Body Wash

Amazing!! Every time I visit Watson (Singapore's fave Walgreen's), I always come across new product of body wash. After the whitening and firming body wash frenzies last year (yes, you can get slimmer by showering, LoL), 2008 is all about the moisturizing body wash. The only reason I can come out with is may be the customers complains now their skin are dry after intensive usage of whitening products haha... Well, either way, our shower experience is definitely different now from 10 years ago.
Dove is the pioneer of it since a decade or so ago. Since then, lots of brands come out with its own moisturizing body wash. Here are some of good and nice body wash that you can try. ** My review is subjective based on my experience, other people may have a totally different experience, be it good or bad**

• Dove's Cool Moisture Beauty Body Wash ~ One of my fave Dove's product. I saw the ad first in Melbourne. It's displayed at Watson about weeks after that. What I like about it is the refreshing scent of Cucumber and Green Tea and it generates lots of foams (I like lots of foams). What about the moisturizer part? Well, it still has Dove's signature creamy texture no doubt, but for me, I never feel the moisturizer, still need to splash my own body lotion after shower. But it's a really nice product to use to enhance your shower experience.
• Dove's Firming Moisturizer Body Wash ~ Another product of Dove. I tried it last year and I like the scent of mix between the original Dove and hint of coconut (why coconut? don't ask me, that's what my nose told me). The firming effect? Never see it happen to me, but I find that its moisturizer is better than the cool moisture (green bottle) one.
• Johnson&Johnson Moisturizing Body Wash ~ Now J&J also come out with its range of body wash product. It's moisturizer body wash is targeted for the moms so that they don't feel left out haha (another definition of market expansion). They come out with 3 scents in color (I don't remember their label): baby pink, lavender and grey. I like the baby pink the best because it's different. When you lather the soap, you can feel its moisturizer and in Singapore, you can forget your own body lotion for a day or two after using this.
• T3 Acne Body Wash ~ This is not a moisturizing body wash but you should check it out if you have acne on your back. It has a relaxing eucalyptus scent and didn't dry out your skin despite it's not a moisturizing body wash. Cautions, this one is not cheap at about 15$ per big bottle. But it's definitely cheaper than Origins'.
• Palmolive's Pure Silk Moisturizing Body Wash ~ I've been curious about this product and finally bought it today. It come out in 2 scent, aloe vera and shea butter. I bought the shea butter because it smells nicer :). The moisturizing effect is satisfying, you'll feel protected after your shower. Not bad for 7.8$ per 650ml (on promo, I think). I don't really fancy other Palmolive's body wash as it leaves my skin dry, but definitely like this one.
• Origins' Skin Driver Active Charcoal Body Wash ~ I bought this the first time to fight my back acne problem. This body wash not to be used everyday so with its price, it doesn't hurt much to buy this. Combine this with a bath brush, you'll have a smooth acne-free back, which I have now (minus the acne marks and other naughty acne caused by snacking).
• BodyShop's Shower Gell ~ If you're so into scents, then you'll love Body Shop's products. It has lots of scents to choose from and with about 12$ per bottle (GSS sales price), you got yourself a bargain.
• Olay Body Wash ~ My fave body wash for my 6 years in US. Never change to other brand, well, I lied, changed to Caress once, but back to Olay again. It's cheap (especially when you buy it from Costco), smells nice and doesn't smell weird, the texture is very soft and moisturizes your body. So you can't go wrong with it and I never see it in Watson. Why o why?
• Bath and Bodyworks' Body Wash ~ I'm a fan of this brand and just must mention it for any body product review. Like Body Shop, it has tons of scents to choose from. I like its creamy body wash, tried the Citrus Basil scent and the scent easily fill the whole bathroom and linger there for awhile. So, the verdict, definitely love it. :)

For this post, I wish that I'd still living in US as LOTS of products not available here. For example, Dove has the body wash with Grapefruit scent and I never see Camay, Caress,or Olay body wash in here (how tragic).

