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L’Occitane Shea Butter Whipped Collection

November 4, 2014

This year marks the 20th anniversary of L’Occitane’s best-selling shea hand cream. In honor of this event they have released a new limited-edition Shea Butter Whipped line with a special lightweight cushiony texture. The new items look and smell amazing, the collection smells good enough to eat (I have resisted so far). The new items available include:
  • Hand Cream ($12) has a 25% concentration of Shea Butter. It’s just as hydrating as their Classic version but more lightweight in texture. It has a whipped/airy formula. The scent is soothing but slightly more fresh compared to the other items in the Shea Butter line. The Whipped Shea Butter hand cream has a nice dry down and is really nice for dry hands.
  • Body Cream ($24) is a whipped body cream. This has a 10% shea concentration and is very hydrating and creamy but easy to blend. It absorbs quickly into the skin and has a nice medium dry down so there isn’t any greasy feel but you can still feel the moisture on the skin. There are few body moisturizers that work as well as L’Occitane does on my sensitive skin. It can get itchy and dry during fall and winter months, my favorite is the Extra Gentle Hand and Body Lotion.
  • Shower Foam ($20) is a unique liquid shower foam. It has a pump that creates a foamy texture once you dispense the product. This is a nice treat to have, for me a week of use (for both myself and my husband) used up about half the bottle, but it does feel nice and lightweight while hydrating the skin. It’s definitely worth trying, but might end up being a bit pricey if you use it up quickly like me. (This Shower Foam + Body Cream Duo gives a slight price break.)   

Close up of the packaging:

Shower foam in action (Burberry Elderberry on the nails):

The hand cream and body cream are musts for me, especially this season when my skin tends to feel dry. The shower foam is nice to have (or try) but not a must. I see it as more of a luxurious splurge or nice treat. The packaging and product design are both really unique though.

You can find the collection online at L’Occitane and also in their boutiques (Store Locator here). If you’re starting to shop online for holiday gifts, be sure to check out their deals and promos. L’Occitane always makes it to my gifting list every year, they have great stocking stuffer ideas and nice gift sets. I find them perfect for those who are hard to shop for. There’s always something new to discover.
Thanks to L’Occitane for sending these samples for review consideration.
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L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse | Néroli & Orchidée

June 2, 2014

L’Occitane recently released Néroli & Orchidée as a new addition to their La Collection de Grasse line, inspired by the world perfume capital in the south of France. There is a lovely Néroli & Orchidée Collector’s Set ($85) which the 2.5 fl.oz Eau de Toilette, 6 fl.oz Shower Gel, and 6 fl.oz Body Milk. This fragrance line is a mix of both neroli and orchid, making it a lively juicy floral. I like that this set has a variety of items to sample. All are packaged in a lovely simply pink-beige tone making these lovely additions to your bathroom or guest room. The box is also quite lovely making this a great gift. Notes for these include orange, mandarin
neroli, lily of the valley, fig milk, peach
orchid, iris, musk – it is very feminine.

My favorite item of the three is the Shower Gel. It leaves the skin feeling very clean, I like to run a little bit into the bath – it bubbles nicely and I like that this feels nice on the skin.

The Body Milk has a soft and silky feel. The texture is thin but not too fluid, it’s very moisturizing and absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves the skin feeling refreshed and soft (no sticky remnants or dry-down). The Eau de Toilette has a very lightweight airy feel. With both of these the initial scent after first application is on the strong side of sweet. The best part in my opinion is the dry down. It turns less sharp and less sweet to a soft fruity floral. Lasting power on both of these layered is medium – but I usually prefer body products that are more subtle. I like that these are compact and small enough to fit on your night stand or dresser table without taking up a lot of space.

The Néroli & Orchidée Collector’s Set is available in stores and online at L’Occitane for $85 or individually as well. If you’re shopping online, don’t forget to check their Special Offers page for deals and gift with purchase offers. I’ve been eyeing the Vanille and Narcisse along with Mer and Mistral but have been avoiding the store because I always leave with more than what I have on my shopping list.

Have you tried anything from the La Collection de Grasse? What scent is your favorite?


This set was provided as a press sample by L’Occitane for review consideration, for more information see my Disclosures.

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Tatcha Indigo Collection

February 24, 2014

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?

