Brand rave... L'Occitane!

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.

PS: Remember to check out our Mother's Day promotion!

Mother Nature with Father

We first read the article below from the March issue of Her World magazine in Singapore. Even though it's not about skincare products or cosmetics, we thought it's an interesting read to share with you anyway! Hope you enjoy it. :)

The Clarins family – group chairman Christian Courtin-Clarins and his two grown-up daughters, Claire and Virginie – seeks out exotic locations to enjoy nature. They tell Dylan Boey their secrets to travelling as a clan.

Christian Courtin-Clarins

What is your favourite country to enjoy nature?

Claire: Virginie and I just spent Christmas in Myanmar. It has no easy access to the Internet or phones, and we love it there because it’s still pure.

Christian: Australia is a fantastic place to observe the way a place can be urbanised sustainably. Its Kimberly region (which is over 400,00 sq km with only about 40,000 people) can show the world how to preserve nature.

Is nature a big factor when you choose where to holiday?

Virginie: We live in the city, so it’s good to go somewhere different for a change and to be in communion with nature.

Christian: I prefer pure environments, such as the French Alps. We have a house up in the mountains. I can see a grey cloud hovering about the city.

So that’s your idea of a great vacation?

Christian: Yes, to be far away from everything.

Where on earth are such places?

Christian: Turkey, for one. We rent a sailing boat there every year. The sea is clean and the winds are fresh. In Egypt, the desert is like the sea. There is nobody and it’s peaceful. One of the world’s most beautiful oasis is the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan Desert. I stay at Adrere Amellal, a five-star desert eco-lodge. There's no electricity - we have to light candles at night - so you can't cook any meat. You eat only vegetables and they are fantastic because it's an oasis where there is a lot of water to grow them. I hope that, one day, Claire and Virginie will visit with me.

Claire and Virginie Courtin-Clarins

Does the family travel together a lot?

Christian: Yes but never enough. Last year, I was in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo for work and Claire came along. The cities are known for Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer's work and Claire enjoyed herself. Once, we stayed at an organic farm in Tuscany with a magnificent fruit garden where we plucked fruit to eat every morning.

Claire joked over lunch that the family travels together only when the girls break up with their boyfriends.

Christian: It's true that they will be freer to travel with me if they don't have boyfriends. As a father, I don't interfere as long as they're happy. From a selfish standpoint, I'm happy to have more time with them. They see things differently from me and I love it when they open my eyes.

Virginie: Claire will look at all the architecture that dad and I don't look at, and will point it out to us because we are not as artistic as she is. Travelling with our father is the best because he can tell us everything we need to know. Like restaurants, for example. In Taipei, he introduced us to dim sum at Din Tai Fung. He's like our private tour guide.

Christian: Fortunately, I have the money for them to experience the best things.


What's the key to having a great vacation together?
Christian: To listen. And to respect one another.
Claire: Freedom, too.
Christian: Yes, like you allow one another to do what you want...


So where's the next family vacation?
Claire: I dream of going on a safari. He took us when we were children, but we were too young to appreciate it then.
Christian: We'll go to the Okavango Delta next July during the winter season, when the place - an inland delta in Botswana - becomes flooded and attracts all kinds of African wildlife.
Virginie: Actually, I would be happy to go anywhere in the world, if I'm with my father.
Claire: We travel very well together.
Christian: Voila!

Their two beauty travel essentials:

1. Clarins UV Plus High Protection Day Screen SPF40, US$44

"This sunscreen provides all-round protection, even against environmental pollution and electromagnetic waves." - Claire Courtin-Clarins

2. Clarins Double Serum Generation 6, US$110

"This daily moisturiser and anti-ageing serum supports the skin's five vital functions - hydration, nutrition, oxygenation, protection and revitalisation. So my skin gets adequately nourished and revived." - Christian Courtin-Clarins 

Zits happen

Monster zits still take us by surprise. God knows why, since studies have shown that more than 70 percent of women aged 25 to 49 had an acne attack in the past year - and that includes beauty editors like us who wake up to find an angry red bump between our eyes.

