaFeature | 37 Comments »
previous post: The Body Shop: Nature’s Minerals Make-Up
next post: DIY Beauty: keeping blackheads at bay
Related Posts
- Ahava Dead Sea Mineral Mud to cleanse scalp
- DIY Beauty: glitter express manicure
- Is it normal to break out with new products?
- Colored denims & cleavage peeps
- Viva Shop Tour: Bud Cosmetics at Square 2
October 7th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Hey there, been reading your blog for the longest time and this is the first time dropping my comments.
I am also curious about Dead Sea Cosmetic Products but their service totally put me off. I witnessed bad services and service staff getting unfriendly when customers do not buy anything.
I am sure the products are good but the service doesn’t complement it.
De: Hey, thanks for commenting! I’m always happy to hear from readers, especially long time readers like you.
I agree with what you’ve said and it’s such a pity cos their products are pretty interesting. I wonder if it’s cos the bulk of their sales staff are foreigners and they don’t understand the correct way to connect with locals.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Hi.. encountered the same experience as yours this afternoon at vivocity.. though actually it’s my Mom they’re approaching.. in the end we ended up buying quite a lot of products from them cos after the product testing they showed us, seems like they’re not so bad.. i mean, quality wise..
So upon returning home, i decided to search for more info about this V&M Products online and happen to come to this site.. glad to know that the reviews on their products have been so good thus far.. Am more at ease now to know that their products are natural and not full of those chemical things…
Thanks for the review..
(I do agree that they’re somewhat aggresive, though but not to the point of being rude yet ^^)
P.S.: the products we think the best of all is their exfoliants.. think it really works
Annie: That’s great. I’m glad to hear that you had a pleasant experience buying from them. I guess it differs with the SA attending to the customers. But I think their products are quite interesting. I would like to give it a try sometime…
November 18th, 2008 at 12:59 am
and the lady who dealt with us earlier is a local, according to what she said.. but judging from her accent, i’m more convinced that she’s a mainland Chinese. Not like it’d make any difference, though =)
November 24th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Hi , I was approached first at Wisma Atria by this tall handsome looking foreigner.
The moment he asked to see my hands, I asked him whether he’s selling anything and said if he is, I’m not buying anything.’
He’s very friendly and said its ok and buffed my nails still and i was so surprise at my new nail!
I still walked away without anything and was impressed he did not change his attitude towards me.
I went home and thought my nail looks great. Wanted to go back wisma to find out more but was passing by Suntec one day and approached by Benny.
Although I like the service of the guy in Wisma more, I still bought the nail spa from Benny.
Sorry to the guy in Wisma! You are really good in service. Anyone who wants to try their products can probably go to the Wisma one. Think its at level 2. Can’t really remember.
Did anyone try out their day cream? Good?
Exfoliant is it the sea salt?
Adeline: The nail spa is really interesting. Well, will know where to go next time if I want to get anything from them.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 am
hi there
i was approached by a pretty israel woman..she was very friendly..ans she did not push me too much either..but the way she advertised the products, it was good..she knew about the stuff and gave a proper explanation..this was in vivocity..
i was amazed by the nail buffer too..it still shine after 4 days…got few other things and hope it will work..
tnks
Naimah: That’s great. I believe not all of them are pushy. And yeah, I do love their nail buffer too. It’s a great product!
December 4th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Hi there! I was approached by an Israeli guy just now at Vivocity selling V&M products too. Yes I agree that the nail buffer block is amazing, I’m still admiring my 2 very shiny nails now. I think the service is pretty good because he knows his products very well, and though he is a wee bit persuasive, he is very polite and we actually ended up talking about political similarities between Israel and Singapore. Anyway he demostrated a number of products on my skin, and I really like the Dead Sea Facial Peel, bathing salt and eye gel. So I actually bought them all, and regretted almost immediately as the products are not cheap. I’m so glad I came to this website, luckily the reviews are not bad. I feel better now..