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Winter Skin and Hair Savers

December 14, 2013
It’s that time of the year where my skin and hair is in desperate need of that extra boost of moisture to fight dry patches. Finding lightweight moisturizing products can be a bit of a challenge for my sensitive skin. My nose is particularly sensitive so light-fragranced items are a must. My go-to fixes and staples this season right now:
  • Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream $40 is a lovely light-scented hand treatment, it’s a bit pricey for me to justify using on the body, but it’s a nice moisturizing cream for the hands. It smells like candied roses which is really nice (coming from a person who doesn’t really like strong rose florals).
  • Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Cream $55 is probably the priciest hand cream I own, I was lucky to get this as a gift with purchase one year. It smells like a spa treatment. It’s a bit heavier than most hand creams I use but it dries down to a soft silky finish. It helps diminish those dry lines in the hands upon application. Read the reviews on Nordstrom.com and you’ll see this is well worth the price.
  • L’Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands and Body $20 is the perfect body lotion for me. I’ve gone through five bottles already and keep one at work and one at home. I’m a huge fan of L’occitane’s Shea Butter line. They have several different options of moisturizing intensity depending on your skin needs. I like this one because it melts into the skin and makes any itchy dryness disappear without being too greasy. I love the lightweight scent – it’s very soothing and comforting. It’s neutral enough to be unisex. My husband and male co-workers always borrow mine.
  • Caudalie Divine Oil $49 is relatively new to me. I’ve written about the mini size that I’ve tried which is perfect for the purse. I loved it so much I bought the full size in the trio set. I spray it on the legs and elbows. It smells fresh and light and feels nice on the skin. It’s also designed for the face and hair – I’ve only tried it on the ends of my hair to add a bit of shine (although I prefer other hair treatments).
  • Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner $25 is one of my favorite lip treatments. Review here. It’s soft, moisturizing and you can feel the results instantly.
  • Jo Malone Vitamin E Vitamin E’ Body Treatment Scrub $90 is the ultimate luxury body scrub. It’s a spa in a tub and smells like a luscious honey dessert. It’s strongly scented and extremely moisturizing – if you visit your local Jo Malone store or counter they should be able to make a small sample for you to try. It’s really REALLY amazing.
  • Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil $20 is one of the first cuticle oils I’ve tried. In the past I’ve tried substituting baby oil but found it hasn’t really helped my dry cuticles. This one is made of pure white jojoba oil, vitamin E and coconut oil (it smells like coconuts). It works well on my cuticles and a little goes a long way. Be careful to keep application to the cuticles as it can feel a bit sticky on the finger tips. The texture is perfect to actually stay on the cuticles (versus some oils that are so liquid/fluid they roll off quickly).
  • By Terry Baume de Rose $60 review here. My holy grail lip treatment, but still a three way tie with the Jo Malone and Hourglass.
  • Drybar The Chaser Shine Pomade $28 is the hair cream of all hair creams. It adds shine without being too heavy or greasy looking on the hair. I find it lasts all day long. I’ve used it a couple of ways. One is right after I shower on towel-dried damp hair. This is the only thing I’ve tried that lets my hair air dry perfectly without any frizz. It makes the perfect pre-heat treatment as well (whether it’s blow drying or straightening). I also find it makes a great finishing product to add a bit of texture and shine. Bonus is that my husband likes it on his hair as a pomade (even though it’s really a cream). The smell is incredible too.

What are you winter skin and hair savers? I’m all ears to hear what your favorites are!

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Korres Zea Mays Powder Blush & Shimmering Eyeshadow

January 13, 2010

Since I’ve recently fallen in love with the Jasmine Lip Butter & Guava Body Butter from Korres, I decided to order a few things from KorresUsa.com to take advantage of last month’s promotional codes and try out a few of their makeup items.

What I ordered:
* Zea Mays Powder Blush in Natural & Purple Brown
* Love Your Lips Set with Nude, Pink Beige, Light Pink Lipgloss & Pomegranate Lip Butter

I also checked out the line at Sephora and got 1 item:
* Grey Brown Eyeshadow, which I think is going to be discontinued since it was only $7

Purple Brown Blush, Grey Brown Eyeshadow (from Sephora), Natural Blush
*** note that Purple Brown is a bit darker in real life ***

18S Grey Brown comparisons

15 Natural Blush comparisons

32 Purple Brown blush comparisons

Love Your Lips Set $29 (no swatches because I’m splitting this set up with friends)


Overall thoughts: I haven’t tested the lipglosses so I can’t give a review for those. I do already have the Pomegranate Lip butter which I love for a soft cherry pink tint. It tastes really good too!

The 18S Grey Brown is a pretty medium-pigmented shimmery cool silver taupe. It’s not as pigmented as MAC Satin Taupe or Bobbi Brown Brown Stone Metallic, but not as sheer as MAC Clue. It’s good for $7 if you can still find it, but I think I prefer my Chanel Safari or Nars Ashes to Ashes for a light taupe shimmer.

The Zea Mays blushes are interesting in that they have shimmer in the pot which doesn’t really show up on the skin. Natural is a good nude with a hint of peach/bronze to it. What I like about this is that it doesn’t look muddy and it’s not too orange. The finish is very natural and has decent lasting power. It’s most similar to MAC Warm Soul, but not as frosty or shimmery and more natural looking. I didn’t compare it to Nars Silvana, but Korres Natural is a more wearable less brownish/orange version of the Nars.

Plum Brown also has shimmer, but it doesn’t really show up on the skin. It looks a bit muddy in the compact (it’s darker than the photos show, I think the camera flash picked up the shimmers more). On the skin, I was worried it would look dirty, but I used this today and it actually gives a very natural plummy-pink-brown cheek (hard to envision how this works, but it does). It has more brown than MAC Plum Foolery and Nars Sin. Compared to the new MAC All’s Good blush, it has more purple/plum.

Overall I’m happy with the products although I probably wouldn’t have purchased these at full price. The blushes range from $22 to $24 (depending on whether you purchase them through Korres or Sephora) which is pricey. It’s great that the products are made with natural ingredients, but unfortunately it’s not something I really pay much attention to.

I also ordered a bunch of Guava lotions & shower gel sets too. One of them came with an expiration date for THIS February which is was a bit disappointing. How do they expect one to use up an entire lotion in 2.5 weeks before it expires? I emailed customer service about it so we’ll see what they say.

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