Today Tatcha launches two extensions to their Travel Sized Beauty offerings with minis of the Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream ($8 for 10 mL / .34 fl. oz.) and Soothing Silk Body Butter ($12 for 30mL / 1 oz). They are perfectly sized for your purse or makeup bag and travel-friendly. I brought two of the Tatcha minis with me on my recent trip to Minneapolis (see my Travel/Trial Sized Beauty post).
For those new to Tatcha, the Indigo line is super hydrating and good for those with dry skin that gets easily irritated. I carry the hand cream with me on-the-go on a regular basis but the new travel size is easier to carry. The body butter is a must-have for travel since my skin always gets dried out on airplanes. For more details on these items you can read my review of the two Indigo items here.
Tatcha currently offers ten items in a mini travel/trial size. They are perfect for testing out before committing to a full size product that can be on the expensive side. You can shop their Travel Beauty here. Be sure to follow Tatcha on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for updates and special promo codes. They offered this duo as a gift with purchase a couple months ago and their gifts are usually offered at really reasonable minimum purchase thresholds.
This post contains samples sent courtesy of Tatcha for review. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
Tatcha is doing an awesome giveaway for US readers of The Beauty Look Book. Sign up for their newsletter to be entered to win one of 50 deluxe samples of their Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream. The Tatcha newsletter is one of the few that I stay subscribed to for blog updates, new product information and special promo codes they offer through Tatcha.com.
Sign up for their newsletter here (entries now closed) and Tatcha will randomly select 50 US subscribers to each receive one deluxe sample of their Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream. Giveaway entries will be collected for one week through July 7th, 2014. Winners will be contacted directly by Tatcha.
Special thanks to Tatcha for hosting this giveaway!
Deal alert: Tatcha is having a special summer gift with purchase. Enjoy a complimentary limited-edition “Summer Essentials” ($100 value), our gift to you with any purchase of $75 or more. Your kit includes a full-size Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, a Deep Hydration Lifting Mask, a Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask and Original Aburatorigami Beauty Papers.
To redeem, simply enter the code SUMMERFUN14 at checkout.
While supplies last, limited-time offer, expires Thursday, July 3, 2014.
I’ve started to explore more in skincare the past couple of years. Through my 20’s I had pretty good skin that didn’t need much treatment other than a basic cleanser or moisturizer. As I transition into my early 30’s I’ve found my skin in need of more. So many have told me about the benefits of using a serum under moisturizer, but I have sensitive skin. Several serums I’ve tried at the counter or at make over events have ended up being too rich and heavy-feeling so I avoided them for a long time. In the past I’ve tested mini samples of several serums, I’ve found many feel nice but didn’t didn’t really seem to make a difference in my overall skin appearance.
Both serums come in a convenient pump dispenser bottle. The serum textures are on the thin side with a slight gel-like finish but blend easily onto clean skin. Chanel Le Jour de Chanel is clear while Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum has a subtle pearly finish that contains 24k gold.
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First up is the Chanel Le Jour de Chanel ($85 for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz). I’ve been using this for a year since it was first released as a Nordstrom exclusive. This one has Salicylic Acid which helps exfoliate the skin gently and clears up any clogged pores and small blemishes over time (but doesn’t make the skin peel). It claims to tighten pores and reduce the size. I have small pores but I found it does improve the look of the skin and make pores smaller. It layers well under moisturizer to make the skin feel hydrated, smooth and slightly more radiant. I wouldn’t recommend using this if your skin is irritated or has any open or healing blemishes. This one is best for unbroken skin and if you’re not extremely sensitive.
I made the mistake of using this alone as a moisturizer when I first received a mini sample in the mail. The artists at the Chanel counter explained to me that I was using it incorrectly and it was not sufficient to be used alone. Adding this under your moisturizer helps improve the T-zone area and extends the wear of your foundation throughout the day as it helps to draw in your moisturizer to the skin.
A quick tip on application – if you feel that it stings the skin, make sure your skin is completely dry after you cleanse and tone before you apply this. I’ve found that applying items to a wet face can sometimes make moisturizers or serums sting. I’ve used this in conjunction with a number of moisturizers, my current favorites to use this with are the Chanel Le Blanc Moisturizing Cream, Chanel Sublimage La Creme Texture Fine and Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Cream.