Thanks ladies!!
Chewyen: Glad the info here helped you feel better. Have fun using them!
December 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Hi ladies, just want to share my experience.
On Sat 3 Dec 08, I was approached by an Israeli sales lady at the Raffles City outlet while waiting for my hubby and daughter who were in in another shop. She introduced me to the nail kit and I was blown away by the results. Shortly after, my daughter came over and the lady recommended a number of products to help treat my daughter’s eczema. There was a mud, a salt bath and a shea butter.
She said that a number of children would be frightened by the mud because of it’s dark colour, so she sat my daughter down to explain that it would help her skin. She was very patient with my daughter. She then applied the mud on her hands and one of her elbows. When she removed it later with cotton wool, she showed us the tiny bits of dead skin that were removed. She said to apply it fo 1 week and then we would be able to see the results. She said she had eczema before and hence know what we’re going through. She also said she has a lot of experience working with kids and even gave me her phone number and said to call her at any time if I needed anything.
I spent a bomb that day buying products for my daughter in hope to alleviate her eczema problem, but nothing prepared me for what is to come. That night, when I applied the mud on my daughter, she screamed her head off that it was painful and hot. It was tormenting watching her writhing in pain. When I washed the mud off, I was shocked to see her skin had turned red. I cast my doubts aside and thought that it was normal, afterall the lady did say that many kids have freaked out when the mud was applied on them.
On Sunday, my daughter had the same reaction when I applied the mud on her and her skin was worsening. I couldn’t go through with it anymore and stopped using the mud on Monday. I then called the lady to enquire about my daughter’s reaction. Perhaps I had called her at a bad time, but she didn’t sound as friendly on the phone. She said she did tell me that children had freaked out (but then she didn’t tell me about the pain…) and that it had to take 1 week for it to work. She told me to continue with the mud for another 5 days, afterwhich I should expect to see 70% improvement.
I decided to heed the lady’s advice and use the product last night. It was absolutely the worst experience. My daughter screamed and cried for half an hour. When I washed the mud away, it looked like she had burns on her body. Although I didn’t apply the mud on her face, her face has also turned red (as if she has hives). I’m not sure whether to continue with this… Even her childcare teachers are appalled by how badly her skin has become. It is coarse and she itches even more. I thought this product is supposed to stop the itch.
I’ll be sending an sms to the lady to check with her again whether extreme pain, coarse skin, and persistent itch is the expected reaction before her body heals..
I hope I’m not doing more damange to my daughter’s body.
Sad Mom: Please stop using the products on your daughter already! It sounds like she has had a reaction and the ingredients are not right for her skin. This is obviously an allergic and you shouldn’t continue anymore. How old is your daughter? I’m not sure if the products are that suitable for young kids really.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
There are many minerals in the mud,there is also Sulphur,which could be causing all the irritation, please check with your daughter’s dr if it is ok for her to use those minerals.Please stop using it,you may wish to use it on yourself and see if you too have any allergic reactions.
Gaya: Thanks for highlighting about the sulphur. I honestly think such products may not be very suitable for young children as their skin are much more delicate. I hope the girl’s skin is better now.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Hi, Thanks for your concern. I sms-ed the lady on Wednesday but she has not bothered to give a reply at all.
I dropped by the Raffles City booth today to look for her and she wasn’t around. Spoke to a guy (OL) and he said that I should stop using the products as it appeared to be doing more harm to my 4-year old daughter. I was just upset that the lady hadn’t bothered to even give a reply. Tried calling her today and apparently she’s switched off her handphone. I got a number from OL for the management office. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but i’m going to try my luck to get a refund. I have no use for all the products I bought for my daughter. I’m just too distraught over the damage I’ve done to her… and I utterly disappointed that the lady is afraid to face me and admit that the product is unsuitable for my daughter.
