by PJ on Saturday, October 24, 2009
in bodycare
(images from
www.parispresents.com/EcoTools_s/36.htm)
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Last year, I reviewed some of EcoTools’ makeup brushes and I was very impressed by their quality. Today I am reviewing two products from EcoTools‘ new Bath & Body Collection.
Sustainable Softness Body Lotion
The body lotion has a creamy consistency and a soft berry scent. Some of its main moisturizing ingredients are sunflower seed oil, glycerin, shea butter, mango seed butter, cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil, and aloe leaf juice. The product does not contain mineral oil, silicones, or parabens.
What I like about this body moisturizer is that it is very nourishing while not being greasy. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any potent skin irritant in this product. Therefore, in terms of what a moisturizer should do and its ingredients, I think it is a successful product. Having said that, I do think the proportions of the ingredients could perhaps be slightly tweaked so that the lotion might create a smoother and silkier finish on the skin. (The finish, while never greasy, could be somewhat filmy.)
This body lotion should suit those with dry or very dry skin.
One Hand Helps the Other Intensive Hand Cream
The hand cream’s consistency is thicker than that of the body lotion reviewed above. Ingredient-wise, the two products are very similar, as the hand cream also contains sunflower seed oil, glycerin, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, mango seed butter, and aloe leaf juice. It doesn’t contain mineral oil, silicones, or parebens, and it has a light citrusy scent.
This is a fairly decent hand moisturizer with a pleasant consistency for hands and nails. It leaves a nice amount of emolliency so the hands feel protected and not greasy. However, sometimes, when my hands are very dry, it seems that the hand cream does not sink in deep enough to rescue the dry patches. Personally, I feel that it would be an even better product if it were more deeply hydrating and had a better skin-softening effect.
(The products featured in this review are provided by EcoTools.)
Related posts:
Johnson’s Baby Softwash
Bobbi Brown Beach Body Lotion
Elemis Exotic Lime & Ginger Duo
(images from www.iswii.net,
info from www.joseishi.net/voce)
Jill Stuart will release a limited-edition Sweetness Collection set for holiday 2009 in Japan on November 6th. The set includes:
– original pouch
– Mix Face Powder Compact
– Jelly Eye Color N
– Jelly Lip Gloss
– Nail Lacquer N
– Emery Board
– Nail Art Sticker
Also, Jill Stuart will release a limited-edition Bath & Body Collection set in Japan on November 20th. The set features:
– Bath & Body Oil 85ml
– Body Cream 50g
– Shower Gel 85ml
– Sugar Body Scrub 100g
– bath puff
– original pouch
Related posts on Jill Stuart:
Mix Blush Compact in 01 Baby Blush
Fall 2009 Collection & 5th Anniversary Jewel Collection
Summer 2009 Collection
by PJ on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
in bodycare
Last year, I reviewed Johnson’s Eye Makeup Remover, Baby Lightoil Spray and Baby Lotion. Today I am featuring Johnson’s Baby Softwash.
Johnson’s Baby Softwash claims to be a gentle body cleanser that leaves the skin perfectly moisturized. Its main cleansing agents are coco-glucoside and sodium laureth sulfate, which are standard detergents used in body cleansers. The inclusion of paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) makes the product more moisturizing than some of the other body cleansers.
The body wash has a creamy lotion texture, and it foams up very well. After it is rinsed off, it leaves the skin conditioned and gently moisturized. I think the mineral oil in the product is likely to be one of the reasons. If you like the squeaky-clean feel after a shower, then this product might not appeal to you.
The product does not contain parabens.
Overall, this is indeed quite a gentle body cleanser that should suit many people (particularly those with dry skin) in colder and drier weather. But people who tend to have acne on the body might want to avoid this product as the occlusive nature of mineral oil might aggravate the issue.
Related posts:
Can’t Live Without: Garnier Hand Cream
Nivea My Silhouette! Gel-Cream
Jergens Extra Softening Body Moisturiser
(image from www.elemis.com)
In August, Elemis released Exotic Lime & Ginger Hand and Body Wash and Hand and Body Lotion. During the launch period, the two products are sold as a limited-edition set that includes an oak stand.
Exotic Lime & Ginger Hand and Body Wash
The body wash has a liquidy gel texture. It doesn’t foam as easily as some of the other shower gels that I have used, but, once it foams up, the lather is quite dense and frothy. It leaves the skin squeaky-clean without drying out the skin, and it doesn’t leave any filmy residue.
Elemis does not use sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in this product. Some of the main cleansing agents in Exotic Lime & Ginger Hand and Body Wash are cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoamphoacetate, and lauryl glucoside.
(According to Paula Begoun, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) is not a potent skin irritant while sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is. (For more information, please check out this article on Paula Begoun’s website.) SLES is very commonly used in face and body cleansing products while I have very rarely come across skincare products that contain SLS.)
It is delicately fragranced and the lime and ginger scents are pleasant and refreshing. On my skin, the ginger scent is slightly more pronounced.
This product is paraben-free. It contains benzyl alcohol but the small amount of it is unlikely to cause irritation.
Exotic Lime & Ginger Hand and Body Lotion
It has a light lotion texture (which is not watery or runny) and spreads very easily.
The main moisturizing ingredients include sesame seed oil, hexyldecanol (fatty alcohol (emollient)) and shea butter.
It is very nicely absorbed and leaves the skin soft and silky.