Body Shop

In the midst of Great Singapore Sale aka GSS, BodyShop's been supportive as giving huge good deals on their products. I always see the outlets splattered with huge Sale signs with 20% or 30% or even 45% off. I'm not a huge fan of BodyShop. To me, BodyShop is the brand to buy when I'm desperately need of cream or lotions and there's no other brands worth buying in the same building. It happened to me when I was back in Jakarta with no moisturizer (ooo, yes, I'm vain, so what?) and other brands are obviously over priced. However, I've got to give thumbs up for their deals. After discount, their products are worth buying. Some of Body Shop products that I would recommend are:

• BodyShop's bath accessories ~ I particularly like their bath lilies. The price is still within a range about 5$ and it lasts quite long and the soft color doesn't fade off (note: Faceshop's green bath sponge fades off). Also, you should try their bath brushes (also available in lots of wonderful colors to match your bath lilies). It makes your bath expreience more exciting and your back clear from acnes.
• BodyShop's body butter ~ Note that it's called body butter but I never use it for my body. It's for my feet. My dear feet are very dry ever since I stop wearing socks. Foot butter are too sticky (depends on the brand) sometimes so this body butter is just a nice substitute. I like the Moringa scent (bought it when it's 34$ for 2 *grin*) on top of other scents (they always come out with the new scent every now and then).
• BodyShop's Vitamin E Moisture Serum ~ This is the product that I bought from the story above. At first I doubtful about it. I don't think I'll use this for my main serum. However, I can point you the good thing about it. If you wear make-up, this product doesn't cake up your make-up. So I'm quite happy with this one because Origin's moisturizers, although their are good and I've been using them for years, they don't go well with make up (too sticky then your powder will clump at 1 spot).

One thing that I don't like about BodyShop is that they charge the membership card. Other major brands like Kose, Shiseido, Origins, or Clarins don't even charge this. As long as you buy above 150$, you can sign up and expiry date varies. Origins is the best because they now implement the card, which means you can shop at any Origins counters, you don't need to bring the card for stamping, the free gift is not in super mini sizes and it'll last months, and after certain amount of purchase (either 500$,1000$ and so on) you get 1 full-sized product and the card expires about 2-3 years later. Kose's ranks the second with the Kose Beauty Center vouchers as a reward option (expiry in 1 year).

Bring Your Own Shopping Bag

Like last year, the TV is chirping the 'Saving Gaia' movement... again.... it will run this campaign on and on again for the whole month... I'm not against it but I'm not going to 100% support it. Why? Because it seems the major companies are cashing on their cash register in the name of the 'Saving Gaia' slogan. One of those enforcements is enforcing this initiatives called 'Bring your own shopping bag.' They're thinking on enforcing this every week. So, if you forgot to bring your own BIG BAG to supermarket, you HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LOUSY PLASTIC BAG FOR 10c EACH OR (even better) YOU CAN PURCHASE THEIR HOUSE BRAND (LOUSY) 'REUSABLE BAG.' The key word here is PAY. If you really support this 'Saving Gaia', eco friendly, green green or whatever they call it, you'll GIVEAWAY those bags FOR FREE, not burdening the customer with 10c plastic bags or 4$ reusable bags. I like supermarket plastic bags. It's not that i just waste those plastic bags. I reuse it to dump my garbages. Those garbage people will go mad if people throw their house garbage without the plastic bag. And now you need to buy those bag just for throwing your garbage (those black garbage bags next to the aluminum foil aisle)? Hmmm... You just ringing the cash to those supermarkets.

And oo, even better, IKEA's been enforcing the same thing too since last year. So, they expect the customer buy their stuffs (IKEA stuffs are not small), which definitely will fit at least 2 big IKEA plastic bags and you have to pay those shitty plastic bags (they are very thin now, not sturdy like the good old days)? Or another option is that you buy their yellow beanbag for 4 (can't remember exactly how much coz too pissed off)? Definitely not cheap. And definitely you won't go to IKEA bringing 10 reusable bags. The idea just doesn't make sense, even you drive your own car to IKEA. Eco friendly? Nooo, it's just another way to make money but disguise it as the global citizen initiatives.

And those people who buy this idea are just simply people who want to be deemed as 'oooo this person is eco-conscious.' If you're such a person, you'll go to your office nude (fabrics are made from synthetic materials now), your house will only have wood furniture -- oo wait a minute, wood furniture kill trees. No plastic, no TV, no PSP (your dearest latest tech gadgets), and off course, NO AIRCON. Wellcome back to the stone age :). So, don't talk so big about eco-friendly, start from small things etc. One people can make a difference? Hmm.... It's not that easy, dude, wake up, not all people have the same ideals as you, so you're gonna force your idea? What happen to the free speech, democratic ideals that also been preached for past centuries?