Monday, November 24, 2008

L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Foaming Jelly



Given description:
This hair and body shower gel is enriched with pure honey from Provence that gently cleanses the skin, leaving it deliciously perfumed. Lemon essential oil makes hair shinny and radiant.





I totally love the bottle that has such a sweet honeycomb design and lovely golden colour, but what impresses me the most about this product is the scent, which i am very particular about.





This product has a very light honey scent, not much of a lemon smell though. It is not too overpowering, and seriously smells so sweet bees could eat you.




Another great thing i love about this product is that not only can it be used as a body wash, but you can also use this as a shampoo and its moisturizing for both your skin and your body! Doesn't leave it feeling taut and too squeaky clean. I don't like feeling squeaky clean because it feels like moisture has been stripped out of your skin.




This product is great cos if you love the scent (and i'm very sure you will), you can have both your hair and body smelling the same way. It kinda sucks when your body smells weird, due to all the different smells and in the end you just smell like you came out of the washing machine. Okay i think this is a rather weird example.





Soo anyhoo, i really like this body gel, in fact it is one of my favourites.




Rating: ♥♥♥♥ Kudos to L'Occitane for making such a great product again! Never fail to disappoint really.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Davidoff Cool Water Game For Her Body Lotion


There isn't a given description for this so i'll just put in my two-cents worth.
The lotion comes a very sporty looking tube, haha im not sure if theres such a thing as 'sporty looking tube' but it is a good size and very easy to tote around.
The lotion is incredibly light, almost gel like texture and spreads very easily. You only need a small amount for a large area and it blends in abnormally fast, leaving your skin lightly scented and smooth.
Now for the scent, I'm not very good at defining scents i must admit. I really don't know what to say about this scent. Smells very fresh...very nice thats for sure! Haha! If you'd really like to know about this product, i suggest you go to a perfume counter that sells this perfume (not the body lotion) and smell the scent. It smells exactly the same.
If you really like this product and the scent, you can layer the lotion underneath the perfume, which would really make the scent stronger and last longer.
Can't remember the retailing price.
Rating: ♥♥♥ ♥/ really good as a lotion because it doesn't leave any sticky residue all over your body.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Benefit Eye Bright






Given Description:
This pale pink, brightening stick is a purse-sized pick-me-up for tired eyes.

To use: For an instant wide-awake look, apply a stroke to the inner and outer corners of each eye and blend.



This pencil is wider than most eyeliners, though this is not an eyeliner itself, and is about 11.5 cm (4 1/2 inches). The wooden pencil is easy to hold and grip, and it kind of reminds me of a crayon actually! It's also quite cute, pink font against a black background.



I got this because even though i do not have obvious eye circles, i still have them and i was looking for a way to conceal them. I do not think this is meant to be an under eye circle concealer. It's just something to brighten it up.




The colour is pale pink, with very slight shimmer in it. If i had not looked closer at it, i would have thought it was a pure matte pink pencil. I followed the directions and applied a little of this onto the inner and outer corner of the eye. The pencil is creamy, and comes out easily on to your skin. I applied this onto one eye only, to see if if there was a significant difference and blended. Then i checked the other eye and noticed one thing.... the eye i had applied this to still looked the same as the other eye. There was no significant difference.




Then i decided to line the bottom part of my eye with it. Bad decision. It wasn't very easy to blend, because i do not have a very oily under eye area so i kept tugging at my skin while trying to blend, which is a no-no. Tugging at your eye area incessantly will cause it to wrinkle and age very quickly. After my unsuccessful attempt to blend the stark pink line, i compared both eyes. Now my eye looked smaller than the other.




This was honestly not what i expected when i got this product. I would say this was a waste of my money, which could have been spent on better products.




I got this at the benefit counter in Tangs for $41 SGD. Definitely not worth it.



Rating: ♥ Nothing special at all.

L'Occitane Crushed-Grape Polish




Given Description:
Enriched with organic grape juice from Provence, fine particles of grape seed and walnut shell (naturally exfoliating) and grape seed oil, Crushed-Grape Polish gently sloughs away dead skin cells, stimulates microcirculation and helps eliminate cellular waste.

Massage into dry or slightly wet skin, using a circular motion. Concentrate on areas that tend to be rough (elbows, knees, soles of feet). Rinse thoroughly. Use once or twice a week.





This grape line in L'Occitane is supposed to be part of some 30-day grape cure. Apparently the Grape Range is used in an intensive detoxifying and revitalising 30-day program, where you only eat grapes to deeply cleanse your body. Wow, thats a long time to be eating grapes isn't it? I think you'd be thoroughly sick of grapes by the time you're done.




Anyway, i didn't do the grape cure because i simply do not have the discipline nor do i believe in just feeding myself grapes for a long period and nothing else. I think i would just collapse from not eating any other food.



I decided to get this scrub because it smelt AMAZING and the packaging was very pretty. The opening of this product is a silver screw cap at the base. You turn it anti-clockwise, and squeeze. The product would then come out. It's not a cap which you can totally remove.




