January Recommendations

1. Tatcha Discovery Kit

2. Ankle Boots

3. Guerlain "La Petite Robe Noire"

4. Guerlain Terracotta in Blondes 02

5. Repeat Cashmere Scarf (sold out)

6. Hermès Agenda (similar)

7. Michael Kors Bangle

Jour de Hermès

Today I would like to talk about a lovely spring scent that I discovered back in 2013 but I love to use it also on gray rainy winter days. It reminds me about the lightness of the first sunshine and the smell of the first blooming flowers.

I am talking about “Jour d’Hermès” from Hermès. It has been heavily advertised during last year and I guess most of you have probably come across it one way or another.

It is very difficult to review a scent as it smells often times different on different skin types and everybody seems to smell something else. So here you find my personal thoughts and I remind you that you might feel different about this product.

“Jour d’Hermès” is an Eau de Perfume (do not confuse with "Jour d’Hermès Absolu"). It comes in 30ml, 50ml and 85ml. The 30ml cost 60 Euros. All the bottles are refillable. In that regard I purchased the smallest bottle and a refill. The refill contains 125ml and costs 115 Euros.

Here you can see both next to each other:

As you can observe the perfume is of a golden color and the product looks very valuable. The bottle is made from heavy glass (already the 30ml comes in a quite heavy bottle). On the glass foot it says “Jour d’Hermès”.

The scent of the perfume as already mentioned above reminds me of light flowers as they grow in spring. I can not detect any specific flower. It feels rather like a bouquet. The overall feel is light, floral and a tiny little bit creamy. It is a great scent for the day as it is not heavy at all. I wear the scent and I feel like I am in a wonderful garden. “Jour d’Hermès” is a quiet perfume all ingredients are in perfect harmony.

The lasting power of “Jour d’Hermès” is great. I use it at around 7am before I leave for work and the scent stays till I get back home around 6pm. It gets lighter during the afternoon hours but it does not disappear.

The line includes also bath product and a deodorant.

I also own the Body Lotion and the deodorant. Both products smell exactly the almost the same as the perfume and are both lovely.

The body lotion contains 200ml and costs around 50 Euros. It comes in a white plastic bottle that tries to imitate the shape of the perfume bottle.

The lotion is very liquid and dries down very quickly. It moistures very well (I do not have any major skin concern, so it might be different for others).

The scent from the lotion holds on around 3 to 4 hours. For me this is fine. I do not own many other lotion products that get into that level. Most disappear on me after half an hour.

The deodorant contains 150ml and costs 43 Euros.

It comes in a white container with a golden cap. It is a spray and it is very easy to use. It has pretty much the same scent as the perfume. I would say it is slightly sweeter but not much.

The quality of the product is fine. I live in a hot country and I do not have any issues using this product. It never let me down. It might be different individually so please try it out for yourself and report back.

Summing up:

Pros:

·                     Very Good Lasting Power for all products

·                     Great light scent. I personally love the smell of flowers

·                     Perfume is refillable!

Cons:

·                     Not cheap

Discovering Tatcha Skin Care

Tatcha is a Japanese brand developing skin care products based on ancient Asian traditions and ingredients known for decades to be good for the skin.

I have heard about Tatcha skin care products over the internet as the company is very popular for their blotting papers (which I do not need for my dry skin). Even though I have no need for blotting papers I was curious about the other products they might sell.

Spontaneously I decided to purchase their “One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil” and their “Rice Enzyme Powder”. In order to get to know also their cream and serum I also bought their “Discovery Kit” containing sample sizes of all their products. The order got processed quickly and three days later I was holding the package in my hand.

The Ritual Discovery Kit from Tatcha    -Cream & Serum will be reviewed later

Today I will speak about the two cleansing products only as I need a little bit of more time to test the cream and serum to provide a better picture of how they perform in the long-run.

First of all it needs to be mentioned that everything was beautifully packaged when it arrived.

