March 6, 2010
Posted by jimmy
A few months ago, I was happy that Kyoku announced North America distribution as I believe it’s quite a special line. I was pretty excited about the special ingredients they use (like volcanic ash, bamboo, rice bran) that have a “Japanese” theme running through them and I tried out the new Lava Masque to see how effective it was on my skin. Kyoku means “epiphany” and it proved through with the moisturizing lotion SPF 15 I tried.
The beauty of Kyoku Lava Masque is that it uses volcanic mud, volcanic black sand and 73 sea minerals from the coastline of Japan (I hope you’re seeing why I was excited about this brand coming to America!). The brand was created especially for men through the experience of its creator, who went to Japan to “fix” his skin problems. Kyoku doesn’t target just the epidermis but has the dermis mostly in mind, considering men have 20% thicker skin than women. The interesting thing about the lava masque is that it doesn’t solve problems by adding (like its micro-particle technology) to the skin but doing the opposite by extracting, although penetration is fully recognized. Read more...
February 27, 2010
Posted by jimmy
Knowing my obsession for organic beauty products, a friend recently introduced me to Melvita, a certified-organic line based out of France. Melvita is fronted by Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard and a few months ago we took a look at the some more products in the range. Melvita meets all the criteria for Ecocert, an organic certification organization based in France (I do want to make it clear that the French organic standards are very different from the US which is very different from Australia, etc etc).
I had a chance to try out the Melvita Moisturizing Gel, one of their top sellers that helps anti-aging problems and moisturizes dehydrated skin. 98% of the ingredients are of natural origin, and 30% from organic farming. So it’s not completely organic, which sort of bummed me out but Melvita Hydrastim Moisturizing Gel is actually not that bad, and the “non-organic” ingredients are not that breakbackingly terrible for you (at least the Moisturizing Gel is free of parabens). And what makes up for the ingredients on our “meh” list is some pretty powerful stuff. Read more...
February 13, 2010
Posted by jimmy
I’m still on a quest on trying out different face scrubs and truly exceptional exfoliations. One that I came across that feels like sunshine in a tube is Epicuren Man Transform Nourishing Exfoliant ($24). I have to admit, my face has been looking quite rough with this 30-degree weather and, well, let’s just say I celebrated my birthday two weeks ago for about two weeks (still celebrating!). So obviously my skin is not happy with the toxins. Epicuren Transform Nourishing Exfoliant turned out to be my best bathroom friend.
Epicuren is a boutique line based out of California and found in several high-end spas. I’m still, to this day, surprised it doesn’t have much presence in the beauty world as it’s one of the better lines I’ve used (for men). The Transform Nourishing Exfoliant is all natural with no petrochemicals and perfect for those who survive daily pollution, stress and celebrate two-week long birthdays with lots of partying (ahem). It nourishes the skin while unclenching those clogged pores. Read more...
February 7, 2010
Posted by jimmy
When I recently went to Bangkok, I stayed at the Peninsula hotel and was happily reunited with the Davi bathroom amenity line. Davi Body Lotion (available only at the high-end hotel boutique hotel chain) had a strong impression on me when I used it years ago. I got curious about what else Davi had up their sleeve and was eager to discover the brand also features skincare products. What really piqued my interest was the Le Grand Cru Face Cream ($175), an anti-aging product packed with Davi’s own antioxidant blend.
Davi is actually produced by well-known winemaker Robert Mondavi in the Napa Valley, so it goes without saying that Davi is nothing less than “luxury.” And it effortlessly translates in the packaging and price. The important question, however, is: Is the Le Grand Cru Face Cream worth it? Read more...
January 31, 2010
Posted by jimmy
Here’s a product I picked up in Australia and completely forgot about it until now. A’Kin Unscented 24-hour Pure Moisture (in Australia the brand is called Purist but for distribution reasons in the United States, has a different name). If you remember, I was overwhelmed by the range of all-organic beauty products found on the bite-size country and A’kin was one of my favorites. So I can’t believe I neglected to use this product all year!
The beauty of the A’kin Pure Moisture is that it feels like something you should be putting on your face. The product promises “calming, soothing and repairing”, all of which are legit, but there are more benefits than that considering all the great ingredients packed in here. It’s most beneficial for people with sensitive and allergy prone skin. (So if you’re looking for a true anti-wrinkle product, not really here! Just great moisturizing and soothing). Read more...
