RMK Essence and Smooth Milk Essence

RMK will launch its first ever pair of limited edition fragrances, Essence (3500yen) on 3 November. Housed in the same square bottle as their nail polishes with a roll-on applicator, it will be available in the bitter orange blend Neroli and the more unisex Woody Green.



RMK will also debut this Smooth Milk Essencew (5800yen, 50ml) on 6 October. It has a soothing milk tea fragrance and transforms into a thicker texture upon application to create a moisturising veil on the skin. Pic by Maquia.

Jo Malone The Herb Garden

According to Elle Japan, Jo Malone's first offering for 2016 is The Herb Garden, a limited edition set of five colognes:
Lavender & Coriander
Sorrel & Lemon Thyme
Wild Strawberry & Parsley
Nasturtium & Clover
Carrot Blossom & Fennel

Debuting on 4 March in Japan. Read more about the collection in Tribe and Fashion For Lunch.

Lancome Midnight Rose Launch at Tangs

Lancome is launching its new Trésor Midnight Rose fragrance exclusively at Tangs Orchard and Vivocity from Wednesday 19 October to Tuesday 25 October, with a host of promotional offers. The fruity floral has top notes of rose absolute and raspberry, middle notes of jasmine, peony, blackcurrant, pink pepper, and base notes of cedar, vanilla and musk. When I tried it over the weekend, the sweet blackcurrant note dominated on my skin.


The commercial featuring Emma Watson.

Crabtree & Evelyn Floral Fragrance Collection

Crabtree & Evelyn introduces its Floral Fragrance Collection in mid-March in Singapore. The collection showcases four single-note scents of Lily, Lavender, Rosewater and Iris with accompanying bodycare and home fragrance products.

The soft, spirited Lily fragrance is inspired by the delicate lily of the valley and calls to mind a beautiful spring morning in the woods. The lily of the valley accord is paired with dewy greens, velvety mosses and notes of hyacinth and ylang ylang.


The uplifting and refreshing Lavender fragrance captures the atmosphere of the lush lavender fields in Europe on a summer day. The fresh lavender bloom is accompanied by violet leaf, jasmine, exotic tonka bean, soft musk and lemon leaf.


Inspired by the rose gardens of England, the classic Rosewater fragrance is a blend of rose with violet, peony, fresh green foliage and musk.


The Iris fragrance pays homage to the Italian city of Florence. This modern floriental has top notes of Italian bergamot and cassis, middle notes of iris, violet and jasmine, plus base notes of sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood and creamy musk.


Here's the price list:

Eau de Toilette $28 (30ml)/ $65 (100ml)
Bath & Shower Gel $35 (200ml)
Triple Milled Soap $28 (3x85g)
Body Lotion $40 (245ml)
Body Cream $68 (200g)
Dusting Powder $40 (85g)
Home Fragrance Spray $30 (100ml)
Scented Drawer Lining Papers $45 (6 sheets)
Reed Diffuser $88 (200ml)
Scented Poured Candle $45
Environmental Oil $18 (10ml)

The bodycare products are formulated with extracts of peony, elderflower and magnolia. They are also free of parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol and mineral oil.

Jo Malone Sakura Cherry Blossom Cologne

At Ngee Ann City today, I discovered to my delight that the Jo Malone store had just brought in the Sakura Cherry Blossom cologne. This was also just released in Japan on 25 February and should be released outside of Asia in the coming months.

Created by Master Perfumer, Christine Nagel, the limited edition cologne is an exquisite interpretation of the cherry blossom, with layers of rose, and mimosa accented with the freshness of bergamot and mandarin. The result is a powdery fragrance, contrasted by a base of musk and woods. Nagel described Sakura Cherry Blossom as "one of the most poetic flowers translated into a delicate fragrance, the scent is feminine, elegant, fragile”.

The cologne comes in the usual 30ml (S$95) and 100ml (S$190) sizes. In Japan, the price is even more marked up at 7875yen (S$122) and 14700yen (S$227) respectively.

