bodycare

Bodycare Review: Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum

by PJ on Monday, August 3, 2009

(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.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream & Oxygenating Night Cream

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk

Anna Sui Summer 2009 Hair & Bodycare Collection

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Anna Sui Summer 2009 Hair & Bodycare Collection

by PJ on Wednesday, April 22, 2009

in -Anna Sui, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare, haircare

(images/info from woman.excite.co.jp)

Anna Sui will release a collection of hair and bodycare products in Japan on June 4th. The items include:

– Bath & Body Trial Kit (with Hair Shampoo 60ml, Hair Conditioner 60ml, Body Shampoo 60ml, and a tote pouch)

– Hair Treatment Oil

– Hair Comb R

Updated on April 25, 2009:

– Body Protection N (SPF 30, PA++)

Anna Sui Spring 2009 Makeup Collection

Anna Sui Makeup Color Collection D

Anna Sui Face Color Accent in 400

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Bodycare Review: Jergens Extra Softening Body Moisturiser

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.

Jill Stuart New Bodycare Items

Kanebo Sensai Premier The Body Cream

ESPA Detoxifying Salt Scrub

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Jill Stuart New Bodycare Items

by PJ on Tuesday, March 31, 2009

in -Jill Stuart, 2009 Summer, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare

(images/info from www.joseishi.net/voce)

Jill Stuart will be adding two products to the bath and body collection (launched last year) in Japan on May 8th. The two new products, Shimmery Body Gel (above) and Sugar Body Scrub (below), will join Body Milk and Flower Bath Salt (see photo here) in the collection.

Jill Stuart Cosmetics US Launch Update

Jill Stuart Spring 2009 Collection

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in 01 Baby Blush

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Bodycare Review: 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.

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk

Nivea My Silhouette

E45 Endless Moisture

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Can’t Live Without: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

by PJ on Thursday, February 5, 2009

in _Can't Live Without, -Elizabeth Arden, bodycare, bodycare - handcare, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others, stash focus

(This is an update of a previous post, after which I launched the “Can’t Live Without” series.)

Some of you might have read about the heavy snowfall in the UK this week. (It is the heaviest in the last two decades.) With the low temperatures and the drying indoor heating (and all the contact with water from washing my hands), my nail cuticles can be very dry and sometimes even a little sore.

Two years ago I got a 5ml sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream at the counter. I tried it on my cuticles and it worked very well (even better than the L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream I had been using). Later on, a friend of mine was traveling to the US and asked me if I would like her to pick up something. Knowing that it was much cheaper in the US (16 USD in the US and 19 GBP here at the time), I asked her to buy it for me. Even though I do use other items occasionally, I always come back to this when I need some serious moisture.

As most of you know, it is a dense semi-transparent orange-colored gel-cream. (I have tried using it as a lip balm. It works fine, but the smell is a little overpowering.) It contains moisturizing agents like petrolatum, mineral oil, castor seed oil, and corn oil. (I like the fact that it does not contain fragrant plant oils, such as lemon oil or orange peel oil, as they can irritate the skin.)

I am suspecting that one of the reasons that it works well to soothe sore cuticles is that it contains salicylic acid, which is an anti-irritant. (Apart from salicylic acid, petrolatum is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.)

Because of the dense texture, I only use it before bedtime, on top of my Garnier hand cream. (I don’t feel that I need to use it more often than this.) Out of all the products I have used on my cuticles, I think this one works the best to keep them moisturized and protected.

The Eight Hour Cream can work as a multi-purposed product, but, I think, even if I just use it as a cuticle cream, it is worth the purchase (well…if I can get it from the US…). Plus, a 50ml tube will last a very long time…

My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oils

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk

Can’t Live Without: Starbucks Napkins

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A Splash of Color – Sensuous Plum

by PJ on Tuesday, January 20, 2009

in _I Love Colors, -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, -MAC, -Prescriptives, -Stella McCartney, bodycare, fragrance, makeup, makeup - base makeup

Plum is not really one of my favorite makeup colors to wear, as it is a little too warm and dark for my complexion. (I prefer more purple shades for eyes and slightly lighter shades for lips.) But I do have a few plum-colored sweaters and scarves, which I enjoy wearing in winter.

