Reviews and Other Stuff

Best Body Lotions, Creams, And Body Butters

May 15, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey Everyone! As far as I can remember, I’ve always been a fan of body lotions, believe it or not. I know some people tend to shy away from using them because they don’t really like the feeling of the cream on their skin. I’m the opposite, as long as the lotion is non-greasy and non-sticky, it will always find a space in my home. If I’m not hoarding lipsticks or eyeliners, you will find me hoarding body lotions. Ha! Yeah, it all started when my mom used to douse me with the good ol‘ Johnson and Johnson. From then on, some things had never really changed.

As opposed to my oily-prone face, my skin overall tends to get really dry, especially during cold seasons. I’ve suffered from dry patches, skin bumps, and itchy dry irritated skin. That’s why I always make sure that I have body lotions and foot creams on my bedside table. Speaking of foot creams, check out this review of my favorite foot moisturizers, seen HERE. Anyway, if you’re into lotions like I do, or if you’re looking for some good body creams or body moisturizers in town, here are the body lotions that got me through every Winter and early Spring. Some of them are my holy grails, while some are my recent discoveries.

Nivea Cherry Blossom And Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion (16.9 fl oz: $5.49) – This is probably one of the best-scented drugstore body lotions you could find. Its floral scent smells really nice and apart from its really cheap price, it’s hefty packaging is guaranteed to last a long time. I love that it comes in a pump dispenser, which makes it really easy to use. However, this isn’t like most of the Nivea body creams and lotions that I’ve tried before which are really creamy and moisturizing. This one is infused with Jojoba oil, so the consistency of this lotion is kind of thin, yet not necessarily oily. It’ll moisture your skin well for the spring or summer but you may venture into something else for the winter because this isn’t the thick and creamy type. More like a good every affordable everyday lotion.

Belif Body Bomba Lotion in Lemon Verbena (8.4 oz: $26) – From the makers of the popular Aqua Bomb moisturizer and a true K-beauty favorite, comes a really nice lotion that smells exactly like what it says, a lemon and verbena blend that is both invigorating and really replenishing. This lotion doesn’t feel sticky nor too heavy. Its scent is not overpowering and its formulation gets absorbed by the skin easily. It has a rich soft feel that moisturizes the skin all throughout the day.

Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo Body Lotion (9 oz: $20) – A lot of people mentioned that this particular lotion does not smell like the popular Tocca Stella Eau de Parfum. While I haven’t really sniffed the Stella Perfume to be able to compare both products, I can tell you that there’s a lot to like about this body lotion. First, it comes in a really nice vintage-looking, easy to open, unique packaging, which makes it for a great item on your vanity table or tray. Second, it has this kind of a Mediterranean scent, which will make you feel nostalgic about your previous sojourn to places like Italy or Spain. Just imagine smelling a blend of roses and mix with blood orange or mandarin while strolling under the nice warm Mediterranean sun. This lotion will set you in the mood for that. Third, this doesn’t feel too thick nor too thin, and it’s non-greasy. I believe this is a nice everyday lotion with a slightly fruity and very floral scent that will grow on you as you keep using it.

Sol de Janeiro Açaí Body Power Cream (2.5 oz: $20, 8.1 oz: $45) – I’m a big fan of Sol de Janeiro body creams. I’ve repurchased the Bum Bum Cream several times that right now I’m kind of taking a break from it. So I’m currently enjoying their Açai Body Power cream which is pretty much similar to the Bum Bum Cream in terms of texture and consistency. Both comes in cute packaging and both also have fine shimmers to them. The Bum Bum Cream has golden shimmers while this Açai Body Power Cream has a peachy glow. What I love about this is its fresh floral scent and its shimmers have a very summery vibe. On the other hand, the Bum Bum Cream’s scent can be too heady for some, but this Açai Body Power is just a delight to use every day. Overall, I do recommend both creams whichever scent you may prefer, because you won’t only get lasting skin hydration from them, you’ll also get that shimmering skin effect.

Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion (6.5 oz: $43) – This lotion has a really nice clean non-irritating scent. A scent that is reminiscent of a lot of high-end creams, which are light and luxurious. It has a very soft and very lightweight feel but very moisturizing nonetheless. It’s the kind of lotion that you know you’re going to love the moment you apply it on the skin, and it doesn’t interfere with any perfumes or colognes. Also, it doesn’t feel greasy at all and it’ll melt into your skin easily. Moisturizing even to the driest part of your body. Overall, this makes for a great everyday lightweight body moisturizer.

Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm (4.1 oz: $35.00, 17 oz: $97.00) – I love love love this body cream. It’s so good and you just can’t get enough of it. It’s like you just ate a thousand fresh oranges and the scent of its skin lingers on your hands, fingers, and all over the body. It moisturizes the skin well and it leaves rough dry areas supple. It isn’t greasy and it isn’t sticky. Your skin will absorb this easily and it will smell so refreshing and invigorating. It’s so good yet it’s so pricey, but it’s well worth it. P. S. I also use this as a hand cream because I love that it has a nice not too light and not too thick texture.

Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion (8 oz: $18) – This is another great lightweight lotion that has a nice crisp slightly lemon scent. It a great unisex body moisturizer with a scent that disappears over time rather easily, which makes it ideal for everyday use, even to those who couldn’t stand any kind of fragrances in their skincare products. It’s quite similar to the Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion above, but this kind of feels even lighter and it’s perfect as a Summer body hydrator.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Crème (8 oz: $35) – This body cream is not only cute with its millennial pink packaging, it also hydrates the skin well like no other. It has a whipped consistency and has a very thick rich texture that softens dark rough areas of the body. It’s so moisturizing and it’s great for calluses or any other dry irritated skin. It’s lightly scented with the popular Philosophy Amazing Grace fragrance, which is fresh, clean, and light, and it comes in a hefty tub container that you can use all throughout the Winter season and beyond. Speaking of Winter, this is a great lotion to use during the dry cold months, and you don’t really need to apply a lot of it in order to get its moisturizing effect. Just a little bit goes a long way.

Fresh

Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (6.8 oz: $27) – True to its name, this body lotion is really soothing and calming to the skin. This has a bit of a curative effect, that is because this literally calmed my skin bumps at least all throughout the day of using this. Its texture is also not too thin and not too thick and it’s very hydrating. I don’t particularly like its strong lavender scent but it’s a lotion that not only keeps the skin smooth and soft, it actually softens and hydrates the dry rough areas.

Sugar Lemon Body Lotion (10 oz: $23) – I’m a long time fan of this line of body lotions from Fresh, and this Sugar Lemon scent is my second most favorite. It’s a fresh sort of sweet refreshing scent that will last throughout the day and the next. It can be overpowering at times, but it’s not bad. The lotion itself is lightweight but it moisturizes well. It’s great to use every day whether you have sensitive skin or not, and the packaging is cute and decently sized.

Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotion (10 oz: $23) – Of all the Fresh body lotions, this is by far my most favored scent. I have used this for as long as I can remember, together with another lotion below, and it is SO good. Using this is always a refreshing experience and I love that it’s lightweight, it goes into the skin easily, and it keeps it moisturized for the whole day and the next. The fresh grapefruit scent is so irresistible and also noticeable on your clothes the following day. I highly recommend that you give this one a try.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Sweet Citrus (8 oz: $35) – Here’s my other favorite body moisturizer. One that is somewhat thick, very rich, and oh so creamy. My go-to body lotion every Winter and early Spring. This is so moisturizing it literally melts on the skin like butter, and with its Sweet Citrus scent, it’s hard to find another product that could topple this. I’ve probably tried all the different scents of this particular body butter, but I always come back to the Sweet Citrus one because it’s simply irresistibly refreshing as if you’re in a spa, and it’s never boring. I get a lot of compliments about how good I smell whenever I use this. Since this body butter is infused with Argan Oil, Avocado Oil, and Shea Butter, it’s an ideal product for people dry skin, and perfect for cold dry seasons. It’s also great as a cream to heal dry cracked heels of the feet and it’s non-sticky and non-greasy

Korres Body Butters

Yoghurt (7.95 oz:$31) – This is my latest discovery from last Winter. I got so curious about this since I’m also a fan of Korres skincare products. I find that this body moisturizer really delivers in moisturizing dry rough skin very well. It’s really thick and is very creamy, because of that, it takes a good amount of rubbing and dabbing on the skin to get the product to spread evenly. If you don’t do that, it might just sit on top of the skin. But it’s really not a big deal since this body butter not only keeps the skin smooth and soft, it’s also not sticky nor greasy. The yoghurt scent is my most favorite because it’s light, clean, and calming.

Guava (7.95 oz: $31) – Smells like sweet guava. This is ideal for those like tropical scents in their body lotions. This body butter is really thick that it’s a good idea not to put a lot of it on the skin due to the richness of its consistency.

Best Lightweight Lotions:

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

.Fresh Body Lotions

.Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion

Best Moisturizing Body Lotions (Thick & Creamy):

.Korres Body Butters

.Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Cream

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

Best Midweight Body Lotions:

.Sol de Janeiro Açai Body Power/Bum Bum Cream

.Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo Body Lotion

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Belif Body Bomba

Best Scents:

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

.Fresh Hesperides Body Lotion

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

Best Packaging:

Simple, fast and easy to use:

.Nivea Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion

Unique aesthetics. (Not necessarily practical to use):

.Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo

.Aesop Rind Concentrate

.Sol de Janeiro Açai Body Power

.Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Cream

Personal Favorites:

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

.Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotions

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Sol de Janeiro Açai Body Power Cream

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

Most Affordable:

.Nivea Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Body Lotion

Best High-End Body Creams:

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

Have you tried these body lotions before? If yes, which ones are your favorites?

