Rive Sud Interior Rosewood Candle

Once in awhile, I go off the deep end for a home fragrance. It's happened again. This time, the culprit is a brand that is new on the fragrance scene: Rive Sud Interior. I was sent press samples from this French company, in the form of small candles about 3 ounces- a great size that is unfortunately not available for purchase at this time. The only size you can buy is their mega-huge 3-wick 1100 gram size.

My favorite of the two scents I was sent is far and away Rosewood. It is beyond gorgeous. The throw is excellent, it's a creamy, woody, sensual fragrance that is so chic, suits all of my many moods and always seems appropriate. I really felt the loss when it was gone! I can see Rive Sud being carried by US niche shops like Lucky Scent/ Scent Bar, and I truly hope that happens, along with the expansion of size options (like the ones pictured on their website- it looks like there's a mid-size option that isn't available yet).

If my home fragrance budget were king-sized, I'd buy this baby in a heartbeat, and I'd repurchase again and again. It is a very sexy scent, with or without the beautiful tattooed brunette holding it.

There are four fragrances available: #1 Acqua di Latte, #2 Cap Ferrat Les Pins, #3 Via Della Basilica, #4 Rosewood. The other one I tried besides Rosewood is Via Della Basilica, which I found to be very charming- an aromatic/herbal incensey number that just isn't fragranced intensely enough for my taste, as described perfectly by Gaia of The Non Blonde.

Rive Sud Interior candles are available in full sizes at 250 Euros each for a 3-wick, 1100 gram candle (pictured above) directly from rivesudinterior.com.

Aftelier Perfumed Beeswax Candles

Just when my frenzied passion for candles was waning enough to be in danger of cycling back to incense exclusively, Mandy Aftel launches three limited edition (of only 23) perfumed candles. They're each 3oz and burn for approximately 18 hours, they're hand-poured and made with 100% pure beeswax. If you were one of the lucky few to snag her candles that were available last holiday season, you know how special they are.

The votive vessels are exceedingly impressive on their own, with coiled strung glass seed beads in a color appropriate to the scent it's paired with. Each candle has a very distinct personality, and when they are lit, they blossom into their full glory.

A fine candle has a way of engaging multiple senses when it's lit, and when every detail has been carefully thought out and executed by hand with luxury in mind, the experience is unmatched. These Aftelier perfumed candles afford that rare experience, and in my opinion are not to be missed.

Lemon Basil ($35)
The fresh aromatic qualities of this blend makes it the most versatile of the three. Not just a kitchen candle, the brightness of lemon and the sharpness of basil together produce a sort of neon anisic quality that is not only delicious, but addictive too.

Campfire ($45)
Campfire is powerfully reminiscent of the real thing, with emphasis on the smokiness. The wax is a lovely shade of mahogany and the vessel's seed bead embellishment is red, which further enhances the coziness of the scent. You don't even need to light this candle to scent the room-- its diffusiveness is very impressive. Campfire is a rich, woody trip down memory lane for former summer campers. Just bring your own lanyard-making supplies and fixins for S'mores.

Root Beer Candy (circa 1972) ($35)
Lastly, there's Root Beer Candy, my favorite. It definitely smells like the real thing, and it's worth mentioning that the "circa 1972" part was aptly used to qualify the name. Old-school root beer barrel candies have a certain flavor to them that I could never have dreamed could be captured in a candle fragrance, but it's all there. A little sweet, a lot sassafrass-y, and a pure, unexpected delight. On a related note, if this were available in perfume form, I'd wear it ALL the time.

All three limited edition perfumed candles are available for purchase at Aftelier.com right now, but fair warning: there are only 23 of each to go around. If you pick just one to buy, don't worry, you really can't go wrong. These are a major treat for anyone who enjoys creating a warm and inviting living space. The cheerful disposition of these scents come through even when they're not lit, as they are very highly fragranced.



[samples sent to me by the creator for my consideration]

Organic Home Fragrance: NuboNau Trinity Candle in Refresh

Is it possible to create a luxury spa-quality candle with all of the proven aromatherapeutic benefits of natural, certified organic essential oils, with all the sophistication you desire, and none of the cliche trappings of aromatherapy (i.e. health food store smell, hippie, kitschy, crunchy)? Oh, yeah. It is.

NuboNau Organika candles are beautiful  in their simplicity, like a neutral-color Calvin Klein sheath dress for your personal environment. They burn cleanly and evenly, and the scent throw is excellent, yet it's never overwhelming. Each candle is hand-poured and fragranced with 100% certified organic (by the Soil Assn.) essential oils, sustainable vegetable and plant waxes are used, as well as lead-free, unbleached  cotton wicks. There are no synthetic stabilizers or boosters-- in fact, they contain nothing synthetic at all.

There are three fragrances available: Tranquility, Euphoria and Refresh. I asked Hazel, the owner of the NuboNau Skin Care Boutique in Encinitas, California, to choose a blend for me based on my scent preferences, and I received the Trinity (3-wick) candle in Refresh. It was immediately clear to me that it is perfect for my home environment, which includes a very picky husband. He loved Refresh instantly, as I did.

