A concern I’ve had for a while is hair fall. I don’t know if it’s caused by the stress of the pandemic or is a natural consequence of aging, but whatever the cause, I’m always on the lookout for products that stimulate hair growth, prevent hair fall or thicken the hair I’ve got.
So I was excited to try L’Occitane’s new Volume and Strength range, which promises to strengthen and thicken fine and fragile hair.
Its main active ingredient is vegetal keratin, a naturally derived protein from plants rich in amino acids that strengthen and increase the hair fiber’s volume.
The range consists of a shampoo, conditioner and Strengthening Scalp Serum all formulated without silicones, and containing a blend of five essential oils — rosemary from Provence, lemon, juniper, ylang-ylang and cedar — to invigorate the scalp and provide a fresh fragrance.
The conditioner has additional Provitamin B5 to coat and thicken the hair; I like that it makes my freshly shampooed hair easy to untangle without weighing it down.
The serum has arginine, a natural amino acid to help strengthen and invigorate the hair fiber. It’s supposed to stimulate the scalp when you massage it in, and indeed, I feel a really nice cooling, tingling sensation, like my scalp is waking up after a long sleep.
Using the three products together, I can definitely vouch they increased the volume of my hair and gave the strands more guts, making them feel thicker. Added bonuses were shine, bounce, and a clean, fresh fragrance. I’m definitely making this a permanent addition to my hair-thickening arsenal.
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L’Occitane is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source and Rustans.com.
CALM NOW COMES IN A CREAM
“Stress is a fact of life. Looking stressed is not,” says Dr. Howard Murad, who developed his new Intense Recovery Cream to counter all the visible signs of skin stress, like redness, crow’s feet and frown lines. I even tried it on itchy skin and it worked. Developed as the third, hydration step in any Murad regimen, the ultra-rich moisturizer is ophthalmologist tested and can even be used on the eye area.
A blend of facial oils, shea butter, micro-algae, apple extract and Murad’s RepleniCell formula, clinical results showed that after four weeks of use, 100 percent of users agreed that their skin felt soothed, 92 percent agreed that their skin felt comforted and more hydrated, 89 percent showed improvement in redness (by 14.69 percent) and 88 percent agreed that their over-stressed skin looked more relaxed and calm.
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Murad is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
FACELIFT IN A FOUNDATION
Shiseido’s Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting foundation is the follow-up to its groundbreaking Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing foundation, which would keep renewing itself so that you still looked fresh after eight hours of wear.
Shiseido, which has 145 years of beauty expertise behind it but has managed to stay ahead of the curve with the highest of technologies, has now infused Synchro Skin with radiant micro-crystals that adjust under different lighting to create the effect of illuminated, smooth, firm and youthful skin.
Like Self-Refreshing, Radiant Lifting is a lightweight, medium-coverage foundation, but IMO it’s very easily layered to full coverage without the accompanying heaviness and stickiness. You won’t feel like you’re double masking at all. And the extensive range of 30 shades, from 120 Ivory to 410 Sunstone, has every skin tone covered, whether you’re a porcelain princess or a golden goddess.
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Shiseido is available at Shiseido.com.ph, Shiseido stores in malls nationwide, and the Shiseido page on Lazada.
AIMING FOR SCENT PERFECTION
Few perfumes elicit compliments, especially from reticent Filipinos, but someone told me I smelled so good — from clear across the room — when I was wearing Perfect Marc Jacobs.
This fruity-floral does contain a lot of ingredients that instantly strike you as delicious, from tart rhubarb to creamy almond milk, expertly blended by perfumer Domitille Michalon Bertier with daffodil, cedarwood and cashmeran to create a scent that wraps around you like — yes, the softest cashmere shawl.
Perfect was inspired by Marc Jacobs’ mantra “I am perfect as I am.” The designer even has a tattoo of the word “perfect” on his wrist.
“I put it there to remind me that when I’m looking at myself and wishing that I could be stronger in this way or better at that thing, I can just say no, I’m exactly how I need to be right now, so, perfect,” he says.
Even the packaging is perfect: the box features an original illustration by New York-based artist Jacky Blue, and the retro bottle holding the pink juice is topped with a cap bedazzled with charms selected by Marc Jacobs himself, including a white cat, woman’s and man’s shoes, and a heart with the initials “MJ.”
Everything about Perfect — including the compliments — is as addictive as the fragrance.
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Perfect Marc Jacobs is available at www.zalora.com.ph .
A COMPLETE RANGE OF LIGHTENING SKINCARE
Kojie.san has launched a complete facial-care line, and the range has facial cleansers, toners and creams for every skin type.
Each product is powered by Zero Pigment Light to lighten dark spots, scars and hyperpigmentation, while HydroMoist locks in moisture for softer, suppler skin.
There are four types of facial cleanser: those with oily skin can try Facial Wash with HydroMoist, a soap-based wash that deep-cleans sebum and impurities and staves off acne, whiteheads and blackheads; Facial Cleansing Gel is for normal to dry skin because it’s soap- and sulfate-free and cleans skin without stripping; Foam Wash is a light and airy, soap-free foam that gently cleanses stressed and sensitive skin; and everyone should try Kojie.san’s Beauty Wipes, which feel amazing after you take off your mask — they even take off waterproof mascara with no sting!
Toners include Pore Minimizing Toner, an oily-skin mattifier that minimizes the appearance of large pores, and Cleanser + Toner, a dual-action formula that cleanses while boosting hydration for a glass-skin effect.
The two creams are Face Cream SPF 15 for day and Face Cream with HydroMoist for night: both reduce dark spots and blemishes for a lighter, more even skin tone, with added sun protection for daytime.
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Kojie.san is available at Lazada and Shopee.
WHIP IT GOOD
For me the best foaming facial cleansers come from Japan, but little did I know that Senka Perfect Whip was the OG: it’s been Japan’s No. 1 facial cleanser for 12 years.
What makes it so good? It has naturally derived white silk-cocoon essence to smooth the skin, double hyaluronic acid to boost moisture, and Shiseido’s Aqua-in-Pool formula to strengthen the skin barrier against day-to-day damage.
Senka has the texture of marshmallow cream when you squeeze it out, then when mixed with water whips up into a dense foam packed with ultra-fine cleansing particles to clear out impurities while leaving skin comfortably hydrated.
The ultimate goal is “Suppin Skin,” the Japanese concept of a no-makeup face that’s clear, moisturized and blemish-free — and feeling beautiful in your own natural skin.
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Senka Perfect Whip is for all skin types, and is available at Watsons, Lazada and Shopee.
SUMMER BFF
Now that it’s summer, sunscreen is a must. Experts recommend that you apply and reapply it every two hours if you’re outdoors doing activities that make you sweat, or every four hours if you’re indoors doing light work.
SnailWhite CC Sunscreen SPF 50+/PA+++ is a great multi-tasking product because it’s a high-protection sunscreen and CC cream in one: its broad-spectrum protection shields your skin not only from the sun, but also the blue light from your devices, which are as aging as UVA rays, causing fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
Snail potion, Alps Edelweiss flower and color-correcting tint even out skin tone and boost radiance, making it a more appealing everyday alternative to heavy foundations and no-protection tinted moisturizers. The lightweight formula leaves skin looking fresh without an oily sheen, so it’s like a blurring filter for your face (you’ll always look selfie-ready). Plus, it comes in a re-sealable, travel-friendly packet so you can take it anywhere.
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SnailWhite is available at Watsons, Watsons.com.ph, and the official SnailWhite stores at Lazada and Shopee.