I sprayed it on my arm and then walked around the mall for some time to see how it performed. The delicate fragrance charmed me with its refreshing rose and bergamot notes. I didn't find it to be powdery like Kenzo Flower. The musk base is also quite subtle, definitely more subdued than Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. I fell in love with it pretty quickly and returned to the store to purchase it.

The cologne is tinted a ladylike pale pink. After about 4 hours of wear, the fragrance is still detectable on my skin. According to Biteki.com, Sakura Cherry Blossom layers well with either French Lime Blossom or Orange Blossom. According to the SA, the Tea Fragrance collection will be released here only in June.

Anna Sui Forbidden Affair Eau de Toilette

For the past week, I've been trying out Anna Sui's new Forbidden Affair Eau de Toilette. Most of Anna Sui's fragrances tend to be sweet fruity florals with distinctively whimsical bottles.

Forbidden Affair has top notes of lemon, red currant and black currant; middle notes of raspberry, rose petal accord and pomegranate; and base notes of violet, cedarwood and musk. The fragrance also employs Cyclodextrin technology, which supposedly helps to prolong the top notes for a continuous fresh fragrance experience.

On me, the sweet currant notes tend to dominate so my first thought was of blackcurrant soda! I can also detect the soft musk notes, which give the fragrance a subtle warmth. While I do like the fragrance, its lasting power on me was barely three hours despite spraying it very liberally (two sprays on the wrists and 3-4 around the neck). The fragrance is likely to appeal to the more youthful ladies who like a sweet fresh fragrance that does not have overwhelming sillage.

The bottle cap is shaped like a rose bud on the verge of blooming. It also features Anna Sui's trademark rose motif.


Even the box is intricately designed around the theme of the princess having a secret rendezvous with her prince.


The ingredients list.

The ad campaign features British model Lily Donaldson, who is also the face of Burberry Beauty and Cosme Decorte/Magie Deco.

The Forbidden Affair EDT comes in three sizes: 30ml (S$63), 50ml (S$86) and 75ml (S$111). There is an accompanying Body Lotion 200ml (S$40) and Bath & Shower Gel 200ml (S$38). Forbidden Affair will be launched on 4 October at leading department stores in Singapore. The Takashimaya counter will also be offering a Forbidden Affair-themed GWP sometime in October. I'll post pics if I come across it.

You can read another review of the fragrance on Shine, Shimmer & Sparkle.

(The fragrance is a press sample provided by Anna Sui.)

Operation Use It Up!

Just finished another batch of products!

1. Lush American Cream hair conditioner: This was not moisturising enough for my color-treated hair. Fortunately, this was just a small 100ml bottle that lasted about 10 uses for me.

2. Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover: Many ladies swear by this dual-phase non-oil eye makeup remover but it was not able to remove some waterproof mascaras completely for me.

3. Urban Decay Clean & Sober Oil-Free Makeup Remover: I received this as a GWP when Urban Decay was launched in Singapore earlier this year. One bottle lasted just over one month with daily use. I usually use three pumps on a cotton pad. It does remove foundation and other face makeup quite effectively but I still follow up with a foaming cleanser to make sure that I cleanse thoroughly. I tried using it to remove eye makeup but it stung my eyes and was not able to remove some waterproof mascaras completely.

4. DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask: I liked how this mask left my skin feeling very soft and clean. It dries quite fast in Singapore's weather and was easy to wash off. It did not completely prevent acne for me but still, I liked it. Despite containing sulfur, it does not have any odious sulfur smell.

5. John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo with conditioner: The first time I used this, it kept reminding me of some dessert. It took a few washes before I realised that it smells like pulut hitam, which is a black glutinous rice dessert with coconut milk! It cleanses well but leaves my hair tangled and still in need of a heavy duty conditioner. I wouldn't re-purchase as the current Sala shampoo that I'm using leaves my hair soft and tangle-free even without conditioner.

6. Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm: This worked quite well to keep my hair neat and tame stray flyaways but wasn't really anything special.

7. Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio eau de parfum: This Mediterranean-inspired fragrance has notes of mint, calabrian lemon, brown sugar and Sicilian cedar. I found the mint note to be a bit too strong and clinical.

Metro 20% Sale Haul

I went to check out the Metro 20% storewide sale with Kas at Paragon last night and couldn't resist picking up a couple of items. First is this Vera Wang Rock Princess gift set which was originally selling at S$114. It was reduced to S$69 and had an expiry date of December 2011.

The OPI Burlesque collection was also in stock so I picked up Let Me Entertain You. This costs S$23.55 before the 20% direct discount. The shade is actually more magenta and not as red-toned as it appears in these pics. It looked like it had the same brilliant finish as Catch Me In Your Net, which I adore.

You can see swatches of the full collection on Shine, Shimmer & Sparkle. The 20% storewide sale is on until this Sunday.

Jill Stuart Night Jewel Solid Perfume

Jill Stuart will release a Night Jewel Solid Perfume (4725yen) on 2 July in Japan. Typical of Jill Stuart, the perfume compact is gorgeously designed and will make a pretty bag accessory after the solid perfume has been used up.

Check out the special website which includes an interview video clip with the perfumer, Alexis Dadier.

Issey Miyake & Narcisco Rodriguez Perfume Haul

I went by Tangs Orchard today to check out the Guerlain Meteorites which are currently on 50% discount (as they are revamping the packaging and formula). These are the "regular" ones which come in three shades (Mythic, Pink Fresh and Beige Chic) usually retail for S$83. Instead, I ended up at the fragrance section as my interest was piqued by the Narcisco Rodriguez fragrance sets that include a makeup palette.

The Narcisco Rodriguez For Her set includes a 50ml For Her eau de parfum, 10ml refillable spray, a funnel and a palette with a baby pink cream blush (5g) and lip balm (2g). There is also an Essence version that has a palette with a beige/brown cream blush. If you like Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, then you will probably like Narcisco Rodriguez For Her although the latter is quite a bit more expensive.

The set usually retails for S$154 but Tangs Orchard is currently giving a S$15 instantly redeemable voucher with this set, so it costs S$139. This promotion is only while stocks last.

I don't really like the bulky lucite packaging of the palette as it is a tad heavy and has sharp edges. The thick width is to accommodate the refillable spray fragrance.




I also received the shower gel, body lotion and some fragrance samples.

I also picked up this A Scent by Issey Miyake set which includes a 50ml EDT and 100ml body lotion. The set costs only S$80 even though the 50ml EDT usually retails for S$123. As I had been lemming this fragrance for quite awhile, I couldn't resist the bargain. Plus the SA said that she had only two sets left!

Kate Moss Vintage Launch

Came across this promotional area for the new launch of Kate Moss Vintage perfume at BHG in Bugis Junction yesterday. You can receive a gold clutch with purchase of the 30ml version and an additional 15ml miniature with purchase of the 50ml version.

Vintage is a fruity floriental with notes of pink pepper, freesia, mandarin, heliotrope, jasmine, almond blossom, tonka bean, vanilla and musk. It smelled pleasant but was somewhat forgettable for me. I still prefer the original Kate perfume, which is a lovely rose perfume.

Here's the TV ad and a clip on the shooting of the ad campaign.

Takashimaya Fragrance Sale

Takashimaya is currently holding a sale at the event space in Level B2 (next to the food hall). There is a fragrance and skincare booth by Luxasia. The only skincare brand available is Guerlain but while the prices are heavily discounted, the manufacturing dates are around 2007 so do check the manufacturing date before purchasing. The quartet of Cherry Blossom fragrance miniatures is only about S$35 but it is manufactured in 2007.

Marc Jacobs Splashes in Lemon and Cucumber are S$70 each. The Vera Wang True Pink perfume set is S$140. There is a Vera Wang Princess set (100ml + perfume miniature + bodycare item) at S$104 and a Sheer Veil set at S$114. The expiry dates for the Vera Wang perfumes are around 2013.

Other fragrance brands on sale include Burberry, Rumeur and Bulgari.