The first, and often biggest, challenge is to resist the urge to scrub and scrub the blemish without mercy. According to Yale University dermatologist Lisa Donofrio, women past the age of 20 require gentler products than teenagers and applying a treatment more than twice a day can break the skin, infect the surrounding area and eventually form a crust. This in turn slows healing and increases the chances of leaving a red mark that lasts for weeks. Charming.

Instead of caking on zit cream, start by washing your face twice daily with a cleanser containing up to 5 percent salicylic acid to unclog pores and reduce redness. Wait five minutes for skin to dry then dab the pimple just once in the morning and once at night with a speck of a 2 percent salicylic acid or 7 to 10 percent benzoyl peroxide ointment (you can also try a topical antibacterial lotion or mask containing sulfur). This should kill the bacteria that caused the mess in the first place. And forswear retinols on the area for a few days; while they do help prevent blemishes, they also exacerbate the redness in an existing zit.

If your breakouts are big, ugly and prolonged and don't respond to traditional lotions, ask a dermatologist to pull out the big guns. For some women, that's a prescription antibiotic or sulfur lotion; for others, it may be oral antibiotics, the Pill or in extreme cases, Accutane. Laser sessions, while expensive, have been proven quite effective in zapping away zits, scars and redness.

Whatever you do, remember not to poke, prod or pop. Ever. Adult pimples tend to start far underground and almost never come to a head so squeezing them will only make them bigger.

Here are our suggestions of gentle but effective deep cleansers:

•  Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Complexion Soap (for oily and troubled skin), US$18. This hand-milled soap is made to naturally cleanse and balance oily and troubled facial skin. Tomatoes are a great source of carotenoids like lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamin E, which are effective antioxidants. This soap also helps to refine enlarged pores and soothe skin.

•  Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, US$49. Recommended for acne- and breakout-prone skin. This non-irritating, naturally-foaming cleanser is the perfect start to around-the-clock control of breakouts, comedones and excess surface oils. Salicylic Acid sloughs off dead skin cells to clear clogged follicles, helping to prevent future breakout activity.

 

• Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser, US$9, refreshes your skin and awakens your senses with a super tingly foaming lather that deep cleans down to your pores. This ultra-exhilarating formula provides an invigorating surge of clean for a long-lasting fresh feeling.

• Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser, US$34. Inspired by Kiehl's venerable and most enduring preparation, Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion, this purifying gel cleanser thoroughly cleans pores and removes traces of dirt, residue and oil which can lead to acne break-outs. Mild cleansing agents are used to formulate a completely oil-free but non-drying preparation which helps keep skin clear of new acne blemishes.

 

•  Biotherm Biopur Pore Reducer Gentle Purifying Gel, US$24. Saponine water, Copper and Zinc (for oil-regulating) are combined into a purifying cleansing gel to deeply unclog pores and reveal clearer-looking skin. It eliminates excess sebum and allows skin to appear fresh and healthier looking throughout the day.

Crash course: Fake lashes

Back in college, we swore to our friends that we'd never fake it. Now that we've been around the block a few times, we realise that we're willing to make an exception to this rule - if just for one night. Here's how to make fakes look as natural as possible:

1. Choose clusters of individual lashes, not a full band. Find ones that are the same length as your natural lashes or trim them with eyebrow scissors, snipping a tiny bit off each lash (at an angle) so they're slightly different lengths. Reserve the longest clusters for the outer corners of the eyes.

We recommend KOJI Dolly Wink Fake Eyelash in No. 5 Real Nude, US$18. It's designed for extend eyelash length. The intertwined spread of each lash makes your lash look thicker with volume. The end of the lash is longer and denser which makes it spread like a wing of an angel. Your look will become more defined.

2. Before attaching the fakes, curl your own lashes and line your eyes with a dark brown or black pencil. This will help conceal the lash roots.

We recommend KOJI Eyelash Curler, US$9. It fits all eye shapes to give straight lashes the perfect curl.

