The Coolest Kid in the Tropics is Tarte's Eco-Glam "Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist

If you read my blog more often, you’d probably know that a product I absolutely cannot live without in the tropics, is a makeup setting spray. Recently, on a Friday night in Singapore’s Clubstreet, where you’re typically more busy sweating than partying, someone (that obviously does not read my blog) asked me how it was possible that my makeup always remained so flawless on nights like these. Setting spray, baby! Although I have quite a vast collection of these products at home to bulletproof my makeup, this week I just couldn’t leave Sephora without getting myself Tarte’s "Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist. Because of the 4-in-1 feature that I’m curious about, but maybe even more because everything about Tarte and the Rainforest of the Ocean collection is just too cool. 

First of all, I wish there would be more brands like Tarte. In fact, all brands should be like Tarte, combining glamorous makeup and naturally derived, good-for-you ingredients. The brand started in 2000 and offers eco-chic, cruelty-free cosmetics & hypoallergenic, vegan skincare. In my opinion, any brand that still does test on animals is seriously behind. However, every now and then I do -with a feeling of guilt and regret- purchase a product of not so cruelty-free brands like Lancôme and MAC, because in the past, quality and eco-friendly/cruelty-free didn't go hand in hand. This is not the case with Tarte; the quality of the products is top notch, mostly even better than aforementioned established brands and the likes.

What’s also really cool is that Tarte is not just a cruelty-free company, but also support the communities and environments where their most iconic ingredients are sourced. Key ingredients include Amazonian clay an Maracuja oil, which explains their work with cooperatives in the rainforest. Tarte also helps nourish the precious ocean ecosystem that brings them their Rainforest of the Sea complex (made from marine botanicals, like antioxidant-rich algae), by ensuring that sea turtles, some its most majestic creatures, are protected.

The Rainforest of the Sea Collection, characterized by its aqua, purple and gold packaging, is huge and consists of both makeup and skincare. With products like a hydrating ‘Water Foundation’, an ‘Aquacealer’ concealer, a ‘Quench Lip Rescue’ lipstick and of course the 4-in-1 setting mist, this collection is all about hydration, glow and skin.

The 4-in-1 Setting Mist, that was launched in 2019, acts as a primer, makeup setting spray, hydrating mist and skin refresher. The mist has a really zesty herbal scent to it, that reminds me of…citrus peels lying around in a hammam. Seriously. Pleasant and invigorating scent though. The top notes fade after 2-3 minutes, followed by milder aquatic notes. It promises to lock down makeup for 12 hours and is formulated with antioxidant-rich algae to help smooth fine lines, wrinkles and reduce the appearance of pores. Apart from ‘setting’ makeup, this spray gives a beautiful glow and makes foundation look softer and more natural.

Due to the scent, using the spray is a really refreshing sensation, yet the only thing I like less about this product is that the spray doesn't seem to come out very evenly (Urban Decay's setting sprays on the other hand do spray evenly and steadily); it comes out more like a spritz with varying amounts of product coming out per spray.

So far, I haven’t tried whether the spray really makes makeup last for up 12 hours, but a long humid night of dining out in 32°C (90°C) at La Braceria in Greenwood was good enough of a test to me, that this spray passed it with distinction.

"Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist
Full Size 75ml: 38 SGD
Travel Size 30ml: 20 SGD

Available exclusively at Sephora and through Tarte's own website (ships to pretty much all countries in SEA!)

Lip Hybrids: All-in-one Sun Protection, Lipcare & Makeup

Yay, the sun is shining again in Singapore! With the South-East Asian haze decreasing, it’s finally time to enjoy more of our time outside. Exposing ourselves to the sun, protection for the lips is often forgotten. Forget the boring, medical-looking lip balms and chapsticks; in Asia, a variety of makeup-like lipcare with SPF is available that make it too fun too to ever forget to care for your lips again.

