Saturday, December 28, 2013

Etude House Princess Etoinette Blooming Perfumed Hands White Peony & Pink Rose

As the first place to show signs of ageing, we should focus on treating and caring for our hands. With a little bit of help from Etude House, you will soon be able to put your best palm forward!

(Source: etude.co.kr/)

Name: Etude House 에뛰드하우스 Princess Etoinette 프린세스 에튀아네뜨 Blooming Perfumed Hands 블루밍 퍼퓸드 핸즈
Price: ₩ 8,000 for 70 ml
Made in: Korea

Blooming Perfumed Hands is the newest - and dare I be bold enough to claim the best (so far) - hand cream to be released by Etude House and it comes in two variations.


Peony notes dominate White Peony 화이트 피오니 which makes it smell remarkably like the Eau de Toilette perfume (also from the Princess Etoinette collection). If this scent is to your liking, you might want to think about acquiring the perfume for it comes in the prettiest flacon.


The full ingredient list for Blooming Perfumed Hands White Peony:
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glyceryl Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

I am partial towards one (no prizes for guessing correctly haha). And if it is not obvious enough, Pink Rose 핑크 로즈 stole my heart. I can't resist a good rosy scent, and boy, it sure is divine!


The full ingredient list for Blooming Perfumed Hands Pink Rose:
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glyceryl Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Red 33 (CI 17200), Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

These creams leave hands looking better as well as feeling nourished within seconds. No beside table is complete without one of them adorning it.


Without - With

A quick look at the ingredient lists tells me that they are free from mineral oil and parabens.


These hand creams will suit a medley of fragrance preferences and skin types to ensure that your hands stay protected, no matter the weather.


Disclosure: Pink Bird samples.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Etude House Princess Etoinette Eau De Toilette

I could not stop gaping when I clapped my eyes on the beautiful pieces from the new Etude House Princess Etoinette collection. It is such a feast for the senses. My review marathon kicks off with the product that made center stage - Eau de Toilette!


Name: Etude House 에뛰드하우스 Princess Etoinette 프린세스 에튀아네뜨 Eau de Toilette 오드토일렛
Price: ₩ 25,000 for 30 ml
Made in: Korea

The Fragrance
Apparently my nose is not in an optimum condition. It mislead me into thinking that lychee was one of the notes whenever I puffed away. The scent starts out happy and fun-loving, but turns warm and inviting once the peony note is unleashed.

At a glance:-
◆ Top notes: Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Pear, Raspberry
◆ Heart notes: Peony, Rose, Jasmine, Muguet
◆ Base notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Musk


The Flacon
The bottle has a puffer (adorned with lace) that transported me to the Victorian era for a bit. Do correct me if they were not the rage back then. Haha!



The Collection
Princess Etoinette Eau de Toilette along with the rest of the line up are available at Etude House stores worldwide (13 countries and counting!) and online from etudehouse.com:-
◆ Moon Flower Perfumed Candle ₩ 11,000
◆ All Over Powder ₩ 30,000
◆ Crystal Shine Lips ₩ 13,000
◆ Blooming Perfumed Hands ₩ 8,000
◆ Perfumed Hair Mist ₩ 8,000


The Composition
The full ingredient list for Princess Etoinette Eau de Toilette:-
Alcohol, Fragrance, Water, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate.

Youthful and feminine fragrance lovers, I think you have found your calling! And even if you do not find this scent to be pleasing, there is no denying that the bottle will make the perfect dressing table fodder.


(Source: Promotional images are from etude.co.kr/)

Disclosure: Pink Bird sample.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense Eau De Parfum

The temperature jumps up a notch with the introduction of the new Pour Femme Intense, which continues where the Pour Femme saga left off.


Name: Dolce & Gabbana ドルチェ & ガッパーナ Pour Femme Intense プールファム インテンス Eau de Parfum オードパルファム
Price: RM 345 for 50 ml
Made in: UK

The Fragrance
All you need is one quick sniff and Pour Femme Intense takes you to a garden full of blooming fruits. What begins as a sweet scent tapers off to a sensuous woody dry down.

At a glance:-
◆ Top notes: Neroli, Green Mandarin
◆ Heart notes: Orange Blossom, Tuberose
◆ Base notes: Sandalwood, Guimauve

Despite it being an Eau de Parfum, Pour Femme Intense needs to be refreshed often to ensure that wisps of goodness lingers.