If you’ve shopped online with Tatcha you know that their orders come with generous samples and often have good promotion codes to try new items. My first order with them came with their Deep Hydration Firming Mask which is amazing. They’ve recently expanded their Water Collection with the Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum ($95 for 30 ml/1.0 fl oz). They kindly sent me a sample to try and I’ve been thrilled with it. Several readers have already raved to me about this one before I had the chance to try it. Many have said it’s worked wonders on their dry skin so I was worried this might be too strong for my skin but I found the Deep Hydration Firming Mask to be amazing on my skin so I had high hopes. I am really happy to find that even though it’s super hydrating that it isn’t too strong.
This serum has a hydrating blend of Okinawa red algae and hyaluronic acid to soothe and firm skin – and the it does just that. The 24k gold shimmer isn’t overpowering but gives that glow from within kind of luminosity. I’ve been using this for a week and already have noticed a difference in the overall look of the skin. It appears more radiant and it has soothed my skin which has been acting up for the past month. I’ve been using this during the day under regular moisturizers but I’ve read many like to also use this at night (which I haven’t tried yet).
If you’re unsure about purchasing the full size, Tatcha now has a selection of mini travel sized skin care items. The Deep Hydration Firming Serum comes in a $33 mini travel size option nicely priced proportionally to the full size.
I like to alternate serums weekly depending on what my skin feels like. On normal skin days I find the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum to be a good everyday kind of serum suitable for all skin types (even sensitive ones). When my skin is in need of some texture improvement the Chanel Le Jour de Chanel works wonders to clear up the skin. I wouldn’t recommend this for super sensitive skin but it is gentle enough for me. For extra hydration and soothing of irritated skin I like to use Tatcha Deep Hydration Firming Serum.
What do you currently use for a serum? Or do you skip it entirely? I’d love to hear what you’ve tried, what you loved or what didn’t work for you.
This post contains a press sample sent by Tatcha for review consideration. For more information refer to my disclosures.
Tatcha has designed a special Okasan Mother’s Day Gift Set ($135) this year containing a full-sized Gold Camellia Moisturizing Lip Balm, Gold Camellia Beauty Oil, and one sheet of their Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask and a small box of Japanese candy from Kyoto. It comes in a beautifully packaged white box and indigo/gold wrapping paper. As usual, everything from the contents, design, personal note are true to Tatcha form – exquisitely packaged with no detail missed.
My mom fell in love with beautiful design and packaging of the Gold Camellia Lip Balm when I purchased it back in January. Although Tatcha kindly sent this set to me for review, I thought it fitting to gift this set to my mother as an introduction to the brand since I have already tried 2 of the 4 items in the set. As a quick intro, I’m in my early 30’s with normal but sensitive skin prone to occasional break outs. My mother is in her mid 50’s and has normal but flawless skin. She describes her skin as normal but oily in the T-zone. I’m fortunate to live only 10 minutes away from my mom so we spent a few days playing with this set on a few occasions. Our thoughts below (we both loved the Japanese candy).
Deep Hydration Lifting Mask
comes in individually at $28 each or a set of 4 for $95. I’m really happy this came in the set for my mom to try. I received a sample several months ago with an online order (Tatcha has really good samples with online orders) and it’s an amazing sheet mask. It comes with two mesh linings on each side that you remove and then leave on the face for at least 15 minutes. It has a cooling sensation that hydrates and makes the skin feel like you just had a spa facial.
My thoughts: This is a spa in a packet, my face is left feeling fully refreshed and hydrated.
My mom’s thoughts: It has a nice soothing light scent, it has a slightly tingly feeling, my face does feel nicely hydrated after use.
My thoughts: You can read my review here, it has a nice soft sweet scent.
My mom’s thoughts: It’s too pretty to use, I don’t want to ruin the gold leaf but I like that it feels lightweight and non-stick on the lips.
Camellia Beauty Oil
is one of those oils reaching cult-status. It’s a light and rich beauty oil designed for the face, hair and body. It has Licorice Extract to calm the skin, lightly scented with young Bamboo and Green Tea fragrances. We both adore this oil.
My thoughts: This was my first time trying the Tatcha Beauty Oil, I was pleasantly surprised that everything my readers have been telling me about this one is true. It has a sweet fruity scent upon first application but the scent and oil both absorb quickly into the skin. I love the light feeling moisturizing feel and it leaves the face feeling hydrated – perfect for summer.
My mom’s thoughts: This is a really nice oil and makes the skin feel like the hydration has been restored. I like that it’s really lightweight and absorbs into the skin, it’s perfect for the warm weather.
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This set is hands-down winner in both our books. (I have the face mask replenishments and camellia oil on order for myself already.) If you want to order this set, you can find it now online at Tatcha.com. Individual items are also available for purchase via Tatcha.com and Barneys New York. Be sure to follow Tatcha on Facebook – they have a fun interactive contest/giveaway for the Mother’s Day Set.
