L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter

After my so-so experience with the L'Occitane Shea Hand and Foot Creams, I got curious about the L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter. So I got myself the smallest size, the tiny little 0.26 oz. tin, to try.


My first impression was that it smelled funny. And it felt hard and waxy, like very cold butter. The instructions say I need to warm it up in my palm first, which I did, but it didn't get much softer afterward. Hmm...sounds like another so-so experience... Another thing is that the shea butter was milky white and I've read that it was supposed to have a bit of a butter tint. A milk white color and hardness means the shea butter has been overly processed, during which it lost a large portion of its healing and moisturizing properties. Doh!


I use this shea butter primarily for my cracked cuticles, sand-paper fingertips, corners of the mouth that gets patchy and cracked (ouch!), and even my upper lip areas that got painful after a few times blowing my nose. Did I tell I have super dry skin? I did, right? Yeah. Luckily for me, the shea butter does a good job healing (see, it's supposed to heal!) the cracks and dryness on my skin. It takes a few days, but it does heal. Now I just really really wish it was softer so I could use it all over my hands and feet too. Until then, I got a couple more of the little tins to keep in my purse and at the office :D

In the mean time, I saw pure shea butter on sale at Ebay...Very tempting, indeed.

L'Occitane Shea Hand and Foot Cream

I think I was an alligator in my last life. How else would I explain my horribly dry skin? My hands and feet are always dry and parched, even in the midst of the hot and sticky summer. While away on vacation in 100% humidity, I still couldn't be without a hand cream, isn't that just crazy or what? What I'm saying is - get ready for an onslaught of L'Occitane reviews :D

I started with just 2 small tubes, 1 of L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream and 1 of L'Occitane Shea Foot Cream. I've seen L'Occitane stuff before, but they were always expensive and doesn't really interest me. L'Occitane is a lot more commercialized than they'd like to think. Just slapping on the label "Made in France" and the products somehow commands the prices they do? I don't think so. Still, those damn tempting promotions suckered me into buying. Sigh...I'm so...weak. And plus nothing else was working, so I totally, completely, caved. After the hand and foot cream came a bunch of stuff, the majority of which are from sets (a great way of trying a different variety of stuff, no?). But I'm going to start with just the hand and foot cream for now.

I tried the L'Occitane Shea Foot Cream first, using it nightly before going to bed. It absorbed quickly and moisturizing. And it had this minty sinus clearing herbal scent, which is really kind of strange - did they expect me to sniff my feet or something? Normally, hand creams would have that smell, not foot creams. I wasn't impressed with this foot cream, to be honest. I guess I'm just really jaded with my dry skin so I didn't expect much to begin with. It was moisturizing, but it was kind of a temporary fix and the next morning, my feet were back to being rough and dry again. I thought shea butter had some healing property and is meant to treat severe dry skin? And 15% shea butter is a good amount too! Oh well...a temporary fix is better than no fix. After I finish this small tube though, I'll probably move on to something else.



The L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream is better. For one thing, I like the scent much, MUCH, better. It's not a minty sinus soothing herbal scent, and I'm not exactly in favor on those scent anyway. Instead, it's a lovely and relaxing powdery milk scent, just like the L'Occitane Shea Extra Gentle Soap Milk. If you ever pass by a L'Occitane boutique, stop by and smell that soap. I keep a couple of the soaps in my linen closet, and the whole closet smells like it!

Anyways, back to the hand cream. It has a better texture than the foot cream, absorbing very quickly and not greasy at all. The down side is that it is also a temporary fix and my hand returns to its rough state the next morning. They don't want to heal my severely dry hand because then want me to keep using it, buying more when I run out, is that it? So the moral to the story is: this will work for now, and it will definitely work for the cooler spring and fall. But for the winter, I will need something more moisturizing that will leave lasting results, at least results that will last longer than just one night.

Asience Shampoo & Conditioner

When I was still in Japan, I saw the commercials for this Asience Shampoo and Conditioner repeated over and over (and over!) on TV. Unfortunately, the spokemodel was also Zhang Ziyi (she irritates me to no end, no offense to her fans...) so no matter how many times I saw the commercials, it just didn't do a thing for me. If anything, it deterred me from even having the slightest bit of curiosity in the products.

