You'll notice that a Decleor Aromessence serum-oil doesn't leave any stickiness. Solange Dessimoulie, who founded the brand in 1974, tells us more about essential oils.
How did you discover essential oils? "I had pimples when I was young. Only essential oils helped as they have antiseptic and detoxifying benefits."
Are they suitable for sensitive skin? "It's true somehow when some doctors say essential oils are aggressive on sensitive skin. But it depends on what you're using. The bottle may read 'lavender oil' but you never know which type the brand uses. There are so many kinds of lavender oil: some for skincare, some for perfuming the home... We have customers with red, sensitive skin but they have no problem with Aromessence."
So, can I mix my own essential oils? "The process is like baking a cake. You can follow a recipe but it won't taste the same as your mum's because she made hers from experience and with love. At Decleor, aromatherapy is a science. For example, did you know the firming benefits from lemon oil are only boosted when combined with camomile, grapefruit and chrysanthemum oils?'
Here are some of our recommendations from the Aromessence range:
Aromessence Iris Aromatic Balm offers all the benefits of a made-to-measure aromatic night-care treatment. It is a deep-acting night emulsion instantly erases visible wrinkles, refines skin texture and maintains ideal moisture level. It is fast absorbing with its rich, melt-in texture.
With its lush, melt-in texture, AROMESSENCE BAUME DE NUIT YLANG YLANG offers all the benefits of a made-to-measure Aromatic night-care product. It cleanses and purifies the complexion and also helps to re-balance the skin, diminishes imperfections and reduces inflammation.
AROMESSENCE NEROLI is an elixir of 100% pure and natural essential oils specially formulated to comfort and treat skin exposed to daily stress. It is the quickest and most direct Beauty routine available to leave skin visibly smoother, softer and glowing with radiance.
A pure concentrate of essential oils carefully formulated to bring you serenity and well-being. This light, yet luxurious oil works in perfect harmony with your skin to envelop your body with an intensely soothing sensation, soften your skin and leave it silky smooth.
Discover the original sensation of a marvellously creamy with 100% natural essential oils, Decleor Aromessence Circularome Balm (Leg Relief) is a unique aromatic treatment that helps promote body's micro-circulation and stimulates energy exchanges within the skin. With every application, your body discovers a delicious feeling of lightness.
Ahhh, as a typical girl, we just can't get enough of Benefit! What's not to like about the cute brand? It's fun, its packaging rocks, its products awesome and their names always amuse us to no end!
Benefit was founded in 1976 by a pair of twin sisters - Jean and Jane. It was a beauty boutique in San Francisco with a whimsical candy store atmosphere. "Who says makeup has to be serious to be good?" they said. The twins then successfully built Benefit Cosmetics into a global beauty brand, with over 2,000 counters in more than 30 countries.
These are our all-time and new favourite Benefit items:
We love this product so much! And we're naturally a fickle bunch, especially when it comes to cosmetics. But this stain, which we DO use on both our cheeks and lips for the most natural yet alluring blush and pout, has us hooked for five years now! We just keep going back to it. And despite using it every day, it lasts us for a good year and half per bottle - talk about value for money!
Psst, do you also know the legend behind Benetint? Jean and Jane created this in 1977 for an exotic dancer who requested something to make her nipples look pretty and pink. "The sexiest flush you can get from a bottle" soared to cult fave status... today it endures as a favourite of celebrities, makeup artists and girls all over the world. Well, we hear ya!
Benefit High Beam is a pink pearl liquid highlighter leaves a young, radiant, fresh complexion on all skin tones. Apply on top of makeup to your T-Zone area and cheekbones. For a sheer overall radiance, you can also blend it with your liquid foundation or moisturiser.
We've came to be acquainted with this product only recently but we're blown away by the natural subtle glow it provides when applied very sparingly above your cheekbones and at the inner corners of your eyes. There was a day where we had very little sleep the night before and just a dot of High Beam on our cheekbones and our eyes' inner corners, viola! Instant radiance!