The skin of our lips is thin, incredibly sensitive and prone to sunburn. Whereas sunscreen and sun blocks are widely available from different brands in an overwhelming amount of different product types (spray, foam, mousse, milk, gel – to mention just a few), lip care with SPF is often forgotten – both by consumers and cosmetic companies.

In sun-fearing Asia, the lipcare market comes across somewhat more developed than it seems to be in Europe, and a solid variety of basic lip balms with SPF are available. The better news however, is that in addition to these ordinary and plain, often medical looking SPF balm sticks, a type of product exists that makes wearing SPF protection more fun and attractive than ever before: a hybrid type of SPF lipcare that cares and protects, but looks like makeup – LOVE!

The principle is very simple; basically it’s just protecting lipcare that adds some colour to your lips as well. Some balms are coloured already, whereas most are ‘colour-changeable’: these products look like regular white or colourless lip balms, but provide a pinkish hue upon application on the lips. 

In Europe, I sporadically came across some pink coloured lipcare with a pearly effect, but from what I recall, these products were mainly targeted at teenage girls. The products I'm talking about here are different from anything I've seen so far - I wouldn’t know how else to describe them than a ‘hybrid’of sun protection, lipcare and makeup. Watsons’ product offer is poetically called “Sunscreen Magical Lip Balm”, whereas other brands such as Maybelline market theirs as “Baby Lips SPF 20 Balm” – pretty straight forward, apart from the additional mentioning of the colour, which is “Cherry Velvet”. Time for some testing: what is available, and what is it like?

PRODUCT REVIEWS: 

(1) Silky Girl “Silky Lips” Multi-Vitamin Lip Balm – SPF 15

Shade: 02 Candy Pink

Price: 4,90 SGD

Available at a.o. Sasa, Watsons & Guardian.

Product Promise: “A strawberry-flavoured sheer, pink-tinted lip balm enriched with multivitamins (A, B, C & E) to protect and nourish lips so that lips remain healthy, soft and supple all day. With SPF 15 to protect against damaging UV rays. Provides up to 8 hours of moisture.”

Fragrance: Strawberry…fields full of (artificial) strawberries.

Taste: Artificial Strawberry, like in tooth-achingly sweet, neon pink strawberry bubblegum. But this fades after less than 5 minutes.

Result: This is the only lip balm that is coloured from the start already, i.e. not ‘magically’ colour-changeable upon application on the lips. The pink colour is sufficiently visible on my lips, yet is not too present. It’s more matte than shiny. For me personally, this is the exact right shade of pink and I love the degree of visibility; not too little, not too much, exactly right. After a few hours, my lips still feel smooth.

I furthermore like that the shape/applicator of the stick is slim, which makes it pleasant to apply. Moreover, the product doesn’t feel greasy or sticky on my lips. Sometimes a lip balm creates  a somewhat dry feeling in my mouth, but not this one! Like!

Rating: 9/10.       

(2) Maybelline “Baby Lips” Lip Balm – SPF 20

Shade: Cherry Velvet

Price: 5,90 SGD

Available at a.o. Sasa, Watsons & Guardian.

Product Promise: 

"Tired of the same promise? Go one step further, from Maybelline New York. Adult strength care for baby soft lips.”

Furthermore, this product promises instant hydration, 12 hours of moisture, supple & smooth looking lips all day long; and as cherry on the pie, fine lines should be visibly reduced as well, and lips should feel plump…

Fragrance: Cherry, but very subtle and not too sweet. The scent fades pretty fast.

Taste: Unmistakably Cherry; very present when applying, but fades away after less than 15 minutes.

Result: The shade and shine are subtle, yet very sexy; the “je ne sais quoi” and “I’m such a natural beauty” look. After 3 hours, the colour is mostly gone and I only feel a very distant hint of balm on my lips; my lips feel good though, really moisturized and ‘cared’ for. This product is close to perfect.

Rating: 9/10.      