Asience Shampoo and Conditioner, from Kao, another Japanese pharmaceutial giant.

***Picture from TrueRenu.com.

Recently though, I got hooked on Camellia oil for hair and body, especially my hair, so I finally overcame my distaste for Zhang Ziyi and gave the shampoo and conditioner a try, because they have Camellia oil in them, of course! But it also helped that my sister brought a pair to me, for free, all the way from Japan :D My sister loves this shampoo and conditioner. She raved about how soft it made her hair and how silky her hair felt after the blow dry. How could I say no to that enthusiasm?

So I tried them, and oddly, I wasn't impressed. First off, it was waaaaay too perfumy. I mean, really really strongly perfumed. The fragrance wasn't offensive, just too much of it. And here I thought Shiseido Tsubaki was strong, woo wee! Other than that, the shampoo and conditioner themselves weren't bad. They were very moisturizing, perhaps too moisturizing even. They felt soft and they rinsed soft. My hair felt very soft afterwards, but they also got oily and greasy really quickly, and me being in a tropical environment with 100% humidity at the time didn't help at all! I read somewhere that Asience was meant for people with thick and coarse hair, so I guess it makes sense why my sister loves it so much. Her hair is not coarse, but it's much thicker than mine. I have fine hair, just lots of it :P

So yeah, Asience is not for me. In fact, when I finish up Tsubaki, I think I'm going to back to Super Mild.

SkinFood Black Sugar Mask

SkinFood Black Sugar Mask was another product I took with me on my weeks long trip. I knew was going to be in a humid place, so I thought bringing a scrub along would be a good idea. After a long of heat and sweat, having something to scrub the grime off of my face would be refreshing.



I was really glad I'd brought this along actually! It worked well. The scrub was a thick dark brown sugar paste, and although the sugar grains were large, they were not overly scratchy. If anything, they melt away gradually in the moisture of the shower. Still, I was careful not to over exfoliate, so I only used this scrub every other 3rd night. Thank goodness it wasn't harsh for my skin either. My face felt super duper clean afterward, and my skin was nice and soft too.



The only surprise about this scrub, I would say, was the smell. I was expecting a sweet sugary scent (it was brown sugar, after all!), but instead I got a soapy scent. Totally completely unexpected, and kind of off-putting. I love brown sugar, so using it as a facial scrub sounded like a great idea to me. But a soapy scrub on my face? Umm...not so much.


***Pictures from SkinFood Korea.

Still, the scent was not enough to deter me from the scrub. So I would say this scrub is worth trying if you have the chance!

Avon Hydrofirming Drench Recovery Mask

I was super excited to try this Avon Hydrofirming Drench Recovery Mask when I first spotted it from the Avon catalogue. After all, I still use the Hydrofirming Eye Cream every morning, and although this may sound sarcastic, but who could resist that lovely splash of clear blue water on the white packaging? Seriously, I would totally put that on my face. I'm not joking!



Opening the package didn't disappoint me either. The clear pale blue gel inside had a citrusy soapy scent - it smelled really fresh! Applying the gel mask was easy too, because the gel was just thick enough to not slide around or drip. After 15 minutes or so, it dries down to a sticky clear layer as expected.

Going to rinse it off though, I got a bit of a surprise: the nice layer of gel puffs up into a thick layer of goo that just takes for freakin' ever to rinse off. It wasn't disgusting or anything, it just felt like I had dunk my head into goo. The results afterwards was meh too. Better the SkinLite wash-off masks, but not moisturizing enough. Come on, it's supposed to be hydrofirming drench recovery? May be drench in goo was more like it!

Good thing this was cheap. $.99 for a pack of 2, so about $.50 each. It wasn't a horrible wash-off mask, but it was nothing impressive either. I probably won't buy it again.