The One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil costs $48 for 150ml. It comes in a plastic pump dispenser. The cleansing oil is clear and has no scent which I can detect.

The product is used on dry hands and dry face. I pump once and apply the oil over my face and eyes. The makeup literally melts away with the soft oil. As a next step I am washing the oil off with water. All makeup and waterproof mascara is being removed. It is really easy and no hassle.

Afterwards I am using the Rice Enzyme Powder for sensitive skin. It costs $68 for 40gr. It is coming in a plastic jar and is light pink. Also the powder does not have any scent.

The powder is applied with wet hands on wet face. I am using about half a teaspoon of product and I rub the powder in my hands which then transforms into a foam. The foam is being applied and massaged on the face. Then I wash it off with water and dry may face carefully.

After having removed the makeup with the oil and deep cleansed my face with the Enzyme Powder my skin is ready for the day or night cream.

Overall I really enjoy using the Tatcha cleansing products I feel they leave my skin clean and soft. My skin does not feel dry after the application which I really like.

Summing up:

Pros:

• Cleanses sensitive skin gently
• Removes makeup without traces
• Jar and pump dispenser well designed

Cons:

• Price maybe

Repurchase - Yes, No, Maybe?

Hi All,
I know that I have not been in touch for quite a while. Summer is going on and I spent a few days off with family and friends. It is also quite hot around here so I have been in 'lazy-mood'.

Today I would like to show you a few products that I recently used up asking the question if I would repurchase or not.

Let's go!

Roses 4 Reines Shower Gel and Body Lotion - L'Occitane

Price: 14.50 Euros and 14.50 Euro (both 250ml)

My Thoughts: Wonderful scent great shower experience and great lotion which dries down quickly!

Repurchase: Yes! Maybe I would even try one of the other scents.

Idylle - Guerlain

Price: 90 Euros (50ml)

My Thoughts: Wonderful light floral scent but unfortunately it does not last on my skin.
Repurchase: No! I am always sad when a fragrance disappears quickly.

Seanik Shampoo Bar - Lush

Price: 8.50 Euros (55gr)
My Thoughts: I love the 100% organic shampoo bar because it is absolutely gentle and treats my hair great. It also smells nice and does not burn in the eyes.
Repurchase: Yes! I repurchase this all the time.

Divine Scrub - Caudalie

Price: 22.40 Euros (150gr)
My Thoughts: Lovely body body scrub which leaves the skin very nice and soft. It is having a light scent (same as the Divine body oil from Caudalie) which is very calming.
Repurchase: Yes!

Caudalie - Huile Divine/Divine Oil

I would like to take the time and present you the "CAUDALIE - Divine Oil" for Body, Face and Hair.

Caudalie is a French company selling body and face care products. As far as I understood they are trying to use natural ingredients and do not do animal testing.

During the last winter when I had very dry skin I bought the "Divine Oil". What can I say? I absolutely fell in love with the Body Oil!

There are two different sizes available 50ml (17 Euro) and 100ml (26 Euro).

I bought the larger bottle right away as I heard many good things about the product in advance. As you can see above the Divine Oil comes in a luxurious glass bottle with a pump dispenser and a wooden cap (not sure its actual wood but its supposed to look like wood).

I have used the body oil about once a week during the last months which explains why my bottle is already half empty :-).
Thanks to the pump dispenser the product is easily applied all over the body. I do not need to use a lot of product as it is easily spread on the skin. The texture is very smooth and the oil dries down quickly without leaving a sticky layer (this is true as long as you do not over apply the product).
The scent is difficult to describe for me. I would say it is slightly floral. It is not a heavy but rather a light relaxing smell. I like it very much. The smell has a good lasting power on me but since I apply it during the evening before I go to sleep I can not exactly tell how many hours it lasts. For me this is also not critical because I purchased it for its moisturizing abilities.

Summing up:

Pros:

• Comfortable packaged with pump dispenser
• Dries down quickly
• Great moisturizing abilities
• Nice scent

Cons:

• Price!

Have you tried products from Caudalie?