Incidentally, I had checked out their website on http://www.vardimigdal.com.sg and it lists a tel number that is also a fax number, and no one ever picks it up cause it’s connected to the fax. If you go to their original website as listed on their shopping bag http://www.vardimigdal.com (without the sg), you’ll realise it’s only a website with no product info on at all.
Sad Mom: Glad you have stopped using the products on your daughter. I believe the .com website is not theirs. The domain is probably purchased by someone else and that’s why they have to settle for the .com.sg one. But it’s terrible that you can’t speak to someone about your request for refund. I suggest you write in to them instead.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
I agree with all of you that the nail buffer is great. That is why i bought (a few) kits after being VERY pushed into doing so. After the purchase, the very insistant sales lady grabbed me by the hand and insisted I also try their eye gel. I told her that I wasn’t going to buy it no matter the price d/t holiday spending. BUT she still insisted and rubbed it all over my right eye area. 2 days later my entire eyelid, top and bottom, are inflamed and red and I am taking tylenol every 4 hours for the headache. My doctor prescribed a 6 day run of steroids for the inflamation and pain and an antihistamine. My recommendation- use the products if you feel they work for you but please, please, please- do not let anyone in a mall (she did sanitize her hands first) apply anything to your face and particularly not your eye area!! Hoping to heal by Christmas!
Lisa: She rubbed it on your eye area? Oooh…that’s too much. I agree with you about not letting anyone unqualified using new products on our faces. It’s too risky. And I know exactly what you say when you mentioned you were pushed. This is how some of them operate and it turns off the customers entirely.
I hope your eyes will heal quickly and you’ll feel better again. Take care!
April 1st, 2009 at 11:16 pm
hey! thanks for sharing!
i bought the nail kit, black mud soap, facial peel, mud mask and day cream at vivocity today from an isreal girl.
she was friendly and i really hope the products work on me.
she said she gave me 50% which i’m not sure of but i bought them cuz i thought they were good.
can anyone share with me the price?
thank you!:)
Sumin: I get the impression that they have a basic selling price but the sales rep may give further discount case by case. Ultimately, these sales rep need to make their commission. I don’t know the price but you probably got a fair deal.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Hey. I just bought tha nail buffer kit and it’s awesome!
I was approached by a lady at Vivocity, asked to show my hand and then she started buffing my fingers. She explained how to do it and had very good customer service.
When I was approached, I didn’t really thought I was going to purchase any of tha items that she’s selling, but afta her great service and tha fact that the nail buffer is really impressive, I bought them anyways.
I told her that I would get back to her and then I walk off, it suprised me indeed that her reaction did not change and her service is still superb! That really made me came back after 5 mins and bought it from her.
I was just wondering, if they are selling this nail buffers in bulk? If they do, it will be a great way fr me to purchase for my loved ones!
Chafeka: If what you say is true, then it’s excellent. I hope all their service is as consistent as the one you’ve experienced. And if you’re interested in buying the nail buffers in bulk, I’m sure they would be glad to sell them to you. Why don’t you approach the company directly?
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
i am falling in love with your products.
Nabella: Then you should try to buy them all!
April 20th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Hi ladies,
)
so just to check, how are their facial products? it seems quite scary after some of the reviews with the allergic reactions, especially by Sad Mom.
I just bought the mud mask too from an israeli lady from Vivocity and am now afraid to use it on my face. she did demonstrate it on my arm first(like in sad mom’s case) and also gave me her contact number to assure me that the product is safe for use (like in sad mom’s case too
I got the facial peel and the cleanser and toner, but now i am unsure to use any of them on my face. Help!
Jasmine: I think Sad Mom’s case maybe unique cos her daughter is very young and has skin conditions to begin with. Maybe if you’re worried, try doing a patch test on the inside of your wrist for 24 – 48 hours to see if you develop any allergic reactions.
April 25th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Hi,
I have bought their products too. i need more feedbacks…. Any1 used and nothing happen?