For me, plum is a beautiful color to look at. I love its richness and elegance as well as its understated femininity.

Makeup
Lavshuca Jewelry Lips
Lavshuca Face Powder in Lucent
MAC Paint Pot in Nice Vice (from the Fafi collection)
Prescriptives Colorscope Eye Color in plum (right of photo)
Prescriptives Colorscope Eye Color in Aubergine (bottom of photo)

Fragrance
Stella McCartney STELLA Eau de Parfum
Stella McCartney Sheer STELLA Eau de Toilette 2004 & 2005

Bodycare
Stella McCartney STELLA Precious Body Cream
ESPA Detoxifying Salt Scrub (to be reviewed next month)

Home Fragrance
Stella McCartney STELLA Scented Candle

More Splashes of Colors:

Gorgeous Gold

Lilting Lilac

Girlie Pink

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"Can’t Live Without" Update (2): Garnier Hand Cream

by PJ on Thursday, November 27, 2008

in _Can't Live Without, -Garnier, bodycare

Earlier this year, I talked about the two replacements (above) of Garnier’s Hand Cocoon, which is one of my favorite hand creams. The red one on the right is very similar to Hand Cocoon in terms of both the ingredients and the texture, and it is what I have been using. It is also far better than the white one on the left.

However, it’s happened again. Recently I have only been seeing the white one in Boots and Superdrug, and I am suspecting that the red one might have been discontinued.

Just to make things more confusing, I have been seeing sporadic stock of Hand Cocoon in Superdrug (in slimmer tubes like the ones above). I bought two today just to get myself through this winter…

Update: The red one (HandRepair Intensive Restorative Hand Cream) is not discontinued and is back in stock.

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AYURA Holiday 2008 Sets

by PJ on Wednesday, November 12, 2008

in -Ayura, 2008 Holiday, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare, fragrance, fragrance - room fragrance

(images and info from www.ayura.co.jp/jp/)

AYURA usually brings out a set of products for the holiday season, and I was wondering why I hadn’t come across any news for this year. Then I realized that the two sets, both including the new Night Meditation fragrance (full size, 20ml) are probably what AYURA has brought out for the holiday period.

The Night Meditation Room Collection (seen above), launched on the same day as the fragrance itself, includes:

– Night Meditation Natural Spray
– Night Meditation Aroma Oil
– Night Meditation Aroma Pot

The set, out now, is priced at 5250 JPY.

The much pricier Night Meditation Bath Collection includes:

– Night Meditation Natural Spray
– Meditation Bath α
– Aromatic Wash
– Meditation Body Cream
– Juke Tower (water-resistant MP3 player)

The set, out on November 23rd, is priced at 12600 JPY.

(AYURA Night Meditation)

AYURA Fall 2008 Collection

AYURA Spring 2008 Collection

My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oil

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Jill Stuart Available in Hong Kong in December

by PJ on Tuesday, November 11, 2008

in -Jill Stuart, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare

(Jill Stuart Flower Bath Salt,
from the new Bath & Body Collection)
(image from www.jillstuart-beauty.com)

One of my readers, CC, has very kindly told me that Jill Stuart Beauty will be launched in Hong Kong on December 5th. (Thank you for letting me know, CC!) It is definitely great news for Jill Stuart fans in Hong Kong, who won’t have to travel to Japan or Taiwan to see the products in person.

As I mentioned earlier, a selection of Jill Stuart items will be available in the US next year. I also think it is somewhat possible that the line will be available in a couple of other countries in Asia. Singapore seems to be more than a reasonable choice. We’ll see!

(By the way, Jill Stuart Beauty’s website has been revamped. Do have a look (through the link above) if you are interested.)

Updated on November 26th, 2008:

Please check out this blog post for the price list of Jill Stuart’s items in Hong Kong.

Jill Stuart Breaks Record

Jill Stuart Holiday 2008 Collection

Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst

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