Sunday, June 29, 2008

L'Occitane lavender tea tree geranium body lotion




Given Description:
Enriched with Grape Seed oil, this body lotion has been formulated to moisturize and nourish even the most sensitive skins. This body lotion contains lavender, tea tree and geranium essential oils and allows you to relax.




This too, has an undefinable smell. I guess thats what you get when you mix three key ingredients together that each have a potent smell. Doesn't smell unpleasant though.


This lotion is absorbed quickly into my skin, leaving an only slightly sticky feeling after. You can test this product out at any L'Occitane Store, because they always have samples and testers for you to try, which is great. Their store is always nicely decorated too, really homely and organic feel. Staff are always very nice, be it in New York, Melbourne or Singapore. I have never encountered an unhelpful staff member in any L'Occitane shop before.




This lotion is light and is white in colour. One would think it is green, due to the colour of the bottle but it is in fact a pure white.




Can't remember how much this costs, but you can of course check it out at any store in Takashimaya Ngee Ann City, or anywhere really, depends on what country you're from.




I don't think it is too pricey though.





Rating: ♥♥♥ Not very outstanding

Body Shop Spa Wisdom Monoi Moisture Balm




Given description:
Use with other products from the Spa Wisdom range to recreate an indulgent and pampering spa experience in your own home.

Before bathing, pour a few drops of Dreams Home Fragrance Oil into one of our Oil Burners, light a tealight and let the heady scent of tropical flowers fill your bathroom to create a tranquil atmosphere.

Pour a few drops of Monoi Miracle Oil into running bath water to create a wonderfully fragrant atmosphere.

During your bath, mix Monoi Miracle Oil with Purify & Plunge Bath Soak in the palms of your hands to create a richly fragrant and incredibly effective scrub paste to smooth over your skin in circular movements. This action will help stimulate circulation, deep cleanse and remove dead skin cells, leaving skin feeling refreshed, renewed and purified.

When dry, smooth Monoi Moisture Balm over your skin to moisturize.



Instructions: Scoop out with your fingers and massage into your skin as often as required.




This is a moisturizing cream, not lotion. The problem with people is that they always confuse cream with lotion. So im here to enlighten you all. Moisturizing creams are for those with dry skin or those who feel their skin needs a little extra moisturizing. So in a way, creams are more heavy-duty. Their texture is also heavier and thicker, and might feel greasy to some.

Lotions have lighter texture and also absorb quicker into your skin. They can be used conveniently if you are going out soon after, because they absorb quicker than creams and so will not leave an unsightly grease mark on your clothes. Those who do not have very dry skin should use lotions, that should suffice.


Souffles or sorbets are a fancy name for moisturizing creams that have a very light texture, even lighter than lotions. They absorb even quicker and often you can tell that they are souffles/sorbets by just looking at it because the appearance of the cream is more translucent. These are normally supposed to 'refresh' your skin, hence the texture of the cream.



You should be able to tell if a product is a cream, lotion, or souffle/sorbet. They would put it on the packaging and also there should be testers for you to test the product, to see if the texture is what you want and so on.



Well as this particular product im reviewing does not say, it just says it is a balm, let me tell you that this is a cream.




Appearance wise, has the colour of yellow daffodils, maybe a little lighter. I cannot classify the scent at all, it's not floral neither is it citrusy or fruity. I don't particularly like the scent, but my brother says it smells nice so i guess everyone has different opinions. It's not smelly though, thats for sure.




has the texture of a light cream, there is a difference. Some are heavier and thicker, while others are lighter and smoother. This is the latter. An example of a heavy thick cream would be the Crabtree & Evelyn Mango Butter one. Those are really good for very very dry areas, example your feet.



Easy to spread, and leaves your skin smelling lightly scented with the unknown smell. Hahaha, alright. Maybe it is a little floral, i'm not very sure.





The area with the cream on feels slightly greasy/sticky after, so i wouldn't recommend putting this on before going out as it might stain your clothes.





I used up one tub pretty quickly too, which is about 200ml of cream. Well i use it every night before i go to bed.





Costs $38.90SGD from any Bodyshop store. Paragon, Tampines Mall, Heartland Mall and Ngee Ann City all have a Bodyshop.





