Archives for December 2013

L’Occitane brings you a scent-sational Christmas with Fleur d’Or & Acacia and Cedre & Oranger

December 6, 2013 Paris B 10 Comments

Earlier this year, L’Occitane introduced their La Collection de Grasse, a collection of 4 fragrances in the brand. I haven’t checked them out yet although a couple of the spicier, woody scents sound like something I might like. For their limited edition Christmas collection however, L’Occitane has introduced 2 new (and limited edition) scents and a range of bath body products to complement the collection.

The 2 new scents are Fleur D’or & Acacia for women and Cedre & Oranger for men. They are packaged in the same way to complement the La Collection de Grasse line so if you have products from the range, it’ll all blend in and I like that sort of symmetry 🙂

For Christmas, there will be some value sets available featuring products from both ranges so naturally, it’s the best time to get something if you fancy the scents. I’ll just give you a quick idea of what I think of both scents and also show you a new scent that I spotted overseas 🙂

Deep Clean & Blemish Control : A new face wash from Hada Labo is put through its paces

December 5, 2013 Paris B 35 Comments

If there’s one item I’m faithful to, it’s to my face wash. I know, strange. But I’ve yet to find a worthy substitute to what I’d probably term my HG (holy grail) face wash, which is unfortunately by Vichy. Unfortunately, because I can’t get it locally anymore. While I do still keep bottles of it on standby, I thought I’d try something new after finishing my last bottle.

I decided to give the new Hada Labo Deep Clean & Anti-Acne Face Wash aka Deep Clean & Blemish Control Face Wash a go. If you’ve been trawling the pharmacies lately, you will have noticed that Hada Labo has introduced 3 new face washes. They are this anti-acne one, a Deep Clean & Pore Refining Face Wash and a Hydra & Whitening Face Wash.

I picked this, because I thought it was the closest in function to the Vichy Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel. I’m not so fussed about the acne bit because sporadic breakouts do happen, but it’s not a primary concern of mine anymore. However, I do like having salicylic acid in my face wash because it keeps my skin clear and clean and also spot free. Well, considering that I’ve been using this one nightly for a couple of months now, I suppose it’s working, right? 😛

Well, it is, but not without a few gripes.

Crazy Paris! I was immune until Guerlain’s Provocative & Crazy Meteorites crashed through my brittle Crazy Terracotta heart

December 4, 2013 Paris B 49 Comments

This year, I have not been taken by any of the Christmas collections from most brands. Every collection seemed to look the same and as is wont at this festive time of year, every collection gets that bling factor that can sometimes be far too much for daily wear. I was all ready to shut my wallet and call it a day till Fall/Autumn 2014 when my eye fell on Guerlain. And just like that, I tumbled head over heels for 3 items in the Guerlain Crazy Paris collection. Damn you Guerlain, you just know how to grab me!

I’d shown you the photos of the items when I picked them up so this is mostly just my thoughts on the items I bought, why I love them so, and why I think they are worth considering if your budget allows it to be stretched that far.

The primary item I planned to pick up was the Crazy Meteorites Radiance Power. You see, as much as I love the Meteorites loose perles, they are a right bitch to travel with. The packaging is bulky, the balls will disappear and it creates a right royal mess if they open up in your travel pouch. So, I’ve been lusting after the pressed version for the longest time.

However, the Meteorites Voyage weigh in at a staggering RM400+ and that’s just mind-boggling. I may be mad, but I have my limits and I will not pay over RM400 for a face powder. When I saw the Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder, I thought that like the Wulong powder from last year, it too would stagger me at prices over RM400. So, imagine my surprise when it wasn’t!

Your Say: Do you feel compelled to spend and buy more at the year end?

December 3, 2013 Paris B 39 Comments

Where I live, we often get sales and promotions on all sorts of goods almost all year round. Barring luxury goods which go on sale only about twice a year, most everywhere else goes on sale very often. I often tell people that if they’re waiting to buy something, wait a few weeks and they might just get it at a discount. Having many religious and cultural festivals helps too. Great for the consumer! 😀

But I’ve also noticed that despite the almost year round sales and discounts, the shopping season intensifies somewhere around November all the way through January. Part of the reason is the year end school holidays, and then it’s Christmas and then Chinese New Year so it’s a solid 3 months of shopping, deals and discounts. On top of all this, I see Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals flying all over the place and bombarding my inbox (nevermind that I’m not even based in the USA) and this starts in October!

But this year, I got to wondering – do you feel compelled to shop more at the year end? Do you think you get better discounts? Or maybe for beauty shopping, it’s all the gift sets that get you whipping your wallet out?

Archives for December 2013

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws