Product Reviews

I’ve been spending way too much time in the shower lately…

It’s because I’m having such a good time singing (showers have the *best* acoustics!) the virtues of True Blue Morocco Rose Petal and Orange Flower Shower Cream ($15). 🙂

It’s a moisturizing, rose-scented body wash from the new True Blue Morocco collection by Bath and Body Works, and I think it smells amazing!

Morocco me

Inspired by the North African country of Morocco, Rose Shower cream is one of six products in BBW’s latest line of body washes, lotions and scrubs. The collection brings to life some of the scents and symbols of Moroccan culture, like saffron, dates, mint, yogurt, tea and Moroccan rose.

BBW made sure the products don’t just smell good; they work well, too, thanks to cleansing and moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, sweet almond oil and honey.

Atypical Bath and Body Works packaging

I love how exotic and refined Rose Shower Cream’s dark blue bottle looks, like something you’d find in an old world apothecary. It looks like frosted glass, but it’s actually plastic, so you don’t have to worry about dropping the bottle in the shower (like I did).

I’m a packaging ho, and all the bold, jewel-toned colors and minimalist bottles in the True Blue Morocco line really appeal to me. They’re different — not BBW’s typical packaging, which with all the pastels, butterflies and flowers sometimes borders on Limited Too territory. 🙂

Rose and citrus notes

The bottle isn’t the only thing that breaks away from the usual Bath and Body Works fare. Most of BBW’s florals smell very overwhelming and sweet to my nose, so I was expecting a typical BBW brew of intense roses mixed with brown sugar or vanilla.
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At Bliss the other day, my friend Jen insisted that I pick up a bottle of her holy grail eye makeup remover, Bliss Lid+Lash Wash ($14).

Infused with soothing chamomile extract, it’s a gentle, no-rinse gel makeup remover for erasing makeup from the eyelid, lash and lip area. I’ve been using it for a couple days now and can see why Jen’s obsessed.

The oil-free formula removes everything — even waterproof makeup! — and does it fast, without stripping my skin or stinging my eyes. I’ve noticed that after using it my eyes look less puffy, too. I wonder if that’s the chamomile extract at work, hmm…

Bliss Lid+Lash Wash

Price: $14 for a 4.2-oz bottle
Use: An oil-free, non-irritating gel makeup remover for eyes and lips
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

I like that it’s a gel. The consistency keeps it from spilling all over the place, and I can even see myself using this in cramped quarters.

The best part is the price! It costs half as much as Decleor Eye Makeup Remover Gel ($28), an effective but much more expensive gel makeup remover that I’d been lovin’ on until Jen suggested this. Yay for saving moolah!

Viva la vino

Yesterday El Hub and I drove the 40 miles north to Napa Valley to celebrate our third wedding anniversary with a few hours of wine tasting and walking around. We stopped to have lunch in Yountville, one of the small towns up there, at a place called Bistro Jeanty.
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I tend to get stressed out and sometimes have trouble relaxing or falling asleep at night. To help me unwind before bed, I rely on a few time-tested bedtime rituals, like massaging foot cream on my tootsies while watching cheesy reality TV.

Lately, I’ve been treating my dogs to the new Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream ($25).

Clarins designed it to tackle multiple foot issues (ala dry skin, foot perspiration, brittle toenails and foot swelling) and infused the cream with plant-derived ingredients like virgin cashew nut oil, shea butter, arnica (an herb from the sunflower family) and myrrh (a dried tree sap).

The Clarins massage method

The product comes with step-by-step instructions — massage techniques for use with the cream — that involve pressure points to increase circulation and promote relaxation.

Slight tingle

I’ve been using the cream and Clarins massage method off and on for about a week and a half so far, and I’m hooked on the slight tingling sensation caused by the product — like my muscles are letting go of my tension. The tingle lasts for about two hours and fades gradually. If nothing else, the sensation is distinctive enough that it distracts my mind and helps me relax.

Moisturizing texture?

I have dry feet, especially the skin on my heels, but applying the cream at night before bed definitely makes them feel softer the following morning.

The texture absorbs quickly and feels thick like a body butter (but it isn’t oily or greasy). I wonder if it’s on account of the shea butter, which Clarins says contains a high amount of unsaponifiables, oils and waxes that moisturize and condition the skin.

I’m also a big fan of the fragrance. It’s light (as it probably should be for this kind of product), like carnations and mint tea. 🙂

Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream

Price: $25 for a 4-oz tube
Use: A luxurious (read: expensive) and highly moisturizing foot cream
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

You might like Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream if…

1. you’re a Clarins fan and don’t mind paying top dollar,
2. you’re overstressed and looking for a way to unwind,
3. you’re on your feet a lot.

CHEESY RHYME ALERT: Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment is an expensive treat and a very good way to be kind to your feet. 🙂

Drugstore alternative

I’ve used a handful of drugstore foot creams but have yet to find one with the same tingly sensation I get with Clarins Foot Beauty. If you can live without the tingle, then check out Sally Hansen 18-Hour Cracked Heel Cream ($6). I just saw it on sale at Walgreens for $4!

Bliss

I really enjoyed SF’s Bliss spa yesterday, particularly the Deep Sea Detox Wrap. Talk about relaxing, although it would have been bizarre to see…
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