Have you smelt this product and the rest of its range before? So fresh, so light - we feel a little smile curling up on our lips every time we apply it to our face. This eye cream fades dark circles and helps smooth fine lines for brighter, younger looking eyes. It contains a peptide complex known to help restore elasticity and firmness, a blend of hydrating botanical extracts including apple extract, known to help boost collagen, and loquat extract, known to help protect the skin from free radical damage.
With a big, bad brush and a rich, black formula, Benefit BADgal lash mascara is like wearing a set of false eyelashes without the glue. With perfect waterproof! After applying it on, we have gorgeous and seductive lashes - so dope!
Have split ends become an everyday thing where you just cut it off when you see one? That's just a temporary measure and it's time to get to the root (pun intended) of the problem! When hair is so damaged that it snaps or splits, you need to take steps to savage it:
Lay off the chemicals.
Even the strongest hair can't withstand a full-on assault of peroxide and straightening solution. Talk to your stylist or colorist about how to give it a rest for at least three months (it may require a different cut or daily routine to camouflage roots or unwanted waves).
Shampoo gently.
Hair that's weak or damaged needs a moisturising shampoo. Wash as infrequently as possible, and unless hair filthy, there's no need to scrub hard - just rub shampoo into the scalp and let the runoff clean the ends.
Don't stint on conditioner.
Those weekly deep treatments some consider a luxury are now a necessity for you. Consider slathering them on every other day before shampooing then following the wash with a regular rinse-out formula.
Protect yourself.If you can't lay off the blow-dryer completely, at least minimise further damage. Coat strands with a protective styling product, wait until hair is mostly dry (so you spend less time under the nozzle), use the warm setting instead of hot, keep the dry six inches from the head and don't point it on one area for too long. If you insist on flat-ironing, coat hair with a leave-in conditioner first.
Stay out of the sun.
UV rays dry out hair and ruin its colour. Before going outside, douse your hair with a leave-in sunscreen treatment - or better yet, wear a hat!
Here are our newest haircare products that promise to show your hair some tender loving care:
This shampoo contains lavender and rosemary extracts combined with 13 other certified-organic ingredients plus soy protein and wheat amino acids to leave hair healthy, shiny and manageable. It doesn't contain sodium lauryl sulfate and is safe for colour-treated hair.
This shampoo detangles and conditions with a highly-effective combination of 18 certified-organic ingredients. Natural soy proteins and borage oil replenish lipid content, wheat and soy proteins restore strength and shine, and essential oils of rosemary and peppermint provide an exhilarating scent. Safe for colour-treated hair.
This shampoo detangles and conditions with a highly-effective combination of 18 certified-organic ingredients. Natural soy proteins and borage oil replenish lipid content. Wheat amino acids and soy proteins restore strength and shine, while essential oils of grapefruit, lemon and neroli provide an uplifting aroma. Safe for colour-treated hair.
This leave-on serum smooths and nourishes hair. It repairs split ends and prevents frizz. The non-greasy formula protects against the damaging effects of environmental stresses and preserves the shine of hair and the brightness of color.
Take a sunny disposition, add tinted lip balm, plus an easy chignon and you're on your way to having the summer of your life! And hold it, not forgetting the all-important sunscreen!
Dermatologists rave about retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids and hydroquinone, but they all agree that everyone of these ingredients is a big old waste of time without protection from UV rays - and for that reason, sunscreen might just be the biggest innovation of all. Sun exposure is responsible for 95 percent of wrinkles. It is the single most preventable cause of ageing.
This summer, Cosme-de.com resolves to helping you prevent that very cause of ageing with our range of sunscreens!
This is a lightweight sunscreen lotion with SPF 32 protection and super mico UV cut powders. It contains m-Tranexamic Acid for the prevention of the problem of hyper-pigmentation and with whitening performance. It can be used under makeup.
Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++ 12ml
Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++ is ideal for beach, water sports and the great outdoors It is a smooth, transparent veil that blocks harmful UVA and UVB rays to protect skin from sun damage while resisting water, perspiration and sebum for a long lasting effect.