La Mer The Bronzing Powder Review + Swatches

May 10, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello guys! Happy Thursday to you all. My apologies for being kind of MIA lately. I’ve been down with a pretty strong cold and I didn’t wanna risk writing a review while being heavily medicated. LOL. God knows what I might have said, right? Anyhow, I got this really interesting La Mer product that I wanna talk about. It’s been released recently and it’s a limited-edition. The last time I check, this particular product is almost slowly getting sold out. Now that’s something. The latest La Mer The Bronzing Powder ($85) is a sight to behold. A vision in soft powdery pink and champagne waves embossed on a matte tan bronzer and encased inside a beautiful rose-gold pearly white compact. The packaging looks glam and luxurious though it can feel a bit delicate. The top half/cover of the compact can be used as a mirror since it’s quite reflective even though it actually houses a real mirror underneath once you flip it open.

According to La Mer, this bronzing powder is meant to feel like a silky pressed powder that is infused with their famous Miracle Broth and is designed to give you that sun-kissed glow. According to my first impression, this bronzer gave me some mixed feelings. When I tried it at my local La Mer counter, I noticed that it had a very pleasant scent that’s typical of most La Mer skincare products, but this bronzer has some strong powdery notes to it, which I actually love and I could have just purchased it just for the scent alone, but I wanted to check if the product applies as beautifully as it looks on the compact. The La Mer S.A. gave me two brushes, one was a powder brush and one was a brush with more dense bristles. I first used the powder brush and swirled it around this bronzer which contains three shades; a slightly shimmery light baby pink (looks more like a blush), a shimmery champagne shade (a highlighter), and a matte tan or light brown shade (bronzer). After swirling all three shades, I then applied it underneath my cheeks. Much to my surprise, the product didn’t really show much on my face. It’s too close to my skin tone and by using the brush powder, there wasn’t much to see. I was a bit disappointed, but then I tried the dense powder and I finally I did see a light peachy sun-kissed glow on my face. I admit I still didn’t like this bronzer much even after trying it, it took me a couple of swatches and several glances at the mirror to realize that this bronzing powder really does show up my face. Also, the store that I was in had some really bad lighting, so that’s something to consider.

Fast forward, a few weeks later, I found myself really loving this La Mer The Bronzing Powder. For the record, I wasn’t really a bronzer fan, to begin with, and what little collection of bronzers I have, they’re mostly quite more pigmented than this La Mer. But, I’ve been really loving the sun-kissed beachy-look vibe lately, which calls for a slight application of bronzers, peachy blushes, and golden highlighters, so this La Mer Bronzer fits the bill. It really does give a sun-kissed glow without looking too contoured or overdone. Once all three colors are swirled, the effect looks quite peachy but still very light. You can build the shade but it still won’t be too pigmented especially if your skin tone is light-medium to golden-warm. If you’re fair or light in complexion, then you’re mostly going to love this, but with my NC25-NC30 skin, this looks very subtle.

I also tested the Lip & Cheek Glows from La Mer, but I skipped on those, I thought they looked so ordinary and they don’t warrant the price. Also, they could probably be easily dupable. What I did get as a sample from purchasing this La Mer Bronzer is a mini La Mer The Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream. Just to give you an overview of this gel cream, well, this doesn’t feel cooling at all, but it’s indeed lightweight and great for sensitive or oily-prone skin types. However, this isn’t so different from the La Mer Soft Cream in term of its lightweightness and texture, and you may have to use a lot of it to get enough coverage on the face. I still suggest using the original Creme de la Mer as it will give you the best bang for your buck.

Overall, if you like sheer bronzers and you have a fair to light-medium skin tone, then you’re gonna love this La Mer The Bronzing Powder. It will give you that subtle sun-lit glow while it defines and contours your face. With that being said, the sheerness of its pigments is not for everyone.

The La Mer Bronzing Powder is currently available at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Bloomingdale’s, and Selfridges.

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Mask, The Silk Canvas, And The Pearl Review

May 4, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello! Happy Friyay! There are some new Tatcha products in town and I can’t wait to discuss them with you guys today. As you all know, I’m in love with almost every Tatcha products, I mean, who doesn’t? I think their products are just high quality and are really made to work. Their skincare stuff are usually the ones I always seem to use and they never disappoint. Lately, I saw that they seem to be gearing towards not only making skincare products but also making something that’s a cross between makeup and skincare. Well, how exciting is that? So check out these three new releases from them.

