The search continues..

Now I had had enough of acne controlling products. My hormones had returned to their normal state and so had my skin. But the Singapore sun took the toll on my skin.. (though Singapore doesn’t have harsh summers, it can damage certain skin types).. My complexion was beginning to dull and my skin tone became uneven. My skin definitely required a brightening face cleanser! 

I began my hunting spree once again. This time I was quite fancied by The Body Shop’s Moisture White Shiso range. They had a nice smelling foaming facial cleanser that claimed to remove dead cells which cause dullness and bring about a more even complexion. It contained Shiso extracts, Vitamin C and Liquorice which control the effects of melanin synthesis. It sounded like the perfect choice for my skin condition and so I went for it. I was quite happy with it but it didn’t seem to do wonders.. nevertheless, I bought a second bottle of it to see if it would work in the long run..but it didn’t help much! (maybe I should have tried their entire range for maximum results but that would have meant spending a bomb on it!) So I continued my search..

One of my Google searches for natural products took me to this new brand- “100 Percent Pure”.. It’s an American brand which is “true” to its name. None of their products contain synthetic ingredients. Even their makeup has fruit extracts for colour! (how interesting is that?) This brand really drew my attention and I began searching for it in Singapore. It didn’t have an exclusive store; however, there was a distributor who sold their products in Singapore. I contacted her and took her address (her place was really far from where I live).

 She showed me some of the products she had in stock and I was so impressed that I wanted to get all of them. (the greed was thrown aside after the husband advised  “first try one of their products and then we can get you more”) Finally, I settled for their skin brightening facial cleanser which contains bearberry, kojic acid, vitamin c, liquorice and a host of other natural extracts. I also bought a facial mist- Organic Aqua Boost which could be used as an alternative to a regular moisturizer. I loved this facial cleanser from the very first wash. It smelled great and showed great results too. However, I didn’t want to go through the ordeal of travelling to the other end of town to buy my next bottle. I tried asking if it could be delivered to my place, but it couldn’t be done.

So with a heavy heart, I gave up on it and went back to The Body Shop looking for a new product. I came across their Nutriganics range of products that were designed for women typically aged 30-40 years. To this day, I don’t understand why I decided to try a facial wash from that range. (sometimes we get so lost!) I didn’t quite like the smell of the product and as it was designed for older skin, I couldn’t see it benefitting my skin. So I finished that one bottle for not wanting to waste it.

Now comes the “hero” of the story.. I went back to searching for products that improved my dull complexion. This time, I was determined not to wander away from my need. I did some research online, read a couple of reviews and finally found what I wanted! Once again, I headed to The Body Shop and picked up their Vitamin C Facial Cleansing Polish. I definitely want to share my experience with this product, so I will take that up in my next post!

So this is “the story”.. As a marketing student, I can clearly relate to this story.. evolving consumer needs.. consumer insights.. and the power of brands! Hope you enjoyed it too..Until my next post stay super healthy and happy! :D

C for cleanser.. My Cleanser Story!

I am quite excited about this post as I will be taking you through my search for the best cleanser! So now you are aware that this is not going to be “cleansing is an important ritual..” kind of post, rather I am going to share with you a few experiences that I have had with different cleansers.

It all began when I was in desperate need of a face wash that would prevent those annoying and troublesome zits which constantly surfaced on my T-zone. I have combination skin and I have had to endure them pimples a couple of years back when my hormones were playing around and just not willing to settle.. Though they were just one or two that appeared occasionally I couldn’t bear the sight of them! I decided it was time to find something that helped control these nasty things.. 

The Body Shop had just opened its first store in Chennai, (where I was studying then) and I was absolutely delighted about it. I visited their store a couple of days after it opened and picked up their ‘Tea-tree” cleanser which claimed to clear skin and keep it blemish free. I was totally excited about using it and I must say that it didn’t disappoint me. It showed results right away and I was beginning to love my skin. I continued using it for a good two years..(pretty long as I can get quite bored with these stuff very easily). However, the excitement began fading and I wanted to try something different..

I had been to the UK to visit my parents during one of my vacations where I was introduced to Lush Cosmetics.. I went “ga-ga” over their products and I used to spend most of my time in their store, sniffing away to glory.. their products are handmade, mostly natural and are some of the best smelling products ever..The friendly and cheerful store assistant introduced me to one of their best sellers- “The fresh pharmacy” a calamine based facial cleanser with rose, lavender and tea tree for sensitive skin that was prone to blemishes. I loved the smell of it and was even more impressed with what it did to my skin. 

However, the downside to it was that it was naked (Lush has minimalistic packaging and most of their solid products are naked..eeps!) and hence I found it difficult to store.. I was getting tired of dealing with a melting cleanser bar.. However I convinced myself that its benefits were more important. But I had to end my relationship with this wonder product when I moved to Singapore. Unfortunately it didn’t have a Lush store back then. I even wrote to them about setting up a store in Singapore and that I would be interested in a franchise (was I in a fantasy world?).. but they were kind enough to reply saying that they were already working on those lines and would get in touch with me if any future opportunity arose. (now, that was a great achievement in itself! :D)

I was excited that that Lush was coming to Singapore nevertheless I did not give up on searching for a new facial cleanser..

For now, I guess this story will have to pause here.. as there is much more to it and I will continue the remaining part in my next post.. The “Hero” of the story is yet to be revealed.. So keep watching this space for my next post :)  ..Until then, stay healthy and blessed!