The beads were a little too fine for me. I prefer stronger rougher scrubs but it's really up to your preference. This scrub has fine scrubbers in it, and it's very gentle, though i feel it was quite difficult to scrub my feet with such a gentle scrub. The scent is great. Smells a little like grape, though not in the red wine type of way.




Scrub in a circular motion all round your body, concentrating on the rough areas like the knees, elbows etc. I recommend you wash off with cold water, very refreshing, unless you're in a cold country. In Singapore, it's sunny everyday so a refreshing cold shower is always needed :)


This leaves your skin feeling smooth and soft. Because its such a fine scrub, i use quite a lot of it each time round. I exfoliate twice a week sometimes, and if im feeling lazy, than once a week. I would recommend at least once a week.




Costs more than $40 SGD i think? I'm really unsure of the price so it's best you check it out at the L'Occitane stores. There are two in Ngee Ann City.




rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 stars, but i would have preferred a rougher scrub

Body Shop Tea Tree Oil




Given Description:
Best if you want to: Combat and soothe the first signs of a blemish with a natural, targeted treatment that you can dab onto your skin.

How it works:

Triple-action organic Community Trade tea tree oil, which is naturally antiseptic and soothing, controls oil, combats existing blemishes and prevents new ones without over-drying skin.
Pre-blended formulation contains pure tea tree oil diluted to 15%.
Tea tree oil has been used for centuries for its soothing and refreshing antiseptic properties.





I'm sure this is just pure tea tree oil without any other plant extracts or whatever because it certainly smells like pure tea tree oil. I guess this would be considered rather smelly by those who do not like the scent of tea tree oil, but it smells totally fine to me.


One thing i must commend about this product is it's child safety lock. The cap has to be pushed down to be able to turn it. I realised it's mostly products containing tea tree oil that have a child safety lock, so i guess it must be really fatal when ingested? I don't know about that. Just don't try to drink it please.



The mouth of this product is not very large. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but when you unscrew it, there is this tiny tube there from which the product comes out. It's not a very large opening, which is good because every drop is precious. The bottle is only about 10 ml, so really every drop makes a difference.
Because it is only 10ml, and if you have a lot of blemishes, you will find that you use this product up pretty quickly.




The tiny opening makes it easy to apply this product. I normally drop one or two drops onto a small bit of cotton wool and dab the tea tree oil onto my blemishes this way. It's not advisable to use tissue paper, because the tissue will just absorb the tea tree oil and not leave any for you to dab onto your blemishes, which is a huge waste. The tea tree oil might sting a little at first, but you'll get used to it.



After using this, i found my pimples reduced significantly in size and gradually just disappeared. However i would advise you not to apply this product on any other part of your face, because it is VERY drying. Let me just warn you about that. It is supposed to dry up your pimples so when you put it on spots that do not have pimples, you're gonna have really dry skin.




You can get this at Bodyshop shops at i think $14 SGD? I'm not very sure but i know it's definitely less than $20. Try not to spill any, because this bottle contains very little only.




Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Friday, November 7, 2008

L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream




Given Description:
A signature L'Occitane essential. A worldwide best-seller. Blends the nourishing benefits of Shea Butter with soothing A.O.C. lavender essential oil and rosemary extract. Contains vitamin E, shown to help encourage cell renewal, and--for sheer pleasure--bestows the subtle fragrances of the Mediterranean upon your senses. Feel transported to Provence with every application.

Massage into hands any time skin feels dry or "tight." The size and light weight of Lavender Hand Cream make it ideal as a travel companion, and to keep in car, gym bag and office. Also try: Lavender Relaxing Foot Cream, enriched with refreshing mint extract.




I honestly truly love all L'Occitane product packaging. It is all packaged in a way that seems very country feel-good, and stepping into their shop is always nice. The silver tube with a label that looks handmade (though im sure it's not) is very pretty, definitely something i wouldn't mind whipping out of my bag.





The cream is white, and is thick and creamy. Leaves your hands feeling extremely well moisturized and taken care of, not to mention soft and nicely scented. This is good if you live in a cold country and need to protect your hands from the harsh winter. The cream absorbs in within a minute.



What i love about this cream is also the scent. It smells like lavender essential oil, and when you close your eyes and breathe in deeply you honestly feel like you are lying among hilltops blanketed in lavender in France, the breeze gentle and the stalks of lavender swaying. Yes, the effects of Lavender is indeed calming to one's mind and soul.



The scent is strong, but not overpowering. There was once i used this in my class, and within 30 seconds everyone was turning around and looking around and wondering where the smell was coming from. And many commented that it smelled good :). I didn't expect the smell to reach everyones nostrils.




Retails for $30 SGD. Not cheap for a handcream definitely. you can get this at any L'Occitane store or even online at their website, though that website only applies for USA residents.




Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 hearts. You get what you're paying for and this is definitely the best handcream i've ever used in my life, hands down.

Manicare Nail Polish Remover (with tea tree oil)



sorry the pic isn't very clear.