SkinLite Re-Energizing Green Tea Masque

SkinLite Re-Energizing Green Tea Masque is another pulpy mask, much like the Hydrating Cucumber Masque of the same brand. Perhaps they all are made that way? This doesn't bother me much though. What bothered me was the fact that this mask was only just a tad different than the cucumber one - its scent. It was supposed to smell like green tea, but it turned out to be more like the Bath & Body Works Citrus Lime & Verbena. It didn't smell bad, just that it didn't smell like green tea at all!



But yeah, there's no difference at all between this green tea and the cucumber mask - they both did nothing for me, unfortunately. This one felt just a touch, a touch, moisturizing than the cucumber, but that was hardly worth mentioning. Another waste of money...sigh...

Aube Loose & Line Eyes

Aube is a Sofina brand that make interesting looking stuff, but I haven't tried anything from this line. So when I spotted this Aube Loose & Line Eyes, I thought it was the perfect travel item and was very much looking forward to giving it a shot.

The Loose & Line Eyes are a combination loose powder eye shadow and a liquid liner, together in a chubby pen-like packaging. There are 6 color combos available:
#71 - White-Gold
#72 - Lavender-Mauve
#73 - Khaki-Silver gray
#74 - Blue-Navy
#75 - Beige-Brown
#76 - Pink-Bordeaux



For my travels, I picked a practical color combo - #71 White-Gold. I really was just looking for a quick brighten-me-up sort of thing, and this is an eye shadow and liner in one! It was the perfect lightning fast-lazy makeup, my kind of makeup, just swipe, line, and go!



The liner was great. It was a milk chocolate color instead of Gold as the color combo name suggested, but it was pretty nonetheless. It was subtle enough to not disappear and it stayed put all day, despite the 100% humidity where I was.



The loose powder eye shadow, unfortunately, was a terrible disappointment. It was a pretty off white, but it barely showed up on the back of my hand, let alone my eyes. And after what seemed like a thousand layers, my eyes still looked as though I hadn't put anything on. Grr...I gave up on it after a couple of tries.



The cheapest I could find these for was $20. So yeah, save your money. There are much better things out there for a whole lot less than $20.

T3 Bespoke Labs Overnight Dryer

Update January 5, 2009

This time, what broke was actually my beloved hair dryer. No, I didn't break it. I just packed it in (very carefully, mind you!) my carry on, collapsing the handle the way it was supposed to for travel. By the time I open my carry on, the handle was dangling from the dryer. Yeah, let's just say lots of stuff happened (and broke) during this little trip of mine. Sigh...

So I contacted T3 asking about replacement under the 4-year warranty that came with the dryer. They said that sort of damage isn't covered under the warranty, but that they would replace my dryer anyway for an extra $50. I guess that's better than coughing up another $150?

So I wrote them back asking whether $50 is going to get me a new or a refurbished dryer. They replied, saying it'll get me a new dryer. And then they said, oh hell, we'll just waive that $50 too :D Rakiiiii!!!!

The point is: if you're going to get a dryer, spend some money and get it from T3. They sure are pleasant to deal with :)

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Original post Wednesday, October 15, 2008

So I broke my my vow to never ever blow dry my hair. Sigh. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against hair drying. Just that my hair is super sensitive to heat and one blow dry is all it takes to give me split ends. And although my hair is fine, I have LOTS of it, so it would always take for freakin' ever! I recall spending a good 30 minutes one night because I was so sleepy and couldn't wait around another 2 or so hours it usually takes for my hair to air dry (I live in a very humid environment)!

So around this past spring, I fretted for a bit, dreading the massive split ends buying this little thing from Sephora - the T3 Bespoke Labs Overnight Dryer (model #83818). The goddamn thing was really expensive, and I hate the thought of blow drying my hair, much less spending a couple hundreds on a hair dryer! But the T3 website made lots of impressive claims, so although I was still very suspicious, I bought it anyway feeling rest assured with Sephora's customer service.


***Picture from Sephora USA.

I have not regret my purchase since. In fact, I love my T3 hair dryer so much I bought another one as a going away gift for my sister who left to work in Japan in July, knowing she blow dries her hair nightly. It's dual voltage, super duper light with a handle that can be folded for easy packing, so it was a very fitting gift and I love hearing my sister gushing about it now. I myself truly appreciate the fact that the dryer is travel-ready. It's just so convenient not to have to worry about voltage and what not when it comes to a mundane thing as a hair dryer.

