#diptyque #beautydiscovery

Diptyque Paris Eau Rose Hand Cream/Hand Lotion and Eau Rose Eau de Toilette.

Diptyque candles are the crown-jewels of the brand. With Valentine's Day coming up, the brand is introducing some limited editions like the Rosaviola candles. My curiosity about these lovely candles took me to the Diptyque boutique inside the Liberty Department Store during my stay in London. As I was waiting for the crowd to disperse from the candle section, something else caught my eyes - These less-talked-about, but beautifully-packaged Diptyque body care and perfumes. And the scent I'm completely head over heels with is perfect for adding some romance in the air.

Diptyque the brand

The Beginning Interestingly, Diptyque's first business was in fabric and wallpaper design. Liberty London was actually one of their first customers. The brand was founded by three friends - an interior designer, a painter, and a theater director - who share the same creative passion. Their first connection that brings them closer to today's collection took place in 1961 when the three founders opened their first store in Paris. In addition to selling their own soft furnishings, the founders also introduced English perfumes to their customers.

The Iconic Oval Diptyque's signature label goes back to a fabric designed by Desmond Knox-Leet, one of the founders, in 1963. The oval label resembles the shields of ancient Rome and echoes the shape of an 18th century medallion. Fast-forward to today, as soon as you see this iconic oval, you immediately know that you're looking at a Diptyque product.

Information in this section is drawn from Diptyque "Our Story" page on its website.

eau rose hand lotion

Diptyque Paris Eau Rose Hand Cream/Hand Lotion.  Diptyque emulsion pour les mains.

I'm a hopeless romantic and I think that's why I'm so drawn to the eau rose scent. I am also obsessed with hand cream/hand lotion...Lucky for me, this is also the only hand lotion scent available.

Scent This rose scent is intense. At the same time, it's a soothing-kind-of smell. The imagery in my mind as I put this hand lotion on is that of a romantic getaway...Rose petals on a white-linen-lined bed, two glasses of bubbly, with a large bay window overlooking a gorgeous sunset. If you are using this hand lotion, I recommend going light on your regular perfume as the scents may compete with one another.

Product Swatch: Diptyque Paris Eau Rose Hand Cream/Hand Lotion

Texture True to its lotion form, this is lightweight and does not feel greasy or sticky upon application. My skin absorbs the lotion quickly and remains moisturized for several hours. Perfect for helping me get through this dry and cold Boston winter.

Design The packaging design has every signature element of Diptyqye. From the iconic oval to the hand-drawn rose prints. It's just absolutely beautiful.

What Smells So Good? The 1.7oz size is perfect for travel and this has become my must-have on my recent trips. I once had a neighbor on the plane asking me what I had just put on that smelled so good. Do I need to say more?

Available At Diptyque (Currently offering a limited edition with Valentine's Day design).

eau rose eau de toilette

My go-to perfume is Estee Lauder Pleasure, but ever since I got this Dipyque Eau Rose Eau de Toilette, I have cheated on and off. It's totally normal, right?

Scent As I ooh and ahh in previous section, the rose scent is again heavenly. Since this is an eau de toilette, the scent is lighter than a perfume...feel free to apply more liberally!

Body Fragrance Type Diptyque carries eau de parfum and eau de toilette although this rose scent is only available as an eau de toilette. On a very high-level, the ranking of scent intensity is as follows across the 3 main types of body fragrance for women: 1) Perfume 2) Eau de parfum 3) Eau de toilette. The key difference is that, with eau de parfum and eau de toilette, the concentration of perfume essence is less than that in perfume. As a result, the smell is lighter and each application doesn't last as long. These two options maybe more ideal for those who have varying levels of sensitivity to fragrance.

Application Because this is an eau de toilette (lighter scent), you can apply several times over the same spot. I usually apply on my wrists, tummy, upper chest, and upper back. I love this roll-on version because I can really control how much I am dispensing. Also, sneak this baby in your clutch for some mid-date touchup.

Design Same as the hand lotion, the rose-themed design is just as gorgeous. What amazes me is the attention to detail and the commitment to beauty from Diptyque product designers - Even though both items are for the eau rose scent, the hand-drawn rose design on each product is unique. One is purely black and white drawing while the other is a more close-up of roses with pink color applied to the petals.

Velvet travel case included: Diptyque Paris Eau Rose Eau de Toilette

Travel-Friendly In addition to the lean tube size, this also comes with a velvet carrying bag to prevent breakage. Another way the Diptyque design team shows how much thought and care they put into their work!

Available At Diptyque - Regular design and limited edition Valentine's Day design.

special treats

Diptyque Paris Eau de Toilette sample/trial size.

Shopping at Liberty London was a special treat, and the Diptyque staff made it even more special. I wasn't in there to buy a whole lot of items. Nevertheless, the staff paid as much attention to me as they did to the shoppers ahead of me who bought a few bags full of products. I was also pleasantly surprised when I was offered two travel sprays as gifts - And don't think the design team takes it easy on these mini's. You can see it for yourself in the photo.

My next decision is - Should I still go with my original shopping plan and splurge on some Diptyque candles? Are you the proud owner of this signature item? Is it worth the splurge?

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Sanctuary Spa Body Care - London Skin Care Discovery

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Nature Republic - The Body Care Edition

#sanctuaryspa #explorelondon #beautydiscovery

I ventured into a Boots Pharmacy when I was in London. I thought I was only going to pick up a few things, but I ended up walking away with two heavy shopping bags worth of beauty products - Everything I bought was something I knew I wouldn't be able to get in the U.S.. There, my purchases are all justified!