Even though it feels light-weight on the skin, the moisture is long-lasting. It has the same fragrance as the Body Wash.
It should be a good body moisturizer for most skin types in summer and fall. It can work as a decent and non-greasy hand lotion but it might not be moisturizing enough for some people.
The product doesn’t contain alcohol, silicones, parabens or mineral oil. The fragrancing agents may cause skin irritation for some people.
Related posts:
Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum
Imperial Leather Skin Bliss Shower Lotion
ESPA Detoxifying Salt Scrub
(image from Bobbi Brown)
Beach is one of the fragrance ranges from Bobbi Brown. It includes Shower Gel, Body Oil and Sunscreen Body Spray SPF 15. Today I am reviewing the Body Lotion from the range.
Bobbi Brown Beach Body Lotion is a relatively lightweight body moisturizer. It has a lightly creamy consistency and it is easy to spread. It moisturizes the skin well and doesn’t leave the skin greasy. It keeps the skin soft and the moisture is relatively long-lasting.
Some of its main moisturizing ingredients include aloe leaf juice, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, olive fruit oil and glycerine. The product also contains green tea leaf extract and vitamin E.
It features the scent from the Beach fragrance, which includes notes of jasmine and mandarin. Even though it is not too heavily scented, for me personally, the scent surprisingly took a bit of getting used to (considering the fact that I do like jasmine and mandarin notes). Perhaps this is because I usually shower in the evening and I find the scent to be slightly too zingy and invigorating for the evening. But it is certainly a fresh and summery scent.
The product is free of alcohol and parabens.
If you like the Beach fragrance, the Beach Body Lotion should be an appealing body moisturizer for spring, summer and fall. It should suit all skin types except very dry skin.
Related posts:
Anna Sui Summer 2009 Hair & Body Collection
Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum
Jergens Extra Softening Body Moisturiser
(image from www.elemis.com)
Launched in February this year, the Pro-Collagen Body Serum is one of the latest products in Elemis‘ Pro-Collagen range. It is claimed to restore the firmness and elasticity of areas such as abdomen, backs of arms, backs of hands, bust and décolleté.
It has a pleasant light and non-sticky gel-serum consistency. It absorbs very easily and doesn’t leave any greasy/filmy residue. According to the directions on the packaging, it is supposed to be used both morning and evening and it can be paired with Pro-Collagen Radiantly Smooth Body Cream for enhanced results.
Some of its moisturizing ingredients are glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride and jojoba seed oil. (According to Paula Begoun, caprylic/capric triglyceride is derived from coconut and is considered to be a good emollient and thikening agent in cosmetics.)
I think it can be used alone in warmer weather as it leaves the skin gently moisturized. For drier/colder weather and for drier skin, it can be used under your usual body moisturizer as an extra boost of moisture. (It alone will not be sufficient.)
This product is free of alcohol, silicones, and parabens.
I have mentioned a couple of times on my blog that I generally don’t believe in the skin-firming benefits that many skincare/bodycare products are claimed to have. I review “anti-aging” moisturizers simply as moisturizers, and, in this case, as a light body moisturizer for summer, the Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum is a competent one.
Related posts:
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream & Oxygenating Night Cream
Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk
Anna Sui Summer 2009 Hair & Bodycare Collection
by PJ on Monday, April 6, 2009
in bodycare
(image from Jergens)
The American bodycare line Jergens (currently owned by Japanese beauty company Kao) is now available in the UK. Today I am featuring the Extra Softening Body Moisturiser from the four body moisturisers sold in the UK. (See Jergens’ new UK site here.)
Extra Softening Body Moisturiser has a light-cream texture when dispensed and it melts into a lotion consistency when spread on the skin. It is very easy to apply and it absorbs quickly. It has a pleasant sweet berry scent that is not too overpowering.
Some of the main moisturizing ingredients are glycerine, glycine soja oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and jojoba seed oil. The product is paraben-free.
It leaves the skin softly moisturized and doesn’t leave any greasy residue. The moisture is relatively long-lasting. Because of the light consistency, I think it is more suitable for warmer months and for people with no severely dry skin. People with very dry skin might want to look for more emollient products.
Related posts:
Jill Stuart New Bodycare Items
Kanebo Sensai Premier The Body Cream
ESPA Detoxifying Salt Scrub
by PJ on Sunday, February 22, 2009
in bodycare
(image from www.espaonline.com)
Last December, I reviewed the 24 Hour Moisture Complex from ESPA. Today, I am reviewing Detoxifying Salt Scrub from the Renew bodycare range.
This is essentially a two-in-one product, which works both as a salt scrub and bath salt. The salt particles are mainly of two sizes. Most of them resemble finely ground table salt and some resemble coarse sea salt. When applied onto the skin, it is the smaller salt particles that are doing the exfoliating job. The larger salt particles drop into the bath as they are meant to be bath salt.
The product features a mixture of plant oils, which include sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, and coconut oil. They moisturize the skin during the exfoliating. Some might find them to be a little too emollient. In this case, a small amount of cleanser can be used afterwards just to take off the extra emolliency.
The product has a fairly long-lasting citrusy scent, which is from added fragrant components.
Overall this is quite a heavy-duty body scrub that leaves the skin smooth and conditioned. I would suggest using very soft and gentle circular motions and avoid any sensitive area of the skin.
Related posts:
Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk
Nivea My Silhouette
E45 Endless Moisture
(images from