In addition to being travel ready, this nifty little thing have won me (and my hair) over in so many ways. First, it dries my dripping wet, then shoulder-lenth-now-long hair in 7 minutes flat! I timed it myself, so no if's and but's. Second, although I use it 4-5 times a week, I've had so few split ends I'm not sure they're the consequence of the hair dryer or the fact that my hair is a lot longer now and in need of a trimming. Third, this hair dryer leaves my hair incredibly soft, smooth, static-free, and super shiny! Since I started using Japanese Camellia oil a month ago, my hair is only softer, smoother, and even shinier, if that's possible. Wheee! Now I can truly say I finally have the hair I've always wanted. Love it!!!

If you have long hair, you travel, and you're looking for a hair dryer, I would wholeheartedly recommend investing in this little baby from T3. And if you do invest, buy from an authorized dealer of T3 products - purchases from an unauthorized dealer will void the dryer's 4-year warranty. Check out T3's official website for a list of authorized dealers. Sephora is one, or just buy it directly from T3! After the purchase and you're sure the dryer is a keeper, don't forget to register it through the T3 website to activate the warranty. There is a 60-days (I think...) limit for warranty registration, or you'll loose your warranty!

One Should Never Fly United, Ever

Did I drop off the face of the planet for the past several weeks or what?!? Actually, I was just out of the country :D The problem was: instead of changing the dates in order to schedule my posts, I saved them as drafts instead...Oops, I'm a total novice at this, sorry guys! I guess I'll just reschedule my posts over the next few days.

Anyhoo, just got back from my year end vacation. Yep, I save up all my vacation days and go out with a bang at the end of the year (well, more like just going overseas with the family). Big family trips are very exhausting, but looking back I'd say they're worth it.

One painful lesson I learned from this trip is to never ever fly United again. Let's just say they f*cked us all very thoroughly. Flying United cost us more than just the tickets we booked 4 months in advance: 2 days of our precious vacation, the hotel fees/events for those days we booked but instead was stuck else where in some airport waiting for our next stand by flight, emotional and psychological stress for all involved, not to mention the physical exhaustion. My poor mother barely made it back alive. I mean, for a whole week afterwards she looked like she was going to roll over any minute.

Then again, our story is nothing in comparison to the more unfortunate folks out there. Enough said.

Never ever, ever, EVER, fly United again.

PN Blossoming Face Color

PN is an old and discontinued line from Shiseido. It is a well-loved predecessor of Maquillage, although Maquillage has done a great job catching up with PN's old fan base :)



While I don't have many experience with PN, I do own a couple of powder and blush items and I like them a lot! Today I am reviewing Blossoming Face Color in Lucent Orange.


First and foremost I want to comment on the packaging of this power. Even though it has its faults, I just love this power case! The powder case is so sleek and smooth, not squarish and oddly shaped like its successor Maquillage's. I don't know if you could tell from my picture above, but the sides of the case are shaped like a droplet of water. It just fits perfectly in the palm of my hand! And the faults? Well, just one, but because the 2 sides of the compact are raised above the power, it is rather difficult to pick up the 2 farthest colors evenly with a round face/powder/blush brush! This case was meant for use with the flat brush it came with, which to me is a bit...user unfriendly. Regardless, I still love it :P


While the powder is called "Lucent Orange," as you can see, there's nothing orange about this powder. It's completely translucent, save for some shimmers for a slight highlighting effect. I say slight because the shimmers aren't obvious at all, with the lightest section most shimmery and the darkest section matte. To the touch, the powder feels a bit dry, but it applies rather soft with no chalky residue and definitely not drying.

To the touch, the powder feels a bit dry, but it applies rather soft with no chalky residue and definitely not drying. It's a much better setting powder than the Amazing Cosmetics Powderset, I must say! I would even compare it to the Estee Lauder Aeromatte Ultralucent Pressed Powder, only it is not completely matte.