I am a bit scared.. although the sales person ensure no chemicals added in the products
Joy: Their products isn’t 100% natural but if you don’t have particularly sensitive skin, there shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re worried, why don’t you do a patch test before you use it on your face?
April 25th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
if no pro after doing the patch test, does it mean should be ok…. how to do patch….
Thanks for replying me.
Joy: Please read this post for instructions http://www.vivawoman.net/2008/11/13/do-you-do-a-skin-patch-test/
May 28th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Hi,
I was approach yesterday at Raffles Place by a lady,her name is Diana. She showed me the nail buffer and it blow me away. I tot of buying the nail buffer set and walk away but ended up spending more than I expected coz she was really very persuasive. Anyway I bought the eye gel and facial feel and got the mud mask free. Next recommended me the bath salt and body butter. Since I told her that I spend quite alot of money she only charge me for the body butter and got the bath sale free.
I hope the products are as good as the review. Have yet to try it.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
hi Nora, I too was approached in the same manner by an Israeli guy and ended up buying the nail buffer set. He offered the next box free. I also bought the facial peel. My daughter also suffers from ezcema and so I bought the mud mask and the salt, he told her to use it twice a week. she used the products on thursday night but did not encounter any burning or redness. hoping that as she uses it longer she will improve cause the mud is suppose to kill the bacteria that causes the ezcema. i tried the facial peel and found it really good.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:53 am
hi
same thing happened to me yesterday at raffles place.. was approached by an Israeli guy who offered to buff my nails.. he tried both the peel n mud mask on me also… seems good… he wasn pushy though n had good product n skin knowledge.. my sis n i ended buying the face soap, peel n mask and he gave us the buffer for free…
will try the products and give you guys updates soon..
sesame Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
That’s a good deal. Hope you’ll benefit from using them.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:28 am
HI,
I only came upon this site after i bought the product. Btw, im a guy my friend and i was walking sorta passing by raffles city, we were both approach by this lady. Ok i have no idea whats her reaction would be if, we walk away empty handed.
Anyway,i always have skin prb, sorta genetic. So i ended up with the mud and the mask which is 330sgd. Yes its a bomb, guess im just one of those who doesnt really know how to say no. So i think i had better stay at home more. Will try out the product myself, since i am staying out and family is not here. Will see how it goes and come back to this for feedback.
But i have to say this, the lady who sells the product? she is good. The thing is the local sales personal always hit u directly how bad ur skin is and trying to put you down with remarks which are really bad but she did the opposite, n crack a few jokes along the way.
sesame Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Hope the products will work well for you!
June 21st, 2009 at 3:31 am
I just bought their facial peel and got the nail buffer kit for free but now feel utterly ripped off as online prices are at least 50% lower, even after factoring in the nail kit’s cost. How much did you all pay?
July 5th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Hi Jen,
I bought 2 nail buffer kits at $45 each and got 1 kit free. (u.p $80).This guy Barrack at Wisma was very friendly.I asked for discount for 2 kit kits and instead received 1 free.
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:22 am
Home made body scrab – just add salt or sugar to baby oil and mix some ess oil and u will get the cheapest and best scrub… Can be use twice a week for whole body, less than sgd20 for one huge bowl, and u can use as much as you like…
For lotion, use any baby’s lotion and apply more often and u get better results.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Yesterday I bought this nail kit and mudmask and free soap for SGD128.40. This lady, M, wanted me to try out the mud mask, claiming that for my “sensitive skin”, this mud can clear off all the black & white heads. While I’m satisfied with the nail kit, I’m TOTALLY UNSATISFIED with the mud mask. When I got back, I found out that the packaging was poorly done, with some mud covering the container, the cap had some scratches on etc. For SGD 75, I expect it to be in tip top condition instead of very shoddy work here. I went to their website as printed on their products and couldn’t find it. Today, I went to Suntec city to demand a refund for the mudmask(also returning their free soap) instead of a replacement as I told them that I no longer trust it. There were only 2 guys there at that time. They told me that they couldn’t refund as it’s printed so on my receipt, and that they couldn’t gimme their boss’ number. They asked me to goto their office to get the refund but added that it’s unlikely the boss i.e. Vardi, will do so. I’m beginning to wonder if I should make a scene there instead of going to their office with nobody else to witness. I just don’t trust these ppl anymore.