(3) Watsons’ “Sunscreen Magic Lip Balm” - SPF 30

Shade: N/A

Price: 5 SGD 
Available at Watsons

Product Promise:

“This Magic sunscreen lip balm protects against sun damage and thermal aging. Enriched with vitamin E, this lip balm nourishes the lips and prevents dryness caused by sun damage. Along with a magically delicious pink tint, it keeps your lips looking healthy and natural.”

Fragrance: A mix between candy (I think I smell cherry…and bubblegum) and sunscreen. It reminds me of my childhood, of a Barbie soap that I used to have when I was very little. Good memories though.

Taste: Turns out to be Raspberry; no Cherry.

Result: I like that the shape/applicator of the stick is slim, which makes it pleasant to apply. 

Before applying, the stick itself is white and shows no colour; upon application on the lips however,  

the colour transforms to a hard to miss raspberry-like dark pink. Honest hubby-feedback:

Husband:            “Are you wearing a new lipstick?”

Me:                       “No, it’s a lip care balm actually. Can you see I’m wearing it?”

Husband:            “Yeah, your lips are kind of purple.”

Me:                       “….”      

I agree with The Husband; this shade is too present and a bit too purple for me.

Rating: 5/10.

(4) Mentholatum “Perfect Lip” Essence Balm – SPF 26

Shade: Sakura Pink

Price: 6,50 SGD

Available at a.o. Watsons & Guardian.

Product Promise: 

"The treatment power of essence embodied in an innovative colour changeable lip balm.” 

“Perfect 3 benefits in one lipbalm to treat, moisturize & colour your lips all at one-go.”

“Colour changeable to a perfect sakura pink shade based on your unique lip tone.”

Fragrance: None; fragrance-free                                      

Taste: None

Result: As this balm is colour-changeable, it promises to give my lips “a perfect sakura pink shade based on my unique lip tone”. I don’t see any difference, my lips just look natural, however they do look very healthy. Maybe I already have a very unique lip tone.

Funny enough, on pictures the colour on my lips is a lot more visible…maybe this product is designed for the selfie-addicted generation? I like that it’s taste and fragrance free, which makes me forget that I’m wearing it. Not a big fan of the product packaging, that looks a bit cheap and childish in my opinion.

Rating: 7/10.                                                      

CONCLUSION:

Silky Girl and Maybelline Baby Lips are my absolute favourite lipcare meets makeup SPF lip balms. Maybelline has a higher SPF (20, vs 15 in Silky Girl) and gives a subtle sexy shine to the lips, but I love the matte pink hue of Silky Girl just as much. I’ll just keep using both, depending on what protection and effect I’m looking for. These products are keepers!

Oi mates, I'm off to Australia!

Lashes in the Lush will be back end of November!

Asian Beauty Ingredients Discovered: Placenta in Skincare

Upon my arrival last summer, a large, nationwide outdoor advertising campaign promoting Horse Placenta pills was to be seen everywhere in Singapore. In Europe, I had heard of placenta in skincare before, which -not surprisingly- was labelled Frankenstein Business and served as a very vivid illustration of how far people go for beauty, mentioned alongside bee venom and bloody Dracula facials. What astonished me about this campaign in Singapore was the fact that the consumption of placenta was promoted to a larger public: apparently, placenta as an ingredient or supplement is no shady backdoor business in Asia and targets the masses instead.

In Singapore and most other Asian countries, consumption of placenta is not limited to pills containing horse placenta. Companies are selling placenta from horses, sheep and pigs in a plethora of formats, like drinks, capsules, skin creams and facial masks. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been using placenta medicinally for thousands of years. Li Shizhen, still considered to be the greatest scientific naturalist of China, first wrote about placenta as a medicine in the 1500’s.When eaten, dried human placenta aids women in the recovery from childbirth, lost hormones restoration, lactation augmentation, shortening bleeding time, and preventing post-natal depression. When extracts of placenta are used in skincare, it is believed to support the skin’s renewal system to repair and rejuvenate ageing cells and damaged tissues.

What does placenta promise for my skin?