Given description:
Super Fast Acetone effectively removes nail enamel. Enriched with tea tree oil which penetrates below the surface to nourish & protect nails & cuticles. Antibacterial and antifungal properties. Contains Vitamin E to protect & enrich nails & cuticles. Leaves nails looking healthy will not dry or whiten nails.
Not suitable for use on artificial nails.




Okay, this nail polish remover removes nail polish pretty effectively, though i have come across removers that remove nail polish so much faster than this. I bought this because i saw on the packaging that it had tea tree oil and vitamin E, so hey, since it's acetone, at least i can compensate by the fact that it is 'enriching' my nails as i clean.



It is always better to use acetone-free nail polish removers because basically the acetone dries your nails out. So if you are a nail polish fanatic, always painting your nails and changing your nail colour, it's best to get an acetone-free nail polish remover. (unless you go for manicures all the time, where the manicurist will remove your nail polish with their own products)



Even though it's better to use an acetone-free remover, the thing i HATE about acetone-free removers is that they are always soooo oily and you have to wait a long time with the cotton pad soaked in remover on your nail before you can wipe it off. It's much less effective than acetone removers. So it's either you protect your nails but get frustrated with the lousiness of acetone-free removers, or you damage your nails but get to clean your nails fast and effectively.





The thing i absolutely hate about this product is the smell. I'm okay with the scent of tea tree, but this, this is a completely different story. You can't really smell the bad smell from the bottle, but boy, after you've used it, the bad smell just lingers on your hands. It smells like normal tea tree oil from the bottle, but it smells like something rotten and sour on your fingers. And no matter how hard you try to wash your hands after removing your nail polish, the smell will linger on your hands for at least 2 days. So everytime i bring my hands close to my face i smell a whiff of that terrible smell. it's horrible, trust me.




One good thing about this is it's child safety lock. So if you have children and you don't want them accidently drinking your bottle of remover, it's good to get something with a child safety lock. Means to open the bottle, you have to press down hard on the cap, and twist while holding down.



It's not very expensive, but i can't remember the price. You should be able to get this at Watsons or Guardian.





Rating: ♥ 1 heart. You can really get much better nail polish removers at the price. I though that since this is Manicare, a pretty well-known brand for it's manicuring tools, the remover would be good but i was wrong. not that it doesn't remove the polish properly, but it just smells so bad. I would recommend you NOT to get it.

Dermaveen Oatmeal Shampoo




Given description:
This shampoo is suitable for normal to dry hair particularly dry, itchy or sensitive scalp, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis of the scalp. It is a natural soap-free alternative to harsh, drying shampoo.

It contains 1% colloidal oatmeal and PCA 1% in a bland, aqueous base to provide a rich lather.

Directions for use : Apply to wet hair, lather and rinse gently after a few minutes. Can be used everyday as a scalp cleanser or shampoo alternative for adults, children or babies. Follow with DermaVeen Oatmeal Conditioner if required.

Colloidal Oatmeal is a natural, soap-free cleanser which restores normal pH of the skin with emollients that soothe and soften dry skin.

DermaVeen Colloidal Oatmeal is dry-milled from the purest grade of oatgrain. In the manufacturing process, the colloidal prodcuing fraction is separated out as a gum substance which is high in vitamin B complex and contains about 10% oat oil.

When colloidal oatmeal is mixed with water it forms a milky dispersion which, after bathing, leaves a film on the skin. This has three major benefits for treating Eczema or Chicken Pox.

* Colloidal Oatmeal has an anti-itch action that eliminates the sensation of itch and reduces scratching.

* Colloidal Oatmeal has a buffering action which restores the normal
pH balance to the skin (pH 5-6). That is, it restores the acid mantle of the
skin. (Dry skin and eczema skin is usually mildly alkaline).

* Colloidal Oatmeal has a cleansing action by absorbing and removing
grime from the skin and so avoids the use of harsh alkaline soaps.




So as you can see from the very medical-like description, this is a shampoo used for medical purposes. No, not for lice, ticks and what-nots, but for people with sensitive skin.



As i had the eczema bout on my face the other time, i was recommended to use this shampoo as this is a mild shampoo suitable for people who are sensitive to chemicals (like soap). When i was given this shampoo at the pharmacy, you could say my face literally screwed up in disgust. I love fruity floral smells, so you could say the 'Oatmeal' part didn't particularly appeal to me. But i had no choice.






The shampoo is pearly white, and has normal thick consistency. It smells like oatmeal definitely, but it's okay. Not really bad in fact. it smells like a more souped up version of oatmeal. The shampoo wasn't harsh, but it really washed my hair out clean, and you need to use quite a big amount to wash shoulder length hair because the shampoo isn't the lathery sort.



Didn't leave my hair smelling like anything, no not even oatmeal.



This bottle is about 250 ml, should last you for 2 months or more (if you wash your hair daily).




Costs $16.40 SGD. I bought this at the pharmacy in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, so they might have jacked the price up abit.




Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 hearts. I wouldn't use it unless i HAD to. This is probably good for those who have sensitive skin and can't use anything else.