L’Occitane Immortelle Foaming Cleanser

When I want reviews and recommendations for skincare and sunscreen, one of the sites I turn to is Viva Woman. Sesame who runs it, is a well of information and does her research. So anyway, my foaming cleanser that I use for the mornings is on its last pump and is discontinued. So, I thought to try something new.

I remembered that Sesame had once written about a L’Occitane brightening foaming cleanser that she liked. So, having some spare cash available, I thought to give this one a shot.

I’ve never used L’Occitane facial products before so this will be a first! My purchase is coming from StrawberryNET.com at US$28 a bottle; so I’ll have to update in a week or two.

It’d better be good eh?

Have a good weekend all!

PRICE UPDATE: I called the L’Occitane store in KLCC. This Immortelle Foaming cleanser is retailing here at RM103 (US$32+ at an exchange rate of 3.2) So I guess the answer to this question is - its cheaper at  StrawberryNET.com!

Stay beautiful,

Review: Skin Care: Kanebo Impress Creamy Soap

Don’t be misled by the name. The Kanebo Impress Creamy Soap is not soap, although it is a creamy facial cleanser. This is the second step in double-cleansing and follows the Impress Cleansing Cream.

The cream feels light and it spreads well and lathers up well. There is a light fragrance which doesn’t bother me. I found that after washing my face, my skin felt smooth and soft, but a little tight. It was a bit of a strange feeling after the suppleness that the Cleansing Cream left me with.

Other than the nice creamy texture that feels lovely and the fact that it rinses off well, I don’t think I’ll be spending too much money on this cleanser. I personally find that most cheaper cleansers work as well for me.

This Impress Creamy Soap retails for RM168 at Kanebo Salons and Kanebo counters at Isetan department store only for now (Malaysia).

Pros: Nice creamy texture, cleans skin well

Cons: Skin felt a little tight, Expensive

Rating:

Review: Skin Care: Kanebo Impress Cleansing Cream

The Kanebo Impress Cleansing Cream is the first step of cleansing. It operates like a cleansing oil in that its primary purpose is to clean the skin of makeup and impurities. Like a cleansing oil, you use it with dry hands and a dry face.

The texture of the cleansing cream is that of an emollient cream and it spreads very easily. You then massage the skin gently to remove your makeup and sunscreen and you will find the cream turning into an oil consistency in a relatively short time. This is rather unlike the Kanebo Cleansing Gel which has a thicker consistency and takes longer to soften.

I liked the Impress cleansing cream because it is easy to tote around. Anyone who has had to tote cleansing oils around when you travel will know how inconvenient it can get because of the danger of spillage.

Secondly, I loved how my skin felt after using the cleansing cream. It felt soft and smooth and was not drying at all. In fact, my skin even felt slightly moisturised. Once rinsed off, I could immediately feel that my skin was clean and clear and just waiting to receive the benefits of the lotion and emulsion!

It is pricey though at RM188 for 125g of product. However, due to its texture you only use quite little compared to other forms of cleansing oils. You can read about the Kanebo Impress Cleansing Cream on the Kanebo Impress website (English). Kanebo Impress can be purchased at Kanebo International Salons and Kanebo cosmetic counters at Isetan only for now in Malaysia.

Pros: Skin feels clean and clear, Not drying, easy to carry around

Cons: Expensive

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Review: Skincare: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash

During the last Body Shop sale, I picked up the Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash for a song. I’d used the Tea Tree Oil before, but never the facial wash.

It lay forgotten in my stash until a week ago when my usual cleanser had run out. So, I thought to give it a shot.

It comes in a recyclable bottle and is of a gel texture which has a green tint to it. The smell is the sharp smell of tea tree oil which is very distinctive. Some people don’t like it, but I don’t mind it.

The thing about this is that it lathers up very easily. So easily in fact that there is a tendency to over pour the gel into your palm. However, as it comes in a plastic bottle with a flip top cap and a small hole in the cap, its relatively easy to control the outflow.

Tea Tree oil works great to treat pimples and spots and is supposed to have antibacterial properties. That is good news because I’m presently nursing a bit of a breakout and as it doesn’t seem to be getting worse, maybe this cleanser is helping control it.

It seems to clean well but I only use it in the morning so there isn’t very much dirt on my face to measure its cleansing properties by. My face does not feel tight after cleansing which is good news.

I cannot remember the actual price, sorry. It might be RM25 or so for 250 ml. As you don’t use very much at all, I think its decently priced as it feels more gentle on the skin than cream cleansers do.

Pros: Fresh scent, light texture, lathers easily, good for problem skin

Cons: Might be considered pricey for some

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