The placenta or afterbirth is a temporary endocrine organ that connects the developing foetus to the wall of the uterus, to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination and gas exchange via the mother’s blood, fight against internal infection and produce hormones to support pregnancy. The placenta is also responsible for the production of steroid hormones (progesterone and estrogen) and protein hormones (chorionic gonadotropins, placental lactogens and relaxin).

The common believe is that, as the placenta’s role is to carry growth factors, oxygen, blood and nutrients to a growing foetus, these cell growth factors in placenta boost collagen production, rejuvenate deteriorating cells and tissues to restore the skin’s youth and vitality. As stated, it is a believe, and so far there is no scientific evidence whether or not placenta has a positive or negative effect when applied to skin – there are as many assumptions pro as con. On the one hand, placenta contains a number of nourishing components that could be beneficial for skin. On the other hand, endocrinologists warn that there is insufficient knowledge regarding the long-term effects of growth hormones used for anti-aging like placenta skincare. 

I wasn't particularly looking forward to smear placenta on my face, but after this note on possible dangers of growth hormones, I really start to resent it. Moreover, the fact that placenta used in skincare comes from animals raises quite some ethical questions to me personally, but none of the other sources seems to be concerned with this...

PRODUCT REVIEW: White Label “Premium Placenta Eye Cream”

The product that I decided to test is Miccosmo’s White Label “Premium Placenta Eye Cream”, that promises me ‘intense care for dark eye circles and wrinkles for eyes’. As I continue reading, the promises get even better:

“Placenta is a substance to inject into the eyes that cosmetic surgery used for coping with dark eye circles. The effect appears quite fast and at the same time there is brightening effect as well.”

Please note that this description in broken English aren’t my own words, but is literally what the packaging says; I presume that ‘inject into the eye’ is a translation error and must not be taken literally!

Miccosmo is a Japanese brand that offers a wide variety of skincare products with placenta under the name “White Label”. All products are advertised by an innocent looking, beaming baby. First I was afraid that the newborn was a hint to the placenta he/she just let go off, but fortunately the website says the following:

“This is a new texture eye cream with a generous amount of placenta extract, which will make your eyes look brighter immediately. With the soft focus effect, your eyes will be like a baby's eyes immediately after applying the cream. The cream also contains collagen and hyaluronic acid to give extra firmness and moisture to your eyes.”

The Placenta extract that is used, is sworn to be limited to “only carefully-selected Japanese-made placenta extract”. What kind of placenta is used, is not further specified in the ingredient list, nor on company’s website. This question is quickly answered though, as the product that I bought in Singapore has a sticker on it that says “contains ingredients not suitable for Muslims” - so, pig’s placenta it is!

The cream is white but has a very light pinkish hue to it, and is fragrance-free. Upon application aroud my eyes, it actually feels pretty good; smooth and nourishing, but not heavy or sticky. It blends in very quick and doesn't leave any residue on my skin. Texture-wise I definately like it!

But what about the effects? I have tried this product for a full week, using it twice a day. 

From left to right (second row magnified): 

(1) Day 1 - Bare Skin (No Cream) 

(2) Day 7 - Bare Skin (No Cream) 

(3) Day 7 - Cream just applied

On the short term, the cream promised fast effects for the dark circles under my eyes: "your eyes will be like a baby's eyes immediately after applying the cream". Well did they?? See above and judge for yourself. I think a difference between the middle and right pictures can be noticed, but it's not necessarily better or more baby-like in my opinion.

On the longer term, firmness and moisture was promised to me. I must say, the cream did make the skin under my eye look and feel a bit firmer and better moisturized, but not in any larger degree than most other eyecreams do. However; if you compare the pictures in detail, it does seem like the fine lines under my eye were a little bit deeper a week ago (i.e. before using the Placenta Eye Cream). Although this is a great result, it could be due to other ingredients in the cream as well - I will try out another eyecream of Miccosmo (there is quite a large product range available) to see what a similar product without placenta does - I will definitely share the results with you!