The Flacon
Pour Femme Intense is brought to life in a heavy, burgundy glass flacon with regal gold accents. Even the box itself is not spared the royal treatment!



The Collection
Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense is available in major department stores and perfumeries:-
◆ Pour Femme Intense EdP 25 ml RM 256
◆ Pour Femme Intense EdP 50 ml RM 345
◆ Pour Femme Intense EdP 100 ml RM 434
◆ Pour Femme Body Lotion 250 ml RM 174
◆ Pour Femme Shower Gel 250 ml RM 155
◆ Pour Femme Body Cream 180 ml RM 268


The Composition
The full ingredient list for Pour Femme Intense:-
Alcohol Denat., Parfum (Fragrance), Aqua (Water), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, BHT, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate, CI 60730 (Ext. Violet 2), CI 14700 (Red 4), CI 19140 (Yellow 5).

If you are looking for something to wear for an evening out, you should give Pour Femme Intense a try. It is sure to turn heads!

Disclosure: Press sample.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Elizabeth Arden Visible Whitening Melanin Control Night Capsules

I can never resist picking up new whitening products (please blame my obsession with Snow White skin for this fixation haha). As long as the blurb attracts my attention, I will give it a go.

Elizabeth Arden says:
This high performance night time serum in a capsule delivers potent natural hop extracts to intercept melanin synthesis at every phase, diminishing excess pigmentation and the appearance of uneven skin tone. Powerful botanicals, vitamin C derivative and environmental protectants fight the damaging effects of pollution and support skin's natural collagen elastin matrix, to give skin a smoother brighter look.


Name: Elizabeth Arden 엘리자베스아덴 Visible Whitening 비져블 화이트닝 Melanin Control 멜라닌 컨트롤 Night Capsules 나이트 캡슐
Price: ₩ 120,000 for 3.2 ml (×50)
Made in: Italy

It is an ingenious idea to pack the serum into capsules and the unique outlook makes it stand out. The reason the serum comes in capsule form is to preserve its integrity, thus dispensing with the need for preservatives.

A single dose capsule has the perfect amount for its intended area and this rules out waste. But speaking of waste, having to toss away the soft gelatin capsule after the serum is used is a contradiction to the no waste claim as it is a complete misuse of resources.


The jelly like serum sinks in quickly. It leaves my skin feeling remarkably soft and velvety.


I used it in replacement of my usual serum for a grand total of seven consecutive nights (because my sealed sample only had seven capsules). I did not notice an improvement in skin clarity nor did it wow me in other ways to justify the exorbitant price.

In its defence, seven capsules are not enough for me to pass judgement on its efficacy. Nonetheless I would still give it a miss if I come across it; I have used cheaper serums that showed its worth within the same time period.

The full ingredient list for Visible Whitening Melanin Control Night Capsules:
사이클로펜타실록산, 사이클로헥사실록산, 카프릴릭/카프릭트리글리세라이드, 디메치콘/비닐디메치콘크로스폴리머, 네오펜틸글라이콜디헵타노에이트, 실리카, 테트라헥실데실아스코베이트, 조합향료 (부틸페닐메칠프로판올, 시트로넬올, 제라니올, 헥실신나말, 리몬넨, 리날룰), 토코페릴아세테이트, 대추야자씨, 유용성감초추출물, 파라크레스꽃추출물, 이소세테스-10, 서양유채스테롤, 호프스토로바일, 토코페롤.

Monday, December 2, 2013

With × Canal 4℃


With is a Japanese magazine that I am not familiar with. After going through its pages, I noticed that it runs in the same vein as Sweet, and I think they cater to a similar audience.


Name: With ウィズ
Issue: December 2013
Price: NT$ 279
ASIN: B00FQPJPOG

Canal 4℃ (カナル4℃) makes affordable dainty jewellery, so I reckon they would know a thing or two about travelling with jewellery.


The quality of the heart shaped pouch is nothing to shout about but it is nice to have it on hand to safeguard my jewellery.


H8×W10×D2cm

I rediscovered my passion for fashion and all things related, so it isn't any surprise that With along with Sweet and 25ans have taken over my side table that was previously filled with Biteki, Maquia, VoCE and the like...