L' Occitane en Provence Shea Hand cream for dry skin

L'Occitane en Provence Shea Hand Cream

While I was in Hong Kong L'Occitane en Provence was just making their debut and every where I went, they were hard selling their facial products especially their Immortelle Divine Cream. I haven't heard much about their hand products though.

While looking around the store, I was recommended and acknowledged by their beauty consultants that this Shea Hand Cream (for dry skin) was their best seller, they let me try some and I bought it. It was quite expensive though, for just 30ml of product it cost $12

consistency like butter

I have had this product for about a month now, and I can say, a little goes a long way, reason being is because I do not have "really dry skin" so using a pea size amount of product is more than enough. The product is nicely lightly scented (a little similar to baby products but for adults). Their product is very buttery, hence called Shea (for Shea butter).

This cream is great for winter because it produces a "protective" layer for your hands, keeping them well "moisted". This cream does not irritate sensitive skin (I have really sensitive skin, and it did not create any irritation at all).

photo credits: http://ca.loccitane.com/shea-butter,19,1,1334,0.htm

Although the container resembles Crabtree and Evelyn's, (especially the cap), the body is actually made of plastic. This makes it easier to squeeze out hand cream and normal tube squeezers may be used. Also, putting this container in your purse will not create dents or sharp edges because it is made out of plastic.

At the end of the day, I think this product is nice, but a little too pricey, if you are into the buttery, natural feel of hand cream I would suggest this product, as it would leave your hands with a silky smooth greasy finish as if they have been coated in butter. That being said, because your hands are so buttery, it will also be tough to work with them, your phone, keyboard and everything you touch will be coated in this product and it will be difficult to do things like: take pictures, send text messages. I would recommend to use this product if you are going for a walk or you won't be using your hands much.

website: http://ca.loccitane.com/shea-butter-hand-cream,19,1,1334,25907.htm

Green Grotto Tea Room at McNicoll - hot tea edition review

To see the review of this cafe in general please click here. 

After my good experiences at Green Grotto at McNicoll, I have became a frequent visitor of this place. At this particular visit, I was going to stay a bit longer than usual because I had some translation work to do with a friend, we both agreed that getting hot teas was a better choice on a cold Spring day, and we wanted something that was healthier. We ended up getting two pots of hot teas. What was good is that they also offered us complimentary popcorn (I guess you can tell I am a big fan of popcorn).

So for a little recap, Green Grotto is a relaxing tea room which offers a variety of drinks and some snacks. Similar to "traditional" cafes they have Asian magazines and their space is the perfect environment to sit, chat, complimentary wifi. You can just go there to chill after a long days work.

Due to bad experiences at other bubble tea places, I tend to avoid getting "hot" drinks because even with the unlimited refills they offer, the tea is not worth it, as they put so little "dry leaves/flowers" so the tea doesn't even have taste after the 3rd refill. HOWEVER, I was almost shocked and am so glad it is not the case for Green Grotto, they literally load up your teapot filter with the dry stuff... so after filling up my teapot for the 5th time, my tea still tasted as rich as the first cup. I highly recommend you getting teas which are mixed with different things rather than just one basic thing. My friend got Longan + Osmanthus and I got plain Osmanthus. I was actually quite happy with my tea till I tried my friend's, since it was much tastier and sweeter.

As you can imagine, we were there for quite a while (when you translate stuff, time literally flies). So after staying there for almost 5 hours, we were hungry! We ordered a Sesame filled pancake (at first we thought it would be like crepes or PANCAKES but turns out it was the Chinese dessert "pancake" type). It was quite tasty, and the filling was good!

If you are looking for a place to do some "simple work" (don't abuse it by staying there for 10 hours cramming for an exam ;P, just kidding), I highly recommend this place, the people there are friendly, the customers are polite and aren't distracting.

EDIT
my friend asked me about hours of this place, so I thought I would post them here (forgot to ask them about opening time... I think it is around 1PM each day):
closing time:
Sunday - Thursday: 12:00AM
Friday - Saturday: 1:00AM

Freeman Beautiful Facial Peel-Off Mask Cucumber Mask Review

bottle of goodness

Walmart has been stocking up on Freeman's masks, so I decided to give this brand a try. I LOVE IT! The description says this will "clarify and renews skin" and it does exactly that!

