Aromatherapy Associates Bath and Shower Oils: An Overview

Cult spa brand Aromatherapy Associates is available online from this year on Sephora web-stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

A selection of the brand's award winning bestsellers like the bath & shower oils, candles and skincare products can be purchased online, and if you're looking for the full range, you can stop by places like the Fullerton Spa to browse and experience them first-hand before making your purchase. 

I had the pleasure of trying 10 of their award winning Bath & Shower Oils via the Miniature Bath & Shower Oil Collection box recently, so here's an overview of the products, and a few of my personal faves.

The Miniature box (SGD$101) is a perfect starter kit for those new to Aromatherapy Associates, or new to aromatherapy in general. It contains 10 x 3ml of trial-size Aromatherapy Associates' oil blends, and each has a different usage purpose. What you do is tip a capful (in this case a 3ml bottle) into a hot bath, or massage it over your body before a shower.

1. Deep Relax - vetiver, camomile and sandalwood to promote tranquility and restful sleep
2. Light Relax - lavender, ylang ylang and petitgrain to promote light relaxation
3. De-Stress Mind - frankincense, petitgrain, wild camomile and rosemary to clarify, focus and organise your thoughts
4. De-Stress Muscle - rosemary, black pepper, lavender and ginger to warm and relax tight, sore muscles
5. Revive Morning - grapefruit, rosemary and juniper to invigorate and awaken
6. Revive Evening - geranium, ylang ylang, patchouli and sandalwood to re-energize and boost confidence
7. Support Breathe - eucalyptus, pine, tea tree and peppermint to decongest the sinus and clear the head
8. Support Lavender & Peppermint - lavender and peppermint to comfort and soothe the skin
9. Support Equilibrium - geranium, rose and frankincense to nurture and lift your spirit
10. Inner Strength - clary sage, frankincense and cardamom to boost positivism and strength

I was having fun exploring these one by one depending on how I was feeling. I don't have a bathtub, sadly, and I usually don't have time to lie in a tub for 40 minutes anyway. My preferred way to use these oils is to lightly dab them onto pulse points (inside the crook of the elbow, behind the ear, and massage gently.

The 3 that I found myself gravitating to more than the rest turned out to be Relax Light, Revive Morning, and Revive Evening. I love smelling the zingy tartness of Revive Morning first thing in the morning while I do my makeup and get ready for the day. And in the evenings after work, I'm not quite ready for deep relaxation so I go for Revive Evening for a little bit of an extra boost, or Relax Light to sooth myself.

I was at the Fullerton Spa for a bit of a pampering session recently, and the experience is a bit more prescriptive and customized there. 

First off, I went through a detailed consultation to understand how I was feeling on that particular day. Then based on the areas I seem to be needing the most "help", a few oils were selected for me to sniff. This was when I learnt that unlike perfumes, it's not always about choosing the scent that is most "pleasant".

After narrowing down to 2-3 options based on how you are feeling, you let your body tell you what it needs most, by checking which oil stands out and smells the strongest to you out of those options. (And believe me, the oils that stand out differ from day to day depending on how you're feeling.)

It being the middle of a stressful week, I ended up picking (no surprises) De-Stress Mind without seeing the bottle or knowing what it was for. And after a 30-minute aromatherapy and massage session with the herbal, citrus-resin scent of De-Stress Mind, I felt deeply relaxed but also nicely clear-headed.

I've yet to try a bottle as a pre-shower massage; I kinda wanted to savor them all, you know? But I'll probably pick a bottle (maybe Support Equilibrium) and do so soon. And that's one thing I really like about having 10 trial bottles in a set. You get to check out the full range and find out which ones really fit with your lifestyle and day-to-day needs, instead of deciding based on which notes sound the nicest. Your first thoughts and impressions sometimes do turn out to be wrong.

This box also makes a great gift for someone to explore the line without having to play guessing games with a $117 full-size bottle that you aren't sure they would like.

If you're looking for smaller gift options or something portable for yourself when you travel, check out the Perfect Partners duo ($49) or - my personal pick - the Relax and Revive Rollerball Duo ($48). Unlike concentrated perfume oils from brands like Le Labo, Dior, or Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs, these are bath and body blends, so the scents will dissipate in about 20-30 minutes as the essential oils absorb and evaporate. So you don't really need to worry about smelling like a walking spa. But I still wouldn't apply just before entering the lift because it smells quite strong for the first 5-10 minutes.

Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oils are made from high-quality natural oils and obviously blended for use on the body directly, but feel free to add a couple of drops to a tea-light burner (over some water) if you want.

I do also find it worthwhile mentioning Inner Strength, which is a little more "special" than most. Aromatherapy Associates founder Geraldine Howard is a cancer patient, and formulated Inner Strength during the most stressful and trying period of her illness. Besides helping her through the difficult time, 10% of proceeds from this spicy cardamom, clary sage and frankincense oil goes to the Defence Against Cancer Foundation, which is researching a new cancer vaccine treatment.

This oil starts out bracing, pungent and strong but slowly mellows out to a comforting and delicately sweet scent that reminds me of sugared chai tea...

If you know of someone in need of a little mental, physical and spiritual boost, this is a gift that does double-duty. Inner Strength Bath & Shower oil is not currently available on Sephora.sg, so you need to visit one of the spas to buy a bottle or a rollerball, but if you'd rather order online Sephora does sell a luxury soy candle in this scent.

I'm also curious about their facial oils (obviously) so that might be the thing to check out next!

Hourglass returns to Singapore

After a few years of absence (during which the brand pretty much reinvented face powders and went from an obscure niche name to a cult brand), Hourglass is finally back in Sephora Singapore.