CONCLUSION:

Although the cream has a very pleasant texture, is absorbed by my skin very well and does seem to smoothen fine lines, it only partly delivers what it promises - no significant immediate effects. Moreover, it can't be said whether the improvements are caused by the placenta or whether it should be attributed to other ingredients in the cream. Further research will be conducted and shared with you :)

I nevertheless decided not use this product, or any other product with placenta, again, until more scientific research is done regarding its effects on skin - in particular on any possible negative effects of hormones in skincare. In addition, I have my doubts on animal welfare as placenta comes from sheep, horses, pigs and deer. 

So unless placenta hormones prove to be save and the placenta comes from a well-cared for mother pig that hapily jumps around in a big green field with her baby piglets that are not bred for (mass)consumption (keep dreaming...), I will not come near anything with placenta unless I have to.

Miccosmo "White Label Premium Placenta Eye Cream"

Tube of 30ml for 16,90 SGD.

I bought this product at John Little Department Store in Plaza Singapura, but basically all drugstores and perfumeries have products with placenta. 

A read you won't regret: "Beauty Confidential" on DIY Skincare & Instant Home Spas

As devoted beauty junkie, my bookcase is filled with all the standard works on makeup and cosmetics. Like my monthly Vogue, most of these books are like bibles to me. Many, however, don't go any deeper than tips and tricks on creating the perfect smokey eye or finding the best brow shape for your face. Recently, I've been able to add a bit more depth to my library with Tomoka Y. Nguyen's book "Beauty Confidential". This book unveils the ugly truth about mass market personal care products and bursts with everything you need to know to care for your skin instead - in a wholesome and natural way, all by yourself. Great me-time read while chillaxing in your personal Home Spa, as well as a thoughtful gift for the upcoming holidays!

Now this is a true power woman and inspiration: Tomoka Y. Nguyen, a veteran in the Spa & Wellness industry, made it her mission to make us happier, healthier and more beautiful by sharing her knowledge on homemade natural skincare. The Japanese, Singapore-based guru acquired her expertise as a.o. Director of Spa at ESPA, Resorts World Sentosa, and The Peninsula Bangkok, so this lady obviously knows what she's talking about.

Her book, Beauty Confidential, is a result of more than 5 years of extensive research and provides a peak behind the scenes of today’s beauty industry. It unveils what big businesses won’t tell you about personal care products, while suggesting a number of simple, easy-to-implement remedies to benefit your health, the environment and your wallet.

What I love about Tomoka's book, is that it's "real", super practical and very down to earth. At times, the widespread going healthy & green consumer movement can really get on my nerves - I mean, if everyone could just stop flashing their hyped-up overnight chia puddings and organic acai-bowls on instagram, I would be so happy...This book, however, just tells it as it is, in an honest and non-preaching holier-than-thou way. While cosmetic companies constantly try to seduce us with supposedly innovative ingredients, we can actually find many safe, wholesome and effective-as-skincare ingredients within our reach instead. Grains,  vegetable  oils,  herbs,  fruits,  as  well  as  clays,  and  essential  oils, for example,  can  be  used  to  make  a  wide  range  of  really good  skincare  products! Think oats, orange peel, ginger, turmeric, tamarind, sesame oil, cinnamon, avocado oil, and -yes- wodka. You read that right; wodka is a fragrance-free  alcohol  that can  be  used  as  a  solvent  for  herbs - bring in the Belvedère!

And then there's the chapter on creating your own home spa: absolutely brilliant. Simple measures like music, plants, candles, essential oil burners and a cup of tea in between or during your bathing rituals are all you need. I personally love Lumira scented candles for an instant luxurious spa feel, in particular Balinese Ylang Ylang and Tropical Gardenia (75 SGD per candle, available in Singapore at Bungalow 55). If you feel like you need something stronger than a tea, go for a tubside Tea Cocktail like a White Tea Vodka Smash (here that Belvedère comes in handy again, I'm all for not wasting ingredients!) or Matcha Highball.

