by PJ on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
in bodycare
(Johnson’s Baby Lotion)
As fall and winter draw near for many of us, the weather is also getting drier and we start to pay more attention to bodycare. Today I am sharing my thoughts on Johnson’s Baby Lotion.
What I like the most about this product is how easy it is to apply and spread, as
it has a very light gel-cream texture, . The main moisturizing ingredients are glycerin and paraffinum liquidum*. (Personally, I don’t like paraffinum liquidum in my skincare products as it is too occlusive for my face (which is oily). But I have no problem with it when it is in a body moisturizer.)
Compared with Dove Body Silk, which has been my favorite body moisturizer for the last few years, Johnson’s Body Lotion takes longer to absorb but both provide long-lasting moisture. Like Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray, Johnson’s Body Lotion’s ingredient list is very simple and the product is potentially very suitable for people with sensitive skin (but who are not sensitive to fragrance). (Dove Body Silk contains silicones, which is mainly why the finish is very silky and smooth. Johnson’s Baby Lotion, on the other hand, is silicone-free.)
One other attribute of this body lotion that simply can’t be ignored is the scent. It is the same scent as that of Johnson’s Baby Powder, and it does provoke feelings of warmth and softness.
Overall, Johnson’s Baby Lotion is a gimmick-free and well-formulated body moisturizer. The fact that a little goes a long way and that it is reasonably priced (£2.18 for 300ml and £3.18 for 500ml) makes it a good money-saving product (without compromising quality).
*Contrary to popular belief, paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) does not clog pores and is considered to be a very non-irritating moisturizing ingredient. It can create the impression of being pore-clogging because of its occusive nature, and, in (particularly) facial moisturizers, it is not an ingredient that will suit everyone, especially those with very oily skin. (Please check here for more information on mineral oil on Paula Begoun’s website.)
Related Posts:
E45 Endless Moisture Range
Can’t Live Without: Garnier Hand Cream (Update)
Kanebo Sensai Premier Range
(Kanebo Sensai Premier The Body Cream)
(image from www.nikkei.co.jp)
Kanebo has been marketing Sensai as a “Super-Prestige” brand. As part of the plan to expand Kanebo’s western market and to probe the luxury bodycare niche in the west, Sensai will debut the Sensai Premier range on September 1 by releasing Sensai Premier The Body Cream.
The product (200ml) will retail at 300 euros and will be available in Europe, Middle East, and the US (37 countries in total). This item will not be officially available in Japan.
It claims to feature 20 moisturizing ingredients that will help prevent signs of aging.
If you are a beauty trivia buff (as I am), you might be interested to know that Sensai debuted in London’s Harrods department store in 1979 and was introduced to France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland a year later. It was launched in Saudi Arabia in 1997 and New York’s Bergdorf Goodman in 2000 (information from Nikkei Net).
Related Posts:
Japanese Cosmetics in the UK
CHICCA Fall 2008 Collection
Kanebo Dew Superior Base Makeup Debut
by PJ on Saturday, August 9, 2008
in bodycare
(Skin Bliss Unique Shower Lotion in Glow)
Imperial Leather is a UK-based brand that mainly carries bath, shower and handwash products as well as soaps (with which the brand started out). Today I am reviewing a shower lotion from their new Skin Bliss range.
The three shower lotions in the Skin Bliss range claim to be mild and moisturizing. A quick look at the ingredient list shows that it can be a valid claim. With many standard shower gels/creams, the detergent (such as sodium laureth sulfate) is second on the ingredient list (after water). With the Glow one I am reviewing here, water, glycerine and urea come before surfactant/detergent like lauramidopropyl betaine and sodium laureth sulfate, making this body cleanser potentially milder and more moisturizing than many others. (The shea butter, on the other hand, is more than half way down the ingredient list.)
The product comes in a thick milky lotion that foams mildly into a creamy lather, and it rinses off easily. While, not surprisingly, it does not give the skin that squeaky-clean feel, it cleanses gently and does not leave the skin filmy or slippery.
This product is free from paradens.
If you are used to using body washes are that very foamy and effervescent, this can take some getting used to.
Overall this is a nice non-stripping body cleanser that can be suitable for people with drier skin or those who need something milder in winter.