This mask is thick gel form, the moment you apply it on your face you will not feel very comfortable however, once it starts drying you will feel it "clearing" your skin.

I would suggest applying a conservative amount (just thick enough to cover your face) I have tried to use less and I wasn't even able to peel it (in the end I had to use warm water to wash it away, and once I used TOO much and it was an absolute disaster waiting for it to dry and peeling it off...

Caution though, when you are peeling do not peel too hard or you can peel off any hair which got stuck in the gel (which can be pretty painful) And you wouldn't want to damage your skin's surface by peeling too hard.

impressions:

• very effective
• suitable for those with out of control skin (due to climate change, stress, etc)
• easy to use
• instant results
• really clarifies and renews

Since my skin is not in a bad condition (not absolutely oily or dry) so I just use this once every 2 weeks when I feel that my skin needs to be clarified and renewed.

Seriously, I was skeptical at first, I never thought a mask product could instantly clarify and renew your skin until I used this product.

Just remember like all masks (especially this one, since it is a peeling mask) you must apply toner, serum/moisturizer after.

update (Jan. 23, 2014):
Just recently, due to climate changes, my skin was oily and dry in some areas... I felt my skin was going crazy: I started getting pimples in some parts of my face and in other parts skin was peeling. After using this mask I got my skin "clarified" and my skin instantly went back to "normal". The next morning I discovered that some of the pimples on my face have already disappeared, my skin stopped producing excess oil and the bumpy dry parts were smoothed.

Try it, because it really works!

rating: 10/10

velcro hair up-er review

Had I not been introduced to these I would not have been able to wash my face, put on make up, or put cream/serum/masks on my face as convenient as I can now. This is a MUST GET item if you have bangs or layered hair.

This may look silly, but it works, and it doesn't pull your hair at all, it simply slips off your hair gently when you are done using it. It is made out of Velcro, so you can reuse it and it is very durable (and most importantly, you can wash it).

For those curious, I got this in Sasa in Hong Kong. I think you can buy these at your local Asian beauty products store or online (like eBay, Yesstyle).

Rose Oolong Tea review

For those of you who don't know, I am quite a health nut, I am always out to hunting for healthy stuff. And when it come to tea, I am obsessed.

I came across this Rose Oolong Tea, which I would highly recommend especially for girls because by itself, Rose tea can ease the pain of periods and help you lose fat.

Other goodness produced by Rose tea include (credits to HealthMad)


The reasons for the diuretic effects of the roses are they contain Vitamin C, pectin, malic and citric acids.

1. It clears toxins and heat from the body. As a result it has a cooling effect on the body.

2. It can relieve from sore throat, runny nose and blocked bronchial tubes

3, It is useful to people those prone to chest problems by fighting against infections

4. Rose tea helps to fight the infection in the digestive tract and re-establish the normal bacterial population of the intestines

5. It relieves fluid retention and hastens the elimination of wastes through kidneys

6. It is a wonderful remedy for dysentery, diarrhea and gastro enteritis

7. It is a laxative. It works as a remedy for all liver problems including sluggishness and constipation.

8. It cleanses the liver and gall bladder and promotes bile flow

Rose petal tea can be used to relieve uterine congestion causing pain and heavy periods. It is an excellent remedy for irregular periods and infertility.

9. It has an uplifting effect on the nervous system and can relieve insomnia, depression and fatigue



So, if Rose tea is good by itself, why would we need Oolong tea to pair? Well, unfortunately, Rose tea does not have a lot of taste, and it can be pretty "boring" drinking this stuff as the flavour is so "weak". So Oolong tea (which is a strong tasting tea) pairs perfectly

Oolong Tea is actually very healthy as well.

Oolong Tea benefits (credits to Tea Benefits )

1. Oolong Tea may help reduce cholesterol build-up in the bloodstream.

2. Oolong Tea may help burn fat and thus, may contribute to slimming.

3. Oolong Tea can help prevent heart ailments.

4. Oolong Tea can be used for treatment of digestive disorders.

5. Oolong Tea can promote longevity by stimulating bodily functions and strengthening the immune system.

6. Oolong Tea may promote healthier and stronger bones, protecting people from such diseases as osteoporosis.

7. Oolong Tea can also fight against tooth decay.

2 good teas in 1 and it tastes good!