Tomoka's tips for an instant Home Spa: just add candles, crystals, plants and a cup of tea. Or, my tip, something stronger.

Do keep an eye on this lady, as she is only getting started; she is currently developing her line of chemical-free personal care products, JOJOMOKA Homemade Skincare, which is target for launch in 2019. In the mean time, be sure to get a copy of Beauty Confidential!

BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL – Build Happiness, Health and Beauty With Homemade Skincare Products And Home Spa, by Tomoka Y. Nguyen
Price: US$24
Available at a.o. Kinokuniya in Singapore and online at Tomoka's website and Amazon (for Kindle).

It's your lucky day, because there's a PROMO CODE you can use to purchase the book for only US$18 through Tomoka's website!
- Go to https://jojomoka.net/books/beauty-confidential/
- Insert promo code 'LaunchPromo' upon checking out (not applicable for in-store purchase)
- Valit until December 20th 2019

Versace Eros pour Femme - Sensual Seductiveness that proofs to be fresh enough for the hot and sweaty tropics

As the fragrances that I adored for many years turned out to smell different in the tropical environment of Singapore, this gave me a good reason to shop for a new perfume. Two requirements: (1) the perfume needs to interacts well with the new South East Asian chemistry of my sweaty, spice-secreting skin,  and (2) as I used to liked warm and rich fragrances before, my new perfume should be both deep and sensual, yet fresh enough for my daily life in the tropical lushes. I gladly found a new favourite in Versace’s ‘Eros pour Femme’…

As mentioned in my post about the reasons WHY a perfume smells different in another environment than that you are used to,  I love deep base notes of Amber, Bourbon Vanilla and Tonka Beans. My favourite perfumes combine these rich and sensual base notes with lighter notes of white flowers in the top and heart notes – for many years, my favourites have been Christian Dior’s Dior Addict (Mandarin Leaves, Night Queen Flower, Orange flower, Bourbon Vanilla, Sandal Wood and Tonka Bean) and Pure Poison (Bergamot, Jasmine, Gardenia, Orange Blossom, White Amber, Sandalwood, Musk) and Keiko Mecheri’s Datura Blanche (Date Tree Blossom, Indian tuberose, Heliotrope, Bitter Almonds, Tonka Bean and Madagascar vanilla).

Taken together,  my findings provided a good reason for me to go shopping for a new perfume: one that interacts well with the new South East Asian chemistry of my sweaty, spice-secreting skin and that is both deep and sensual , as I like it, but also fresh enough for the tropical lushes. And boy, did I find one!

PRODUCT REVIEW: EROS POUR FEMME BY VERSACE

Versace launched this new Eau de Parfum for women as an addition to the popular men’s edition Eros that was introduced in 2012. Eros Pour Femme was launched in Italy in December 2014, and hit the shelves in Asia in the summer of 2019. This new legend is bursting with the passion of when Eros, the god of love, meets his true love: a goddess embodying the primal power of a woman in a very sensual way. A radiant and strong woman that enjoys the game of seduction. I absolutely LOVE the Ad for this fragrance as it really conveys the feeling of the perfume, check it out below!

The fragrance: seductive

The fragrance is indeed very seductive and has a very sexy, primal yet crisp feeling to it. Key words to describe  this fragrance would be attraction, desire, sensuality and passion. 

The opening of the fragrance reminds me of cologne, as it is somewhat sharp due to the top notes of fresh Sicilian Lemon, Calabrian Bergamot and Pomegranate.

After the top notes have vanished (after a few minutes, so give it some time), the heart of the fragrance emerges: Lemon, Sambac Jasmin and Peony. Jasmine gives the fragrance a sensual round base, whereas Peony, a freshly sweet floral note, adds a playful and seductive touch to it. The Lemon is not very perceptible in my opinion, however the floral heart of the fragrance has a stimulating fresh hint to it that creates a  very addictive effect . I can’t stop sniffing the part of my skin where I sprayed the perfume, again and again, over and over…seriously seductive and addictive!