Other Bodycare Posts:
Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray
Chillessence Be Great Range
E45 Endless Moisture Range
(Left: Anna Sui UV Body Spray G
Right: Anna Sui Hair Spray G)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)
Anna Sui Cosmetics in Japan has announced the recall of UV Body Spray G and Hairspray G, which were released a few weeks ago (on June 5th) as limited-edition items for summer 2008.
There are concerns about product leakage from the nozzle, and the sale of these two items has been discontinued. Customers in Japan who purchased either of the two products can receive a refund upon returning it. (The full recall notice (in Japanese) can be seen on the Anna Sui website.)
by PJ on Thursday, June 5, 2008
in bodycare
(Chillessence
Be Great Body Wash)
(image from www.chillessence.com)
Chillessence is a recently launched website which carries organic-based bodycare products as well as three jewellery collections inspired by sustainable resources. Their bodycare products are paraben-free and are mostly packaged with recycled or recyclable materials.
The Be Great Body Wash (above) has a clear liquidy-gel consistency. It foams pleasantly well, and rinses very efficiently. It cleanses gently and doesn’t leave the skin feeling dry or tight. The skin is left both fresh and fresh-smelling, with no slippery/filmy residue. It should be a good year-round body wash.
(Chillessence
Be Great Body Lotion)
(image from www.chillessence.com)
The Be Great Body Lotion features aloe vera leaf juice, safflower seed oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, olive oil, and avocado oil, among other moisturizing agents. The light gel-cream consistency has a weightless feel and spreads effortlessly. It absorbs easily and seems to almost disappear into the skin, but the moisture lasts well. This is a particularly good body moisturizer in warmer days.
The two products have the same scent, which is a cool grassy and light citrusy aroma, with a slight floral twist. (But the scent can be relatively strong if you tend to go for very lightly-scented body moisturizers.)
The orange peel oil used in these two products might be a skin irritant for some, but I have not experienced sensitive reactions. (You can see full ingredient lists of all Chillessence’s bodycare products on their website.)
(Chillessence.com ships internationally. Please refer to their FAQ page for details.)
Updated on June 28, 2008:
Now the Chillessence on-line store offers fragrance-free versions of the Be Great Body Wash, Body Lotion, and Body Creme.
Related Bodycare Posts:
Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk
(my favorite body cream)
Anna Sui Summer 2008 Collection
(featuring UV Body Spray G SPF 30 PA+++)
Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray
(light and moisturizing)
by PJ on Friday, May 30, 2008
in bodycare
Nivea‘s My Silhouette! Gel-Cream claims to be a body-slimming product that, with the combination of white tea and anise extracts, “slims and reshapes your silhouette”.
Most of us know that externally applied products will not alter the internal makeup of your body. (Even if you lose inches during the use of this product, it will be down to other factors.) So how does this product create the impression?
This product has several ingredients that might be able to create a feel and an appearance of tightness and smoothness. Firstly, it features more than a fair amount of alcohol, which is third on the ingredient list, after water and glycerine. This is typical of many body-slimming and anti-cellulite products, as alcohol can make the skin feel tauter.
Next to alcohol on the ingredient list is cyclomethicone, a kind of silicone. Its main purpose in this product, I think, is to create a feel of smothness for the skin. (The product also contains dimethiconol, another kind of silicone.)
At best, this product will create a toned appearance and feel. The anise and white tea extracts will not change the shape of your body.
Overall, this is a lightweight gel-cream body moisturizer that dries quickly, leaves the skin smooth, and has a pleasant aroma. But it would be a much better body moisturizer for everyday use without the alcohol.
Related Posts:
Can’t Live Without – Dove Body Silk
Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray
E45 Endless Moisture Range
(Mini Rouge W)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)
On June 5th in Japan, there will be more items from Anna Sui‘s summer 2008 collection being released. They include:
– Mini Rouge W (limited-edition, 3 shades, seen above)
– Bath & Body Primary Kit: The set includes a pouch with Hair Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Shampoo, each in a travel-size 60ml bottle.
(Bath & Body Primary Kit)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)
– Hair Spray G: A hair-conditioning product (not a styling product).
