To welcome the new year, Crabtree & Evelyn has launched a limited edition Spring Rain shower gel and body lotion duo (500ml each). Retailing at the special price of S$68 for the deluxe duo (usual price S$110), it is a refreshing green floral scent with top notes of lily of the valley, a warm heart of rose and spice, rounded out with base notes of jasmine. I liked the soft rose scent which lingers subtly on the skin post-shower without being overly cloying. This can be intensified by layering the body lotion which has a light, non-greasy texture that sinks quickly into the skin, an essential quality in Singapore's humid weather.
The deluxe duos are also available in Crabtree & Evelyn's classic scents of Nantucket Briar and Summer Hill. Nantucket Briar is a floral oriental with notes of bergamot, citrus, wild briar rose, peony, hydrangea, jasmine, patchouli, amber and vanilla. Summer Hill is a veritable melange of florals including rose, orange blossom, tuberose, carnation, jasmine, geranium, as well as bergamot, violet leaf, musk, white woods, sandalwood and vanilla.
From now till 18 February, Crabtree & Evenlyn is offering a red packet set with any S$80 purchase.
I mean to write this post earlier but got sidetracked into reading the Hunger Games trilogy last weekend. After plowing through all three books in three days, the tale has been haunting me. The writing is not the most masterful but nevertheless, it's a thrilling page-turner that gets very grim in parts. So much death, loss and broken spirits. Now I can't wait to see the movie which will be released in less than two weeks.
Anyway, here are the products that I finished up this past month. I've been focusing on using up all these small sample bottles as I'm getting tired of them taking up space in my cabinets and carting them around with me each time I move house.
Lush Retread (£9.50) is described as a "deluxe, specially enhanced triple strength conditioner" made with conditioning olive, jojoba and avocado oils, soya milk, melon juice and yoghurt in a seaweed and lanolin base. The consistency is like liquid yogurt, more watery than the usual conditioners so I usually have to use a generous palmful of it on my hair. It is not as richly hydrating as say, Tsubaki, but it leaves my hair tangle-free and feeling clean without the the heavy silicone-y feel of richer conditioners. It is relatively expensive though and lasted only about three weeks with daily usage. Lush has a recycling programme in the UK whereby if you bring back 5 clean black pots, you can get a Fresh Face Mask free.
When I breathed in the invigorating mandarin and mint scent of Rituals Fujiyama Shower Foam (£6.50, 200ml), I knew instantly that this would become one of my favourite shower products of all time. The rich foam lather feels luxurious on the skin and rinses off without drying out the skin. The delicious scent is perfect for chasing away the trials and tribulations of the day.
H2O+ Exfoliating Marine Body Butter contains skin-smoothing multi-hydroxy acids plus hydrating marine algae, seagrass and cucumber extract. The scent is light and clean. The 15ml tube was barely enough for one application, certainly not enough to notice any exfoliating effect. It hydrates nicely enough without feeling greasy.
I also used up a few deluxe samples of Kenzoki moisturisers: Nightwatcher, Melts On Contact Face Gel and Face Phenomenon. These have the usual calming scents typical of Kenzoki and absorb very nicely into the skin, helping to stave away flakiness. Of these, I liked Nightwatcher the best. Each 5ml tube usually lasts about 5 days with twice daily use. My skin gets oily after some time, but using a moisturiser is vital to stave off the eczema that I experienced briefly during the winter. The Fondant Rice Lotion is a milky lotion that preps the skin nicely in the mornings for foundation.
Next up are lotions and toners: Kanebo Blanchir Superior White Deep Clear Conditioner II, RMK Skintuner Smoother, Impress Lotion II, Chanel Hydramax+ Active Nanolotion and La Mer The Tonic. These were all quite average, and simply made the skin feel more refreshed without any tightness.
L'Oreal Elseve Liss-Intense Serum Anti-frizz does a great job of keeping my dehydrated locks manageable and frizz-free so I've already re-purchased this.
L'Occitane Verbena Shower Gel is another citrus-scented favourite. I would indulge in this more often except that my current stash of shower gels will last me well into 2013 and possibly beyond!
Kenzoki Clearwater Gel is a nicely refreshing lotion to perk up the skin. When it's very hot, I often just use this and skip moisturiser.
Crabree & Evelyn Iris Body Cream moisturises well but takes a bit of time and effort to absorb into the skin.
Saforelle Soothing Cream was recommended by my doctor for use on my shins which saw a bad case of folliculitis during the winter. It did help to calm the skin down over time.
Like most Japanese foaming cleansers, Kanebo Impress Creamy Soap leaves the skin feeling squeaky clean and so it may be too drying for some people.
The first month of the year has already flown by so quickly! Managed to clear out another bunch of beauty products from my stash this month. I've been trying to use up the dozens of samples that I've accumulated in an effort to de-clutter.
1. Garnier Fructis Color Resist Shampoo: This worked well with my dry hair and didn't make my scalp itch like the Essential Damage Care Rich Premier Shampoo did. I can't say how well it does in retaining the vibrancy of colored hair as my hair had already lost much of the red color from my last color job in October.
2. L'Occitane Citrus Verbena Shampoo: I love the refreshing verbena scent. It does contain sulfates but it didn't leave my hair excessively dry or tangled. It feels light enough to be used as a daily shampoo.