The base notes of this fragrance are deep and velvety without being overwhelming: ambrox (comparable to Ambergris, which has a subtle sweet and earthy scent ), sensual and smooth woods, creamy sandalwood and Musk. Very sexy and feminine, but also very sophisticated.

The fragrance was created by renowned perfumers Alberto Morillas (a.o.  Kenzo Flower, Carolina Herrera 212, Marc Jacobs Daisy) Olivier Cresp (a.o. Swarovski Aura, Yves Saint Laurent Elle, Givenchy Ange ou Demon) and Nathalie Lorson (a.o. Dolce & Gabbana D & G Pour Femme, Bvlgari Voile de Jasmin), which aren’t the least names in the industry – the mentioned fragrances from their hand are just a few, as the entire list of classics and best-sellers that they have created over the years is too long to mention here.

The bottle: Glam Glam Glam

I love some good rock-star glamour, yet Versace is habitually over the top in both its fashion and fragrances for my liking, at times leaning towards tacky. As you would expect from Versace, the fragrance bottle is very glam and shiny, however not too much in my opinion! The glass bottle is rounded and embellished with a prominent gold plate that has a relief Medusa, Versace’s logo, that is hard to miss. The edges of the gold plate show a classical Greek motif, and the heavy gold cap has a large Medusa relief as well on top. Hard to miss, but within the limits of over the top blingy glam that I can handle. 

CONCLUSION: ADDICTED!

I absolutely adore this scent, and am sure this is one I will be using for years. For me personally, this perfume turns out to be the perfect new favourite for the tropics.  I love the fact that the fragrance is sensual and seductive, yet has a tantalizing fresh hint to it that lasts for hours. The fragrance lasts medium long, and is not affected by heat, sweat or humidity on my skin.

Versace Eros pour Femme is available at Sephora, department stores and perfumeries:

Eau de Parfum 30ml - 105 SGD

Eau de Parfum 50ml - 140 SGD

Eau de Parfum 30ml - 185 SGD

Perfume Panic - Why does my favourite fragrance smell different in the tropics?!

As a fragrance addict, I always imagined that it would be the biggest perfume-related disaster if my favourite perfumes were to be discontinued. Recently I experienced a catastrophe scoring just as high on the disaster scale: the perfumes that I have been wearing for years suddenly smell different since I moved from Europe to Singapore! Why do the fragrances that we otherwise adore and that work very well for us, suddenly smell different in a another environment? It turns out there is more behind this than just a change in mood or preference…

I love fragrances, but rarely find one that I stick to. But when I do, I will use the same scent(s) for at least 10 years or even longer. It’s amazing how scents can bring back very vivid memories, and as a result we often associate a fragrance with a person or an era very strongly. Let’s be honest, we are all prone to dislike an otherwise great perfume just because it reminds us of a malicious ex (or whatever other nasty person).  Same goes for specific eras; I have used Ralph Lauren Romance all the way through college, and although it’s an absolutely amazing scent, but it now reminds me of stressful semesters, exams and endless nights in the University Library whenever I smell it.

What scents we like is very diverse and incredible subjective, and also changes over time. Over the years, my own preference slowly shifted from fresh floral scents to rich and sensual scents, that tend to last and linger for a very long time. For years now, my favourite perfumes have been Dior Addict, Dior Pure Poison and Keiko Mecheri’s Datura Blanche, a niche brand. As said, I always feared the day that any of these fragrances would be discontinued…

Not discontinued, but equally disasterous:suddenly the perfumes that I could not live without and regarded as a substantial part of my being, just didn’t feel and smell right anymore after I moved to Singapore. I initially suspected that one of the fragrances had gone bad, as cosmetics have a ‘best before’ date just like food. I switched to another one of my favourite fragrances, but the exact same happened: the perfumes that I love smell different in hot and humid South East Asia. What happened?! The actual reasons proved to be incredibly interesting, but might require an educational ‘Perfume 101’ (read article here) to prep you for the Science and Art of Perfume…