– UV Body Spray G: SPF 30/ PA+++
(Left: Anna Sui UV Body Spray G
Right: Anna Sui Hair Spray G)
(image from www.annasui-cosmetics.com)
These items join the currently available eyeliner pencils, mascaras, and nail colors as the full lineup of the Anna Sui summer 2008 collection.
Mini Rouge, released last fall (packaged in black cases), has been very popular, so I am sure these three white limited-edition ones will be equally coveted. (As far as I know, the black Mini Rouge shades are not limited-edition items.)
Related Posts:
Anna Sui Lip & Eye Luxury Palettes
Loving Japanese Brands – Anna Sui
My Latest Foundation Cases
(featuring Anna Sui and Jill Stuart)
(Johnson’s 3-in-1 Eye Make-up Remover)
Johnson’s 3-in-1 Eye Makeup Remover
Most of the time, I use a cleansing oil to remove my makeup all at once, including waterproof mascara. (I am currently using RMK’s Cleansing Oil N.) But when I play with my eyeshadows and don’t have a full face of makeup, I use an eye makeup remover before the usual face wash.
I almost always use bi-phase eye makeup removers. I’ve had good experiences with them as I like their efficiency and gentleness. Johnson’s 3-in-1 Eye Makeup Remover is no exception. It removes waterproof mascara efficiently and thoroughly. (I tested it with Maybelline’s Volum’ Express Waterproof.)
I also like how this makeup remover is dispensed. The hole is small enough and I can gently squeeze the bottle to dispense exactly the amount I want. Also, I personally don’t feel that this product leaves the skin dry or greasy, which is a plus. Overall I think this is a very effective and user-friendly cleansing product.
(John’s Baby Lightoil Spray)
Johnson’s Baby Lightoil Spray
I think most of you have tried or tested the original John’s Baby Oil. I have used it as a body moisturizer and even as a makeup removing oil. (I simply used it as a tissue-off cleansing oil and followed with a face-wash.)
If you like the simple and skin-friendly formulation of the original Baby Oil but think the texture is too greasy, then the Lightoil Spray is worth considering. Unlike the original formula, it actually does not contain mineral oil. Its main ingredients are water, glycerine, and polysorbates (fatty acids used as emollients). The watery texture is indeed substantially lighter, and it absorbs well and moisturizes the skin effectively. (The two products have the same scent.)
It comes with a spray nozzle, but it can be a little slippery to use. I usually remove it and pour the oil in my hand during application.
Even though the texture is a lot lighter than the original Baby Oil, I would still say a little goes a long way. An overzealous application will still leave a little shine on the skin that some people might not like. I would recommend this to people with dry (but not very dry) skin who are not sensitive to fragrance.
Related Posts:
Can’t Live Without – Dove Body Silk
(my favorite body moisturizer)
E45 Endless Moisture Bodycare Range
(featuring two body moisturizers)
Prescriptives Better Off Fast Acting Waterproof Makeup Remover
(another bi-phase eye makeup remover)
(Garnier Hand Sensitive Soothing Restorative Hand Cream
& Hand Repair Intensive Restoring Hand Cream)
.
Last November, I posted about
Garnier’s Hand Cocoon hand cream in my “
Can’t Live Without” series. But, earlier this year, I discovered that Garnier had discontinued Hand Cocoon and replaced it with two new products, which you see above.
.
I checked the ingredient lists of these two items in the shop, and it appeared to me that the Hand Repair Intensive Restoring Hand Cream had a much more similar list of ingredients (to that of Hand Cocoon) than the other. But I decided to buy the two anyway and see how they would work for me.
.
As I expected, the Hand Repair Intensive Restoring Hand Cream works much better for me. (The Hand Sensitive Soothing Restorative Hand Cream feels a little greasy and doesn’t absorb as well.)
(my chosen one)
.
Essentially, my comments on
Garnier Hand Cocoon apply to this hand cream. The texture is very similar, and all the great attributes remain. The only slight difference is the scent.
.
I am relieved that the formula is basically kept, and I enjoy using this as much as Hand Cocoon. I am happy to say that the affordable Garnier still produces the hand cream that I can’t live without!
.
Related Body/Hand Care Posts:
Dove Body Silk
E45 Endless Moisture Range
Neutrogena Body & Hand Care
(Johnson’s Baby Lotion)