sesame Reply:
August 10th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I can totally understand your frustration if the product purchased was indeed unsatisfactory and of shoddy quality as you have claimed. Why don’t you call them… or write to them to ask for a change since you’ve written your comments here? I’ll be surprised that they don’t entertain.
Btw, you must have gone down Suntec very early today. What time do these guys start operation? usually they begin only about 11am?
August 10th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Btw, those 2 guys later gave me an updated URL of their website with the “.com.sg” extension, as the “.sg” wasn’t printed on their products. The way I look at it, they’re only concerned about making a sale and not how their customers feel. How can they enjoy customer loyalty as claimed on their website, I really wonder!! How can I be sure that they didn’t just dig up the mud, pour some fragrant oil over it and call it mud mask with all that mud sticking out around the container?
August 10th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
To sesame: When I got there around 10:30am, they were already opened, whereas other pushcarts were still closed, with 1 other angmo pushcart about to be opened.
I just got the same lady’s reply. She said I can exchange for something other than the mudmask. I feel so much better now. Gonna go there again soon. I do think their nail kit is pretty good so I don’t mind having another one. I just don’t want another mud mask, for fear that I get the same shoddy stuff.
sesame Reply:
August 10th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
That’s good. At least you received a replacement.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Okay, I got myself a replacement of the mudmask instead. Apparently, the previous one they gave me was already opened with the mud being very liquid, whereas the current bottle is more solid. I suspect the previous one given to me was the tester bottle. Anyhow, I’ll post my comments after a few use of their stuffs. I hope it’s worth all the hassle and trouble caused.
August 11th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
i love their products!! smell good leave my skin soft!! i don’t mind giving that as a gift also..the nail buffer is awesome.. since everything here so expensive to get nails done or body treatment i don’t mind buying this spa treatment products.. I am an Indonesia.. and this product is no harm for my skin … i love the salt body scrub really really good! the mud also i don’t have problem testing it first on my hand .. now, i can save my money to go to salon and just doing it 5-10 minutes at home…
the lady was so nice giving me good-good price and very good discount on my second shopping… definitely i will recommend to my friends and others.. the lady also so nice .. i don’t mind the way she did her sales … anyway,…. have fun trying it …
August 27th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I’ve just bought the nail buffer kit & mud mask for both my face & hand(eczema), we well as the nail repair kit. I was served by a young, pretty sales rep named Gili- she’s friendly enough without being overbearing.
She handed me her namecard & say it’s important to call/update her on my skin condition after using the products. Cool- will try them out; hopefully can report better results for her-and for myself too!!
September 14th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
So i was approached today at Suntec City. Ended up buying the MudMask, Day Cream and the Cleanser and the Toner and the Mineral Soap.
Have yet to try it though. Will post updates
September 19th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Sad Mom @
Just wanna let you know… Eczema can be caused by sensitivity of the skin to irritants, so definitely, trying that mud mask on your daughter was a bad idea.
In fact, what I would do would be to use the mildest facial cleanser on her that you can possibly find, and see if that improves her situation any.
Has she been to see a doctor about her eczema? What sort of eczema is it?
September 21st, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I bought a nail kit and was so excited to try it…..However, I was indeed down when I saw there is only blue and gray sides without white one…can you kindly explain and make up?????Thanks a lot!!!!!
October 31st, 2009 at 12:16 am
Broke out into a rash after trying the mud….terrible experience. Went to see a GP and was given a hyrdocortisone injection and some antihistamines.