1. The Environment: Climate & Temperature

You either already knew, or just learned from the Perfume 101 how a perfume develops over time after you applied it on your skin, and what type of notes can be sensed at what moment accordingly. Heat turns out to have a large effect on this particular development over time: the actual temperature of the environment we live in affects how, and how long a fragrance ‘wears’ and how we sense it. The mechanism behind this is the fact that heat energizes the chemical reactions that release fragrance from your skin. The hotter the environment (and hence our skin), the more intense and extra rapidly the notes evaporate from our skin, resulting in a different scent-sensation than in a cold(er) environment.

For this exact reason, many perfume brands have an annual Limited Edition or Summer Fragrance that comes out when temperatures rise – these versions of the fragrances smells more or less similar, but the notes are adjusted (some are left out, some are added) to make up for the fastened release from our skin when exposed to higher temperatures than usual.

Besides temperature, another environmental impact that affects fragrance is altitude; the higher the altitude, the more muted the impact of a perfume and the shorter the fragrance life. As I come from the Dutch lowlands, where I used to wear my fragrance meters below sea level, this might also be a big part of the explanation for me specifically J

 2. Your Skin Chemistry: Sweat & Spicy Food

  

Skin chemistry has a large impact on how a scent develops and is influenced by many different factors. A well-known illustration of how skin chemistry affects a scent, is the fact that your friend’s perfume smells amazing on her, yet doesn’t do much for you. Each individual's skin chemistry is made up from a sum of factors like genes, diet, hormones, medication (antibiotics, for example), smoking, stress, sweat and –again- temperature, as heat affects the bacteria that live on our skin.

A factor that applies in the tropics specifically, is first of all our elevated levels of sweat and moisture. The chemicals in our perspiration affect the balance and scent of the fragrance. Moreover, heat-related sweat deposits salt and other minerals that stay behind on the surface of the skin and mix with the molecules of the fragrance. Humidity, apart from the sweat resulting from it, dilutes the fragrance and makes it evaporate more quickly.

Secondly, as our diet is different in South East Asia than in Europe or the US, this has a particularly large influence on the way perfumes alter on our skin, at least for me as I enjoy eating lots of local food (Nasi Lemak! Chili Crab!). I’ve always liked spicy food, so Singapore is Food Heaven to me. I don’t just eat more spicy food, but also spicier food than I’m used to. The skin is an excretory organ, and spicy foods spice up the oils secreted through the pores of our skin, which impacts the fragrance.

3. Subjective Perception: Feelings & Associations

Finding out the above, I did feel relieved that there are plausible causes for why my perfumes don't do what they used to, and that my assumption of how my fragrances smell different in Singapore proved to be correct instead of something ‘between my ears’. 

However, a third and final factor that influences how we perceive and sense our perfume must not be underestimated: our own subjective perceptions. Whereas I loved deep and rich fragrances in cold and rainy Holland, wearing fragrances that would be described as ‘warm’ simply feel like ‘too much’ and too heavy in the already so hot tropical climate I reside in daily. Imagine this for a moment: when you are sweating your way through the tropical heat, a scent that you associate with sensations of freshness and cooling down (like cold ocean water or fresh fruits) is much more appealing than the warm associations we have with scents of Amber, Leather, Cinnamon or Myrrh. 

Fortuantely, If you're into heavier scents, it is not necessary to abruptly switch to an aquatic breezy water scent that is far from your preference. But you might want to experiment with perfumes with (a few) fresher notes than you would usually prefer. Which is what I did: all together, my findings provided a good reason to go shopping for a new perfume: one that interacts well with the new South East Asian chemistry of my sweaty, spice-secreting skin; and that is both deep and sensual , as I like it, but also fresh enough for the tropical lushes. And boy, did I find one…

Curious to what perfume I fell in love with for the tropics? Find out later today...!