Archives for November 2015

The golden champagne goodness of La Mer The Renewal Oil – shaken, not stirred

November 30, 2015 Paris B 12 Comments

I think by now, most of you are familiar with my love for facial oils. Whilst not new in the beauty industry, and once the main purview of the organic and natural skincare movement, it’s seen a renaissance in recent years, that’s had mainstream brands include an oil or two in their skincare ranges. Not a bad thing, I can assure you.

All that said, I’d never quite pegged La Mer for being at the forefront of things. Sorry! They are a little traditional and stick very closely to their basics, so when I got wind of a facial oil coming out of La Mer, I was off like a shot to get the deets!

I’ve been dipping my fingers (not literally!) into the La Mer The Renewal Oil for the better part of a month, since the press launch (which you can watch in a video below, if you haven’t already seen it) which has given me time to figure out what I think about it, and how it’s fared for me.

The thing about me and La Mer is this – I can’t use their iconic creams. Every single one of them, from the classic Creme de la Mer to the lightest Soft Cream, breaks me out in varying degrees. So, I’ve given up on ever using them. By contrast, my sister has been a devout user for years and loves them, so go figure, really! 😀

That said, my skin tolerates the other products in the La Mer skincare range quite well. A personal favourite that I recommend to anyone who asks, is The Treatment Lotion, which is fairly affordable by La Mer standards. I always have a back up! Another one I quite like, albeit not slavishly devoted to, is the Illuminating Eye Gel. And since I’m such a HUGE fan of facial oils, I was hoping The Renewal Oil would work for me!

In the L’Occitane x Pierre Hermé Holiday Collection 2015 you can have the macaron maestro without the calories!

November 27, 2015 Paris B 2 Comments

When I was first told that L’Occitane was pairing with famed pastry chef Pierre Hermé for their Christmas or Holiday collection this year, I had an “Eh?” moment. Pierre Hermé, famous for his macarons, was an unlikely collaboration, I thought. Then again, Laduree has a makeup range that has nothing to do with pastries or macarons, so who am I to judge right? LOL

As it turned out, I thought the combination of scents quite fascinating. Must be to do with that chef’s palate. I mean, who’d have thought to marry the bitter-citrus note of Pamplemousse (grapefruit) with the sour note of rhubarb?! Incidentally, I LOVE rhubarb, and don’t tell anyone, but after the press event, a few sticks of rhubarb went home with me in my bag and into a delicious crumble 😀 shhhh…..

Ahem! Now, let me quickly tell you about my thoughts on the scents. It’s just a quick overview, nothing too detailed because scents are very personal things. I was gifted with the Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli fragrance, so I will be able to tell you about that one after some wear 🙂

The beautifully executed Guerlain Enchanted Snowflake Meteorites will leave you starry-eyed

November 25, 2015 Paris B 24 Comments

You will doubtless have seen numerous blog posts or photos on Instagram of the absolutely breathtaking piece of art that is the Guerlain Meteorites Flocons Enchantes or in English, the Guerlain Enchanted Snowflake Meteorites. Guerlain truly outdid themselves this year, with one of the prettiest powders I ever did see.

But despite the anticipation and social media-driven hype, I stayed away. For some reason, despite my Meteorites collecting habits, I couldn’t bring myself to drop almost RM300 on a tub. Prices sure have gone up since I started my collection. Instead, I picked up the Rouge G lipstick, which I happen to love.

But as providence will have it, I was gifted with a tub of what is confusingly known as the Meteorites Flocons Enchantes or Enchanted Snowflake Meteorites or by some people, called the Perles des Neiges Meteorites. The former is what’s printed on the box. I’m not sure where some sources got the latter name from.

Call it what you want, isn’t this a thing of beauty? 🙂

I do have a bit of an axe to grind with Guerlain though. They call this the Enchanted Snowflake Meteorites, and in the press release, it says that it has snowflakes amidst the regular pearls. Yet, what they put in there were…. stars.

Come on guys, aren’t those stars in there? No one in their right mind would say “Ooh, snowflakes!” Instead, everyone and their aunty are going “Ooh, such pretty stars!” Note to Guerlain – work on your presentation LOL!

Since this has been done to death, let me just show you some photos and some quick thoughts I have about this. As to whether you should buy it, I think you can answer that for yourself… though I’ll offer some pointers 🙂

Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s a shot of Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment Serum

November 23, 2015 Paris B 31 Comments

Well, this one has been a while coming, for me. First, to get hold of it – it’s a staggering, jaw-dropping, wallet-emptying £85 a bottle. That’s sh*tload of money in any currency in the world, but much more so with the plummeting RM. Second, to figure out if this £85 was something my skin would take to.

This, is the very popular cult product, Good Genes by Sunday Riley.

Yes, it costs £85 for 30ml. It’s alright, I’ll wait while you pick your jaw off of the floor 😀

Back? 🙂 Ok, I’d read a lot of wonderful things about Good Genes Treatment serum before this, but it wasn’t until I was told by my friend Geek, about how good it was for her, and read how well it works for Tine, that I finally capitulated. Nothing better than actually hearing from someone who has actually used it, and has no vested interests, you know.

So one day, when I was feeling flush, I decided to bite the bullet and get a bottle. I bought mine from SpaceNK although you can also get it from Cult Beauty. Both are UK based websites that I shop at often, and have had good experiences with.

So, what is this serum then? Good Genes is a bit of a multi-tasking product that is aimed at reducing signs of aging, while smoothing, refining, clarifying and brightening the skin while improving on skin thickness and elasticity. Its key ingredient is lactic acid (40%), and contains a load of actives that aren’t quite aimed at anyone with very sensitive skin. In fact, you are warned that you may even experience tingling on your skin when you use it. It is a chemical AHA-based exfoliant so I’m really not surprised.

My friends tell me that this serum is one they can’t do without, and despite the prohibitive price tag, they have even bought replacements once they were done. It keeps their skin feeling and looking smooth, clear and good. In fact, I was told that the difference in NOT using it, is visible. I knew then, I HAD TO HAVE THIS! I’d live on bread and water for a few months, but I had to have this serum!

Archives for November 2015

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