Have you tried Tatcha yet? What are your favorites so far?
This post contains items sent courtesy of Tatcha for review. All opinions are our own. For more information refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Tatcha’s latest release is the Indigo Collection with new body and skincare products formulated to soothe, renew and soften the skin. For those new to Tatcha, the line was created by Victoria Tsai who based her products on Japanese geisha practices. More behind her story here. I discovered the brand thanks to some of my long-time readers who have been raving about the line for months. Several reached out through email and convinced me to order the Gold Camellia Lip Balm (which I adore). I was fortunate to meet part of the Tatcha team in San Francisco last month and they kindly sent me samples of the Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter ($48 for 200 ml/6.7 fl oz) and Soothing Silk Hand Cream ($38 for 60 ml/2 fl oz). Both products are made with the stems, leaves and petals of the Indigo plant. This is combined with other anti-flammatory ingredients to help soothe irritated skin. Both the hand and body cream have a blue tint to the product. I was worried the color would transfer or stain clothing but the good news is the color disappears upon application. The Indigo products have this beautiful scent that I find impossible to describe. It’s a relaxing refreshing spa-like scent that is very calming.
The products come beautifully packaged as you can see below. Anyone who has ordered from Tatcha online knows that everything arrives with everything from the products to samples wrapped beautifully.
I’ve been testing these for the past month and both perform exactly as described. The Silk Body Butter is rich and with a medium-thickness for texture and blends easily. I rarely use body creams because I find them to be either too heavy in texture and scent. (I prefer dry oils.) The Tatcha cream blends easily with only a tiny bit and the scent balance is perfect. I can wear this at night and apply before bed without the scent interfering with my sleep. (I am sensitive to scents when it comes to being able to fall asleep.) A little goes a long way and it absorbs quickly into the skin and soothes any dry areas that might be irritating. If you’ve applied this and it feels sticky – it means you’ve applied too much.
The Soothing Silk Hand Cream is a new favorite. It also has a rich in texture so you only need a little bit. This past month has been a dry one for me causing my hands to be extra sensitive and dry. I alternate hand creams on a daily basis (between L’Occitane, Aerin and Diptyque) and the Tatcha has proved to be the most neutral in scent making it the most appropriate for my conservative corporate work place. It comes with a purse-friendly squeeze tube that seals all the way so you don’t have to worry about it leaking all over your bag.
I have the Soothing Body Butter nearby when I’m at home either on my home work desk or by my nightstand. I have the hand cream in my purse and have been reaching for it more than others lately. I can see myself using up the hand cream within a few months and will most likely need to replenish soon.
You can find Tatcha at online at Tatcha.com (lovely samples with every order) and Barneys New York. The line is available in stores in the US at Barneys in New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco. (PS follow Tatcha on Twitter @tatcha_v for extra sample codes.)
Have you tried anything from Tatcha? What are your favorites?
Tatcha’s Gold Camellia Moisturizing Lip Balm ($36 for 8g / 0.28 oz.) is a luxurious lip treatment. Everything about this is phenomenal from the packaging (pot and box packaging), scent, texture and design. The Camellia Lip Balm is a semi-transparent jelly-like balm covered with a thin layer of crushed 24-karat gold leaf. It has a soft spa-like scent, like a mix of Botan Rice Candy and flowers, but softer. As others have noted this is a very smooth lip balm that gives hydration to the lips instantly. It covers the lips entirely but doesn’t feel too sticky. When you touch the surface the gold leaf breaks into small pieces. It’s designed to give a subtle hint of gold shimmer to the lips when applied. For me the shimmer barely showed up which I was ok with given the formula felt so amazing.
In terms of how it compares to my other favorites such as By Terry Baume de Rose, Jo Malone and Hourglass, Tatcha’s Gold Camellia Lip Balm has made the cut to join my group of favorites. If you have dryer lips that are prone to cracking or peeling with certain lipsticks, By Terry or Hourglass’s Lip treatments offer a deeper and more intense treatment which I need after using MAC Lipsticks or Lipglasses (my lips usually peel a day after using MAC Lipsticks or Lipglasses but it still doesn’t stop me from using them). These however are more heavy on the scent so if you’re one who prefers something more light the Tatcha is light enough for even the most sensitive noses.
Tatcha Gold Camellia Moisturizing Lip Balm retails for $36. You can find it at Tatcha.com and Barneys. I received a few samples with my order from Tatcha and am working my way through a couple of serums. Have you tried this line? What are your favorites?