And Imju Dejavu Lasting-Fine Eyeliner in Real Black, US$16. It's the ultimate 24-hour eyeliner which provides super holding power. It is soft and gentle to skin with revolutionary silicon fixing ingredient makes it last long! It resists oil, sweat and tears for a long-wearing, rub-proof finish.

The soft lead of lasting-fine allows you to draw smooth eyelines, the deep black formula gives eyes a stunning impact with bold high definition, yet easily removed with regular cleanser. Twist-up ensures fine, precise lines at all times without sharpening.

3. Put a drop of lash glue on a hard surface, like the outside of the case the lashes came in and let it dry for a minute until it's tacky. Hold the lash tip with tweezers and dip the root in the glue.

4. Starting at the outer corners, wedge the glued end between your natural lashes and hold it in place for a few seconds. A couple of clusters at the outer corners of the upper lashes are usually enough but you can also use them to fill in sparse areas. For the most natural effect, don't glue on more than five clusters to each eye and steer clear of the inner corners.

5. Once lashes are set, apply shadow and a few coats of mascara to blend the fakes with your natural ones. To remove, wet lashes with water or an oil-based makeup remover - that should be enough to soften the glue.

We recommend Guerlain Le 2 de Guerlain Two Brush Mascara 360 Lash in 10 Noir, US$41. The first brush transforms the eyelashes with a single stroke, fills them out, lengthens, curves and separates them.

The second, miniature brush is designed for the inner and outer corners and tilted 7 degrees, to reach and grab the smaller eyelashes and make them up easily without smudges or mistakes.

And DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, US$30. Try this amazing cleanser and you'll see why it's so popular. Dirt, excess oil, makeup - even waterproof mascara - and other pore-cloggers dissolve easily, leaving your face a grime-free zone that is soft to the touch. Its unique water-soluble formula rinses completely, so you'll never see a greasy residue. Olive oil and vitamin E help ensure you won't see dryness either.

Dramatic skin-evening results from Clinique

Blame it on the sun, genes or lack of moisture from the winter season that just passed us. Women are at high risk of developing dark spots on the skin, a notoriously stubborn problem.

But before you seek out a brightening procedure with your doctor, try Clinique's Derma White Clinical Brightening Essence, US$86. Designed exclusively for Asian skin based on Clinique's rich dermatological expertise, this ground-breaking innovation uses Clinique's most advanced technology to deliver clear, even-toned and translucent skin in as quick as four weeks.

Powered by CL-302 complex 
 The secret behind Derma White Clinical Brightening Essence lies in its top-notch formula that's powered by the breakthrough CL-302 complex with vitamin C and other ingredients that is clinically proven to improve evenness of skin tone, radiance and clarity.

It consists of five synergistic brightening ingredients, including:

• A rare botanical extract derived from Dianella ensifolia (Border Silver) - fights free radicals, reduces and prevents the appearance of uneven, pigmented skin and contains anti-irritant properties to soothe sensitive skin.
• Ascorbyl glucoside - a potent vitamin C derivative to even out existing and emerging dark spots.
• Blackout yeast extract - breaks up large clusters of pigment at the skin's surface intro microscopic particles that are eventually diffused.
• Acetyl glucosamine and salicylic acid - regulate cell turnover and help to shed pigmented skin cells for renewed clarity and brightness.

Not all sunscreens are made equal
Did you know that other than UV rays, harmful pollutants can also penetrate and irritate the skin, causing excess melanin production? To keep your skin dark spot-free, even-toned and radiant, step up on your current Derma White regimen and shield your skin against environmental aggressors with Derma White City Block SPF40/PA+++, US$45.

Also, dermatologist-produced and proven, fragrance-free and allergy tested, this new formula contains an invisible pollution filter, potent antioxidants and brighteners to help skin appear more even-toned. The subtly tinted, lightweight oil-free cream, which is suitable for all skin types, also imparts a flawless protective base that primes skin for makeup application.

Like many women, I've suffered from uneven skin tone and other than using foundation to give the appearance of a smooth complexion, I wasn't sure how to solve the problem until I started using these two products. After two weeks of daily application, I witness a subtle yet obvious brightening in my skin and even without makeup, my complexion is fresh and more even toned!