And they are back with a vengeance. 

You can now find all the best-sellers, from the classic Veil Mineral Primer to the must-try Ambient Lighting Powders which put the brand on the map. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and Palette

There is a lot of hype, so my top 3 priority picks for you to check out are:

1. Ambient Lighting Powders - the hype is real. These ultra-fine, ultra-silky powders give a soft-focus perfected luminosity without emphasizing pores or looking metallic. There are two finishes, matte vs slightly pearlescent. I like both equally. (Check out Diffused Light for a great under-eye brightening powder.)
2. Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders - yes, I love my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors, but not everyone wants a high-sheen metallic look. The Hourglas Strobe powders have a knack of creating a subtler, polished, emanating-from-within, 8-glasses-of-water, 8-hours-of-sleep, 8-weeks-of-facial-and-juicing glow.
3. Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation - it's time for a return to a proper matte foundation with great coverage. This formula contains clay to absorb oil, and is perfect for hot humid weather. If you have normal to slightly-dry skin, you can skip the powder.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Three other worthy mentions include:

• Veil Mineral Primer
• Ambient Lighting Blushes
• 1.5 Mechanical Gel Eyeliner

These honorable mentions are good, but two are relatively new to me.

I feel primers tend to be as personal as mascaras; whether something works well on you or not depends what foundation and skincare you wear, so what I find fantastic may not work as well for you, and vice versa. I will just say if you're looking for a matte primer, this is worth trying.

As for the marbled blushes, they are gorgeous and silky, and I know a lot of people will buy at least one just to check out. They just aren't as game-changing as the other original Ambient Lighting powders. (Just my personal opinion - they might rock your world.)

One other cultish item which is still quite new to me is the 1.5mm Mechanical Gel Eyeliner. I'm one of those lazy people who will use pencils to create flicks, so I can get a gel-liner effect without having to wash a brush, and this just makes the job much easier. I'm still testing it out so I can't say how long-wearing it is compared to others but if you have some extra budget this is something to check out as well.

Hourglass VEIL Mineral Primer

I personally feel Hourglass consistently excels at face/skin products - especially face powders (powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter), so if you have to pick only one item this is where you should probably look.

Hourglass Modernist Eye palettes

You can stop by Sephora.sg from today onwards to check out the line (and enjoy free shipping over S$40 within Singapore) or stop by some of the stores to swatch and play first. I kinda suspect the bestsellers will go out of stock pretty quickly during the "launch rush", so you might need to move fast.

Get your Beauty Fix 24/7 on Sephora.sg!

Popular beauty e-destination Luxola has been rebranded to Sephora Singapore, and beauty addicts can now get their fix of cult skincare and makeup products anywhere, anytime, online on Sephora.sg.

Luxola has always been the place I go to for This Works and Becca products, which are not available offline in Sephora stores. It’s also a place to test out niche lines like Mirenesse, Alpha-H and LAQA, which might otherwise be hard to get hold of in Singapore.

But honestly, it’s just convenient if you’re busy (or feeling a bit lazy). 

Where else can you get hold of Marc Jacobs Beauty, Ren, Alpha-H and Becca at the same time, with free delivery over SG$40? Plus – you now get to choose whether to use your Sephora member loyalty discounts offline or online. And if you’re an existing customer of Luxola, your points automatically get transferred and combined with your Sephora points. Just go online, log in with your Luxola account and then register your Sephora card number. To find out more detailed information, check out the Loyalty section on the their FAQ page.

If you’re ready to start shopping but are still new to all this, here are a few things you can check out:

1. Marc Jacobs Beauty – some popular palettes and products from the line get sold out quickly in stores or just aren't available offline – like the gorgeous Style Eye-con No. 7 Palette in 220 The Lover. Grab it online if you see it.
2. ZOEVA – you know I keep going on about this niche brush brand because they have gorgeous, high-quality brushes at extremely reasonable prices; they’ve recently branched out into makeup as well but I’m a die-hard fan of their brushes first and foremost. Check out the 126 Luxe Cheek Finish brush and their 232 Luxe Classic Shader for eyeshadows.
3. Becca Cosmetics – This is a no-brainer for me. If you want to strobe like a boss, this is the brand to get you there. I use and love all their champagne toned highlighters, from the classics Opal and Moonstone, to the runaway hit, Champagne Pop. Or if you can’t decide, grab an Afterglow palette, which contains 3 shades of Shimmering Skin Perfector and 2 blushes in one neat little palette.
4. Butter London makeup – You can get the fantastic nail polishes in store (try the Patent Shine 10x Lacquers), but online is the place to get hold of their very-cool Shadow Clutch palette, Lippy Liquid Lipsticks and Bloody Brilliant Lip Crayons.
5. This Works In Transit Camera Close Up – Victoria Beckham and makeup legend Val Garland are both huge fans of this pre-makeup priming balm. It smooths and plumps dry or mature skin, reduces signs of fatigue and dehydration, and prepares it for makeup.

Well you can spend months exploring all the brands and products on Sephora.sg and not be done since they keep adding new things, but this is a start.

I’m personally still in the midst of trying new products of course, and next on my list is this Sephora 83 PRO Ultra-Liquid Foundation brush with the concave buffing head. SO interesting. Watch out for a review soon.

Extra tip!

While you’re browsing the site, don’t forget to also check out the “Monthly Specials” in the Quick Links section on the top left section. This page is regularly updated with new coupon codes and deals so you can try out samples (like a mini Burberry Kisses lipstick or an Erno Laszlo Phormula 3-9 skincare cream for example). This is a great way to check out new brands without a hefty investment. Or just score some free loot with your purchase.

Happy shopping!