3. Nivea Color Protect Conditioner: This worked well enough for leaving my hair detangled but I still need to use a serum in the mornings to get rid of frizziness. Again, I can't say how well it protects hair color.
4. Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Bath & Shower Gel: I adore the lush, romantic rose scent of this entire line. Would definitely re-purchase except that I still have tons of other C&E bodycare products to use up.
5. Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover: This takes off eyeshadows usually in just one or two swipes of the cotton pad but with more stubborn mascaras like Anna Sui Perfect Mascara, it requires quite a bit more effort. It doesn't sting my eyes.
6. Perricone MD Citrus Face Wash: This works up a mild lather and cleanses well without stripping the skin or making it feel tight. However, I didn't quite like the scent.
7. Bifesta Moist Cleansing Lotion: Bifesta is the new brand name for Cleansing Express, which is made by Mandom. This is an excellent and very affordable alternative to cleansing oils if you are averse to oil in your skincare products. It removes makeup quickly and thoroughly, although I still prefer to use a separate eye makeup remover. I usually still follow up with a gentle face cleanser out of habit although this is a cleanser and toner in one.
8. H2O+ Clearwater Shower & Bath Gel: This lathers up lightly and doesn't dry out my skin. The light fresh scent doesn't linger strongly on the skin. I don't like this enough to want to repurchase it.
9. BareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser: This feels gentle on the skin and cleanses well without leaving it dry and flaky.
10. Cosme Decorte AQ Gentle Pure Washing Foam: This is a very watery, mild cleanser that doesn't strip the skin but it stung my eyes incredibly badly so I would not re-purchase this.
11. Kenzoki Melts On Contact Face Gel: This leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft without being overly-greasy. The scent is also very soothing and calming.
12. Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome: My skin just drinks up Moisture Liposome, which works well for prepping the skin before applying foundation. It is very expensive though, so I may not re-purchase it for awhile.
13. Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum: Like most Chanel skincare products, I find this too heavily fragranced and not exceptional in terms of its performance.
14. K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow: This is the only makeup product that I regularly use up every three months. It is super easy to use and gentler on the skin than most eyebrow pencils. This is the old version without the eyebrow powder.
To end off the year, I thought I'd do a quick round up of ten beauty products that I loved in 2011.
Although Lunasol's perennial bestseller in Japan is their Skin Modelling Eyes #1 Beige Beige, it has always looked too bland to me. However, this year, their Ocean Scene Eyes EX01 Shelly Ocean from their summer 2011 collection turned out to be my most frequently used palette. This is quite unusual for me as I'm usually more drawn to teals and purples, but Shelly Ocean has become my fail-safe palette for every day wear. The complex dirty bronze shade always works like a dream for adding definition to the eyes or creating subtle smoky eyes.
For base makeup, my current three staples are Lunasol Under Eyes Base 01 Natural Beige, RMK Smoothing Polished Base and Maquillage Essence Rich White Liquid UV in OC00. The Lunasol Under Eyes Base covers up my dark circles very well, although like every other concealer I've tried, it does settle slightly into the fine lines after some time. The RMK base provides good oil control and coverage of pores.
Nothing perks up one's complexion faster than a slick of lipgloss. For that, I rely on Anna Sui Lip Gloss C #306 and Addiction Azalea Lipgloss.
Paul & Joe's lipsticks have always been a staple in my makeup pouch, thanks to their comfortable non-drying texture and flattering shades. This year, I loved Lipstick C #74 Lower East Side from the Manhattan collection. For staving off chapped lips, I've been using Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate & Grapeseed Lip Butter which has a lovely sweet pomegranate scent and no discernible taste.
Guerlain Meteorites in Perles de Nuit makes the skin look more polished with a slight glow. On days when I don't feel like wearing makeup, I just apply moisturiser or sunscreen and finish off with a light dusting of Perles de Nuit.
Dolly Wink Volume Mascara builds volume and length well and holds the curl of my lashes through the day. It does start to clump slightly when layered a few times, but this is usually easily rectified. The limited edition set with the eyeliner in the purple and green packaging is still available on Adambeauty.com.
2011 was a year that I'll always cherish for the many wonderful memories and experiences. Looking back, I think I spent more than four months of the year living out of suitcases as I got to travel to Kerala, Maldives, the UK, plus an extended sojourn in the south of France.
I spent a month in the charming seaside town of Villefranche (situated between Nice and Monaco on the Cote D'Azur) taking French lessons at this great school with stunning views of the bay.
The glorious view of the sunrise from my tiny studio apartment - moments like these were pure bliss.
To everyone who stops by Rouge Deluxe regularly, my heartfelt thanks for taking the time to do so. As my buddy Mag says, writing a blog can sometimes feel like one is just talking to oneself, but every once in awhile, a thoughtful comment by a reader makes us smile, and makes it worth the effort. Having done this for close to five years now, there have been several moments of wondering whether to continue. Some of my favorite blogs are now gone or inactive, like Jojoba's My Makeup Reviews, which is dearly missed. I figure I'll just keep writing as long as I enjoy doing so.
I'll leave you with my favorite song for 2011: Kelly Clarkson's Stronger. Whatever challenges 2012 may bring, stand a little taller and be stronger. Wishing you lots of love, laughter and happiness in the new year!