Rating: ♥♥♥♥ Not bad

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Origins Clear Head Mint Shampoo




Given description:
Clear Head Mint Shampoo If you wash your hair every day

Your scalp tingles. Your head clears. Your hair comes alive. Origins zesty mint-trio bursts into an exhilarating lather while kindly cleansers clear the way for hair to swing, shine, act silky-smooth.

HOW TO USE: Apply to palms and then to wet hair. Work up a lather. Rinse.





This shampoo has a really minty fresh smell, really wakes your senses up when you wash your hair. Has the appearance of a gel and lathers quite well. I suggest you leave the shampoo on your head for a minute or two to experience the minty coolness that lasts even after you rinse the shampoo away. If you just lather it up and wash it away, you wouldn't feel the coolness of the mint that well.




Doesn't leave me hair smelling too minty, which is great because im not that big a fan of mint in my hair. i'd rather have the mint smell in my mouth than on my hair!



Downside of this shampoo is that it leaves your hair a little too squeaky clean, like all the oil has been washed out so leaves it feeling a tad too dry. Definitely have to use with conditioner, unless you want your hair to be dried out within a week. However it really cleans your hair well, so its great to use after a hot sweaty day.



You can get this shampoo at any Origins counter. Paragon Metro has one, beside the shoe section. Or you can always visit it's website www.origins.com to browse the products at home.



Origins is a brand that uses plant extracts and is considered organic, hence the high prices.



Clear Head Mint Shampoo costs around 18 to 20 SGD i think? Im really not sure, but i know it's not the average price of any shampoo.




Rating: ♥♥♥ ♥/ 3 and a half hearts. Nice minty feeling, but a bit too drying for me

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Asience Shampoo and Conditioner




Given description:
Asience Shampoo Deep Nourish / Moisture Balance is specially formulated for Asian hair that is prone to damage from chemical treatment, UV rays, braiding, blow drying and frequent perming and styling. It contains natural essences of soy and pearl protein, which penetrate deeply to repair dry, damaged and brittle hair.


Asience Shampoo Deep Nourish / Moisture Balance also contains camellia japonica oil and ginseng extract that help the hair retain moisture, and restore suppleness within the hair follicle. Camellia japonica oil has long been used in Asia to nourish the hair and skin.


The eucalyptus extract protects hair and brings back lost shine, while rice germ oil strengthens and moisturizes the hair to repair, nourish and protect it from the inside out.


Asience Shampoo Deep Nourish / Moisture Balance is suitable for use by adults and children.


Directions:

Apply a generous amount of Asience Shampoo Deep Nourish / Moisture Balance onto palm and work into wet hair thoroughly, massage into scalp and through hair.

Wait one or two minutes before rinsing with warm water.

Follow up with Asience Conditioner and Asience Treatment.

For best results, use daily.




The first time i used it i was quite delighted at the texture and consistency of the shampoo. It was really creamy and smooth, and had a sort of pearlescent colour to it.




(It's a little blurry, sorry. Left is shampoo, right is conditioner)

The shampoo was thick and felt creamy in my hair. I would vote this as shampoo with the best texture.


It foamed up to a creamy lather, and pampered my locks leaving it with a nice pleasant smell.


After that i smoothed on the conditioner, which looks like, well, a conditioner.


After rinsing out my hair i noticed it was really smooth and smelt great.


However, after a long time of using, i felt my scalp starting to itch. I had to scratch my head nearly everyday, so i am not sure if the itch was caused by the shampoo or not.




I am not very sure how much this costs, but you can get it at Watsons or Guardian.


Rating: ♥♥♥ ♥/ 3 & a half hearts. If not for the itch, i would give it a 4.

Vichy Normaderm Active Anti-imperfection Concentrate




Given description:
Vichy Normaderm Anti-imperfection Concentrate 15ml. Suitable Skin Type/ Concern: Oily and imperfection-prone skin

A targeted treatment that works on the spot to shrink and clear imperfections.
Results: Instantly, the inflamed area is calmed, redness gradually disappears. The size of the imperfection is reduced after 8 hours and cleared after 24 hours. Will not dry out the skin.