Photo Credit: www.haveyouheardthelatest.com

Most of the products are from brands I am familiar with, except for one - Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden. I only find out later that there used to be some beautiful Sanctuary Spa locations, but due to declining business, the company decided to close all locations and focus on selling their beloved product lines instead. I am really bummed as I look through pictures showing what the spas used to look like and they are gorgeous...wish I had the chance to experience it myself.

The brand definitely has lots of loyal admirers...one try of their products makes me understand why this is such a beloved brand in the U.K.. I am regretting not buying more as Sanctuary Spa doesn't ship full product line to the U.S., and Boots U.S. doesn't carry this brand at all. However, because of limited luggage space, I've decided to pick a few things for body care and a few things for face care, so that I get to experience the brand from head to toe.

The Body Pampering Trio

I am very drawn to this trio of shower souffle, shower cream, and body lotion because of their scent and how they feel on my skin. The simple packaging also appeals to me as I can quickly understand what each item is for. All 3 products promise 12-hour or 24-hour moisturization, which I can't say it's true. Having worked in this industry, there are probably some disclaimers on how the test was done to support this claim. Regardless of the claim's accuracy, I would give these an A+.

AIR-WHIPPED SHOWER SOUFFLE

Available at (U.K. Only) - Sanctuary Spa, Boots

I have to confess that my decision to pick up this product is mainly based on the wording in the product name. "Air-whipped" and "Souffle" sound like a lot of fun and who wouldn't want to try a beauty product that makes them happy before they've even used it?

What Does It Do? This is a body wash that has a mix of cotton and mango seed oil and promises to leave the skin feeling beautifully cleansed, nourished, and silky smooth.

Texture As the name is suggesting, the texture resembles the inside of a souffle - very soft, fluffy and airy.

Scent This shower souffle has a very strong fragrance from a blend of cotton and mango scents. It smells wonderful for me, but I know this is not for everyone, especially if you're very sensitive to scent. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being very fragrant), this is a 10.

Usage I use this as a body wash. One thing to note is that the nozzle is star-shaped (like the icing tool for baking) and it is sometimes quite difficult to get the product out of the tube. I love it anyways because the shower souffle comes out just like icing for cupcakes, and like I've said before, it makes it more fun! The lid can be removed if it gets to be too hard to use the nozzle.

Results Not only is this fun to use, it's also a good moisturizing body wash. It does take tiny bit of extra rubbing to get the souffle to blend/dissolve on my skin. The lovely scent also stays on my body even after washing off.

12-HOUR MOISTURISING SHOWER CREAM

Right before I left for London, I saw that Nivea launched its in-shower moisturizer in the U.S.. When I saw this shower cream at Boots, I thought it was similar to the Nivea item, so it went straight into my shopping basket.

What Does It Do? This is a body wash that contains shea butter, sunflower oil and Vitamin E and promises to hydrate skin all day without the need to apply extra body lotion after shower.

What It Doesn't Do What I realize after I use it for the first time is that this is not one of those in-shower moisturizers - a body lotion you apply in the shower after using body wash and while your body is still wet. This is strictly a body wash that has moisturizing benefits. I think the naming convention throws me off a little bit.

Texture The best way to describe it is a creamy liquid form that is somewhere in between the texture of milk and yogurt

Scent This shower cream also has the same strong fragrance as the shower souffle. Again, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being very fragrant), this is a 10.

Usage I use this as a body wash. Because it doesn't lather up like a typical body wash, some may have the urge to use more, but it's really not necessary as a normal amount will do the job.

Results I love the feeling of this shower cream on my skin - It reminds me of a milk bath because of its creamy liquid texture. While it doesn't lather up, it's working hard on cleansing my body and moisturizing my skin at the same time. I also love how the scent stays even after I wash it off.

SILKY SMOOTH BODY LOTION

"Silky Smooth" is exactly how this lotion feels on my skin. I can't truly confirm whether my skin stays this way for 24 hours (as the claim has suggested), but this is a good body moisturizer nevertheless.

What Does It Do? This is a body lotion that contains ginger, fragrant spices, and jojoba and promises to help stimulate circulation and provide long-lasting moisturization.

*Please Note* Because this lotion contains ginger (the ingredient that helps stimulate blood flow in the skin), some people may experience irritation such as redness and tingling sensation. I personally did not experience either of those, but if you have skin sensitivity, I wouldn't recommend trying this product. This also comes in travel size for half the price, so if you still want to try it, at least you won't have to invest for a full bottle.

Texture This is in between a liquid and creamy form. It's lightweight and blends in quite easily.

Scent This body lotion also has the same strong fragrance as the shower souffle and shower cream. Again, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being very fragrant), this is a 10. For me, I like the consistent scent across all 3 products.

Top/Bottom: Before/After rubbing lotion in lightly

Usage This is lightweight enough to be used all day. Because it comes with a pump and has nice packaging, this can also be a nice addition to any guest bathroom. Your guests would love you for this!

Results Silky smooth is really how my skin feels. The moisturization for me doesn't last 24 hours as the claim has suggested, but it is long-lasting. You probably have experienced some body lotions that last about 5 minutes before your skin feels dry again. This is definitely not one of those.

Final Thoughts

This trio's moisturizing feature makes it a good candidate for winter usage. It's also suitable for everyday use in low humidity environment because of its lightweight consistency.

I would love to buy Sanctuary Spa body care again if I can get my hands on them. Not only do these beauties work well, they also come at ultra affordable prices. These three range from USD $8.22 - $10.46, or $0.98 - $1.25 per ounce, which is comparable to U.S. drug store brands. I am also getting something that looks much more luxurious than my Aveeno body lotion (which I love, but you know what I mean!). I am happy to share that Sanctuary Spa U.S. site carries quite a bit of their Facial Care products, which I've also tried and loved (will share in another post). Maybe they will consider adding more Body Care in the near future!