This lightweight, oil-free cream provides the ideal combination of moisture to combat dehydration, antioxidants to protect against free radical damage, UV protection and long-lasting color. Natural Zinc Oxide minerals protect against sunlight, provide a sheer wash of color and make skin radiant, while extracts from Olives and Walnut Seeds provide antioxidant protection and improve skin texture. A full spectrum sunscreen provides daily solar defense. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.
Specially formulated for Asian skin, Kiehl's Nymphaea Alba UV Shield SPF 35 PA+++ is sunblock cream with a cool, refreshing texture, and oil-free herbal extracts which prevents the growth of free radicals and spots on your skin created by the sun. The unique nympaea alba and jasmine extracts have a soothing, calming effect on the skin. It also contains a blend of vitamins C and E to fight free radicals.
Avène Very High Protection Tinted Cream SPF 50+ (Sensitive Skin) is a 100% mineral sunscreen cream provides non-irritating, broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. It is safe for even the most sensitive skin, including infants, babies, and post-procedure skin.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Very High Protection Cream SPF 50+ (Dry Skin) is for those who are allergic to sunlight. Extreme UV Protection UVA/UVB protects the skin even the cellular damage by Providing Cellulaire protection. non-comedogenic and tested under dermatologic controls. Fragrance Free.
We at Cosme-De.com really, really adore the French brand, L'Occitane! It's not exorbitantly expensive, value-for-money and ahhh, don't you agree all L'Occitane products just smell absolutely yummy?! From the look at how popular L'Occitane products are on Cosme-De.com, we're pretty sure you agree with us. ;)
Founded in 1976, L'Occitane is sold in over 85 countries around the world and creates only high quality, efficient and sensory products formulated with traceable, natural and active ingredients that are inspired by Provençal traditions. We love how the brand aims to offer the experience of well-being and its beautiful packaging doesn't hurt our eyes too!
Also, have you ever wondered how to pronounce this brand?
We've got lots of new products from L'Occitane recently and here are some of them:
L'Occitane Purifying Deodorant, US$34, enhanced with essential oils of lemon, cardamom and eucalyptus, is a blend that helps eliminate toxins and impurities. It controls odor, purifies the body and helps to keep skin dry all day.
L'Occitane Fleur Cherie Body Lotion, US$37 for 250ml, is like a cloud of creamy, satiny softness that envelops the skin. This indulgent body lotion leaves skin supple and perfumed with a beautiful, sparkling, floral scent. Yum!
L'Occitane Organic Olive Shower Cream, US$30 for 200ml. Indulge in a moment of sheer pleasure when you cleanse your skin with this rich and gentle shower cream, which leaves behind a light, fresh scent. An incredible creamy organic formula enriched with Organic Olive Tree Extracts, this shower cream leaves skin feeling wonderfully supple and as soft as silk.
L'Occitane Rose des Neiges Body Cream (US$68 for 200ml) is a creamy luxurious formula that softens your skin and envelops your body with a captivating scent of Snow Rose.
L'Occitane Shea Butter Mom & Baby Balm, US$34 for 50ml, with organic formula contains 40% Shea Butter, makes the perfect nourishing and protective massage balm for babies! It also helps mom to prevent stretch marks and improve elasticity.
L'Occitane Verbena Body Salts Scrub's, US$63 for 400g, salts from the Mediterranean Sea combine the refreshing fragrance of pure extracts of verbena, orange, geranium and lemon tree. Essential oils of grapeseed, apricot and sweet almond in this luxurious exfoliating body scrub nourish and moisturise. Anti-oxidizing vitamin A helps to tone and maintain healthy appearance. Skin turns silky-smooth as dead skin cells are massaged away. Body and mood will feel revived.
Do you know L'Occitane conduct free guided factory tours in France? You can witness how their products are manufactured with natural ingredients using traditional Mediterranean methods. We'll be sure to register if we ever find ourselves in the country. Check out the details here.