The 1st Vichy skin treatment with 4% concentration of Salicyclic Acid SC in order to break up the layers of dead skin cells accumulated on the surface, in order to reduce and absorbs imperfections while drying them out without irritating the skin, and to regulate sebum production locally in order to stop eruptions at their source Vichy Normaderm Anti-imperfection Concentrate 15ml. Hypo-allergenic. dermatologically tested. Vichy Normaderm skin care range is suitable for oily to combination skin and acne prone skin.





The cream was light and smelled a little clinic-y for my liking. I would have preferred a more subtle, maybe even floral or refreshing scent. Im not that big on the smell of this one.




The cream was easy to spread, though it left my face looking a tad shiny.



The next day, there wasn't any noticeable difference. However, the spots were a little less red and inflamed, so i guess there must be some sort of improvement there.



Vichy products are targeted at shiny oily skin prone to pimples and acne, so i would recommend Vichy products to you if you have oil acne-prone skin. Using one product does not have much difference to me, but i guess if you use their whole range the results would be better.


Should retail at about $27-$30 SGD? Theres a Vichy counter at Paragon Metro, and there should be one in Takashimaya Ngee Ann City.

Rating: ♥♥♥ 3hearts for meeee

Friday, June 6, 2008

LUSH Christmas Party bath bomb











Given description:
Scent: Champagne Cocktail
Effect: Dissolves your inhibitions

Pop a LUSH bath bomb in a pre-run bath and it erupts in a mass of fragrant fizzing, sometimes launching flower petals, leaves, natural butters, and even confetti into the bath water. After a mad frenzy it calms down and gently scents the water with natural essential oils. What could be better than a really good pary, in your own bath? Christmas Party is a celebration packed into a bath bomb. Drop it in the bath and it smells like refreshing orange juice and bubbly champagne with a drop of cognac for good measure. Give it as presents to all your guests and keep a dozen extra for when you feel like celebrating.




Now doesn't this sound absolutely wonderful? Let me tell you something, i lovelovelove Lush stores, especially their products! When you first step into a store, your nose will be assaulted by the wonderful scents of the products displayed in their full glory. It really is an experience, just stepping into their shops. The Lush store assistants are also one of the most helpful around. Most of their products have testers, except for maybe their face masks, so you can always test out what you want. The store assistants are also real helpful and will help you find what you need.


Wandering around their shop is like how wandering around a candy factory is to a candy lover. It's simply interesting and just nice to walk around looking at the products. You don't neccessarily have to buy to appreciate the products, but then again, it is pretty impossible not to step out of the store without getting anything!


Most of their products look eatable actually. Like their buttercreams, which are made in such a way they resemble cakes! Really! I think if you buy one of their buttercreams they would cut out this huge 'slice' from the cake.


Anyway, moving on to the actual product im reviewing here. Sorry, i just can't stop gushing about how wonderful their stores are.



This bath bomb smells amazing. I wouldn't be able to identify the smell actually but it really smells great. I don't know how champagne would smell though, but this has a pretty fragrance.




When dropped into a bath, it fizzes and lets out an 'xplosion' of confetti and bubbles. The confetti is made out of little multi-coloured stars that just float about your bath tub as the bath bomb dissolves. It's really pretty and when dissolved, the bath bomb gives out this amazing fragrance that just lasts in your hair after the bath. Really nice. And your bath room will also be nicely scented with the smell of the bath bomb.








THats one thing i love about Lush. Their products reallyreally smell good, one of the best fragrances ever and the best thing about them, they are organic. They make their products from fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Their face masks are so fresh that you have to use it within one week! Thats how fresh their products are!



And since their organic, i don't have to worry about synthetic and irritable elements in their products irritating my sensitive skin.



One thing im disappointed about though, is that Lush is not in Singapore!!! I would love it if Lush came to Singapore! And im sure they will do well here, with customers like me! I would definitely buy a lot from them and become an avid user.



Since Lush isn't in Singapore, content yourself by going to their website



www.lush.com


to browse through the amazing array of beautiful products. I only wish i could hold and smell them, that would make the whole experience better!



This product, the Christmas Party Bath Bomb, is im afraid, a limited product. It was only available last Xmas, so it might be on sale again this Xmas, im not sure! Lets cross our fingers and hope for the best though!



Retailed for $5.95 USD. Bought it at the Lush store in 34th St. New York. Theres a Lush Store somewhere in Soho too.



Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 hearts! How could i not give the maximum to such a wonderful product like this?