Luminous Dewy Skin Mask (1 x 0.68 oz: $12, 4 x 0.68 oz: $45) – This facial mask has that slight signature Tatcha scent and is very soaked with the serum to the point that it’s almost dripping right out of the package. The mask sheet doesn’t feel too thick and not too thin. It feels cooling and refreshing once applied to the face and it gives a nice calming and relaxing sensation. A few minutes into its usage, I noticed my skin feeling soft and very hydrated. You’re supposed to leave this mask on the face for 15 minutes, but I like to keep mine on a little bit longer until the sheet starts to feel a bit dry – that took about a whole 30 something minutes for me. Tatcha advises to massage the remaining serum on the face after taking off the mask, which I did, and my skin really feels drenched, super moisturized and truly dewy. This is definitely a very good facial mask and one that I definitely recommend whether you’re just starting into masks or are a true die-hard face mask fan. I actually think that this mask is one of the best I’ve tried out there and it definitely ranks higher than the ones made by Sephora. Also, it’s the next best thing compared to the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, my other favorite. The SK-II Mask has a thicker sheet and is extremely drenched with the Pitera serum. It doesn’t dry out immediately but it’s also quite more expensive than this Tatcha Dewy Skin Mask. Anyhow, whichever mask you’d choose, you’re definitely going to like any of them.

The Silk Canvas Protective Primer (0.7 oz: $52) – I was so curious about this primer. The packaging looks really sleek and simply beautiful and I thought it would be more like a compact when you open it, but you actually have to twist it and you need to use its complimentary round spatula in order to scrape a small amount of product. That’s because this isn’t your typical liquid primer, this is a solid silky luxe facial primer that has a nice intense signature Tatcha scent that’s common to most Tatcha products. I mean, this primer smells very good. It’s like finally! a primer that smells divine, sans any silicone scent. My face literally smells so nice and I couldn’t help but notice it all the time. This primer feels silky to the touch and it also makes my face feel silky smooth once applied. Don’t worry about its creamy white color, it won’t leave a white cast on the face. My foundations (liquids, creams, and a few powders) go on easily and not look splotchy. My pores appear blurred and it gives a natural finish whenever I use a luminous type of foundation. Also, it doesn’t make my face look dry whenever I use a mattifying one. I find that this primer does a good job at holding my foundation for several hours (6 or more ). Now, do I think I could find another primer that could do the same job? Yes sure. Do I also think this product is worth it? Yes, this is a luxurious primer that not only does an overall good job at priming the face, lips, and eyes, using this is also quite a sensorial experience. The only thing that kind of irks me about this is how you have to twist the container in order to open it, and it can be quite slippery to the touch sometimes. Also, you’re really gonna need the scraper that it came with because using the fingers alone won’t allow you to grab enough product.

The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment in Softlight (0.4 oz: $48) – In what probably could be the best packaging I’ve ever seen for an eye cream product, this Tatcha The Pearl Eye Treatment is absolutely beautiful and enchanting with its, of course, pearl-like container. This hybrid of an eye treatment and makeup-in-one is very intriguing. You can use this as a tinted eye treatment/moisturizer, or as a concealer. It feels very lightweight yet very creamy. It’s also non-sticky and is extremely pigmented. You only need a tiny bit of product and it’s good enough to cover your whole undereye situation. LOL. I suggest that you don’t swipe this across the undereye immediately because it will look patchy, especially if your skin is kind of dry. Just try to dab it on the skin to sorta warm it up and it will blend in well. I was actually quite unsure about my shade match when I purchased this product. I thought the medium shade or the Softlight might look too dark for me because it looks quite brownish on the picture and in the packaging. Also, the light shade (Moonlight) looks too bright for me as well. So I decided on the medium shade and boy I was right. This color tends to get lighter and brighter as soon as you apply it. It illuminates the eyes and gives this kind of naturally awake look. The formula itself has Akoya Pearls, Silk Powder, and Botanical Extracts that are meant to reduce dark circles and brighten the eye area. While it remains to be proven whether pearls actually has skincare benefits, I feel like there’s a lot to love with this Tatcha Eye Treatment. It really brightens the undereye area just like a concealer and you won’t even need one. Although, you could perfectly layer your favorite concealer with this, but personally, I could get by just by using this eye treatment. Some mentioned that the packaging is really small for its price and yes it does look like there’s not a lot of product in it, but actually there is because this is so pigmented that all you really need is a rice amount to get a full coverage on the undereyes. This product has been recently released, so I will keep testing this to see if this really has a brightening effect over time.

Apart from these three Tatcha new releases, they’ve also released their Deep Cleanse facial cleanser (reviewed here) which is one of the best face cleansers I’ve ever tried, both by scent and by formula. Overall, it’s another job well-done by Tatcha for these amazing products, and I highly recommend them. They feel so pampering on the skin and I love that some of their stuff are not just great as skincare, but also great as makeup.

The Tatcha Silk Primer, Luminous Dewy Mask, and The Pearl are currently available at Sephora and JCPenney,