I love this mall. It may be a maze and almost impossible to ever find a shop in here that you’ve liked and been to before, but it’s about the only place left in Singapore where you can still get a bargain.

I am told on very good authority (GS is a glamourous lawyer) that providing you can brave the teeny bopping clientele, miraculous $5 manicures happen on the fifth floor of this joint*. For just a few bucks they not only paint your talons with OPI, but shape them too which is pretty impressive. The point is, everyone has their FEP secrets…and here are mine.

Teresa is a waxing guru who has owned and run Femma (main pic, above) for the last 30 years. I found her about a year after I moved here, through an obscure and dusty book on what to do in Singapore, now out of print. Her clientele are mainly the airline girls so her work is tip top – she says they are very fussy – and not at all over priced.

I went to see her yesterday and she reminded me how she started out: she lived in London where she learnt her trade waxing the can-can girls of Soho; she was doing brazilians before the technique even had a name. Let’s just say she knows everything there is to know about hair removal (just don’t get her started on the difference between using soft and hard wax).  They also do very cheap and good Guinot facials here at $60 per hour. Teresa is the person to request for waxing; for the facial it doesn’t matter who you have.

The second reason I regularly visit this mall is to see Regina (above). She’s a fantastic tailor who does everything from bespoke work to boring but brilliant alterations.  She’s also about the only tailor I have ever come across who talks you out of something you want doing – and herself out of work – if she doesn’t agree with you.

Extremely honest and slightly petrifying with it, (she scolds me if I put on weight in between visits; the scales may lie but Regina doesn’t!) she’s a treasure really, once you get to know her.  Her prices are fixed and fair and I love that she always does a very good job, no matter how big or small that job may be. She’s currently copying my Catherine Walker, boned, silk mini dress in off-white silk – I am longing to pick it up – but she’ll also take jeans in, up and whatever else.

Due to my hopeless sense of direction, I have now worked out a rat-route that whisks me up from the bowels of the car park to both their shops in record flat time, while also allowing me to take in a few other stores that I like along the way:

Take the lift from the carpark up to Level 4. As soon as you come out, you’ll see a phone accessory shop straight in front of you.  Providing you are here after 12 noon – it will be shut otherwise – go in and buy something…

…everything is amazingly well priced. It’s particularly brilliant for ‘Kate Spade’ and ‘Tory Birch’ covers, as well as quirky Japanese creations. They’ll also re-sticker the front of your phone for a fraction of what Epicentre charges (it’s between $5-$8 here).

Turn left (when facing their main shop window that you saw when coming from the lift) and you will see Beautifull – love the double ‘l’ – which is fun for a quick browse.

Passion Nails is also worth stopping off at, next to Beautifull, it does an excellent and good value mani pedi. Read about my Gelish experience with them here.

Keep on walking straight until you see Phy’s at the end of the corridor…don’t bother going in…where you then need to hang a right.   Straight in front of you lies the mecca of waxing that is Femma.

On your way to Femma, you’ll pass an escalator to the top floor. This is how you get to Regina’s Creation.  Her shop windows is covered in red and white paper so she’s pretty hard to miss.

Then, retrace your steps and, voilà, you are back at your car in record time having done all of the fourth floor good stuff and none of the dross.

Femma (#04-61)

T: (+65) 6235 3802.  Open from 11am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturdays. Teresa’s mobile number is: (+65) 9818 8379

Regina’s Creation (#5-108)

T: (+65) 6737 2760.  Open 11am-8pm Monday to Saturday. Regina’s mobile number is: (+65) 9366 0344.

It’s best to go around 2pm when she’s back from lunch. She opens at 11am but seems to have rather a long lunch almost as soon as she’s flung open the shutters. If she’s not in when you go, wait for her to get back. Her staff are good, but she’s better.

*Since posting this I have now discovered where the magical $5 manis happen. Click here for more details.