As for the fragrance, citrus oils are the most prominent scent element, with a persistent herbal undertone. It just makes me want to take deep breaths, and I can safely do that without any smoke-related carcinogens hovering in the air. I don't know exactly which oils comprise the Refresh aromatherapy blend, but to give you an idea of its scent, I think it probably contains a combination of several of the following:
eucalyptus, geranium, bergamot, neroli, juniper, cypress, lemon balm (melissa), lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, ylang ylang

This candle creation is not a passive object, it goes to work for you. It calms nerves, sharpens focus and squashes harmful inner monologues; it's literally an anti-depressant. From the sublime fragrance blend to the satisfyingly clean and stark presentation with a special silver lid etched with what looks like a Mandala, it's an unfussy ode to the simple perfection that exists only in nature.

I adore the re-usable magnetic-flap boxes!

I've also had the opportunity to try votives of the other two candle scents- Tranquility and Euphoria, and they are both lovely, but Hazel was spot-on by pairing me up with Refresh. We were just meant to be.

The NuboNau Trinity 3-wick Candle is $95 and is available on their website or in-store. The Duo Votive Set is $59 with a choice of 3 fragrances (Tranquility, Refresh, Euphoria). NuboNau also carries a lot of my favorite natural and organic beauty brands, and they also put together great little themed gift sets (of mixed-brand origin, which is wonderful). They also have The Facial Room, where signature facial services are offered using Aromatherapy Associates, Pai and Ila Spa products. I NEED one of those Pai facials. I'll add that to the list of reasons why I should visit California as soon as possible.

Remember-- eyeliner on a cat readers can get 15% off any order at NuboNau.com with code NN15 [thanks, Hazel!]


[product sample was sent to me by the company for my consideration. I have no affiliation with this company or any other]

Operation Use It Up

Managed to finish up quite a number of full-sized products over the past month. As usual, I go through bodycare, haircare and skincare products much faster than makeup.


Nivea Intense Repair Conditioner left my hair soft and manageable without any build-up of product.

Percy & Reed Splendidly Silky Moisturising Conditioner contains blueberry extract, grape seed oil, sweet almond oil and aloe vera gel to help nourish hair. The fresh floral scent is uplifting and much better than the usual mass market drugstore brands. This left my hair soft and tangle-free. I would re-purchase this.

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Conditioner has a lovely, slightly sweet cherry blossom scent. This does a decent job of leaving my hair soft and tangle-free but it does not feel as deeply hydrating as Tsubaki. This was a gift, which I would probably not re-purchase as it is too pricey for a 250ml bottle that barely lasts two weeks for me.

Like the conditioner, L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Gentle Shampoo has a nice scent and cleanses my hair effectively without stripping it.

L'Oreal Professional Tecniart Fix Move is great for taming flyaways and holding my fringe in place, without any crispy stiffness.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Lotion Micro-Exfoliating (CHF19) is designed for oily skintypes battling large pores and blemishes. It is supposed to help reduce pore size and fight against blockage, thanks to the combination of sebum-regulating, purifying and micro-exfoliating LHA active ingredients. LHA is β-lipohydroxy acid that is an effective exfoliant, similar to salicyclic acid. However, this did not seem to have a significant effect in fighting blemishes for me. Instead, it was too drying for my skin during the winter months, perhaps due to alcohol being second on the ingredient list.

Nuxe Bio Beauté Radiance Toning Lotion (CHF29) is an alcohol-free and paraben-free toner, with 99.3% of the ingredients being of natural origin and 73.9% from organic farming. Formulated with rosewater and orange fruit water plus blackberry, apricot and plum extracts, it doesn't have the usual rose or citrusy orange scents that one would expect. I didn't like the plum scent of this. As a toner, it helps to refresh and mildly hydrate the skin but other than that, it didn't do anything special.


Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion effectively removes makeup with just a few quick wipes. It's a great, affordable alternative if you do not like cleansing oils.

L'Occitane Brume Mist is formulated with five essential oils (angelica, lavender, geranium, ylang ylang and sweet orange) plus honey and corn extracts to soft hold hair in place and preserve shine. I found this too watery and completely ineffective at taming and smoothing my hair or providing any hold.


The Body Shop Chocomania Shower Cream works alright as a shower cream that doesn't dry out my skin but the chocolate scent was not as yummy as I had hope for. Philosophy does much better chocolate scented shower gels.

I slap on Dove Intense Repair Leave-on Cream on days when my hair feels exceptionally dry and frizzy. This helps to tame my locks until the next wash but does not help cure the fundamental dry state of my hair.

Vichy Purete Thermale Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover is a bi-phase eye makeup remover that does a good job of removing eyeshadows in a single swipe. Waterproof mascaras like those by Anna Sui and Majolica Majorca require a bit more soaking to remove completely. This did not irritate my eyes.

K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow is a daily staple, and I typically go through one every 2-3 months. I always use up the liquid side much faster than the brow powder side.


I have a huge stash of Archipelago Botanicals candles in travel tins, which I ordered more than four years ago while I was still living in Tokyo. I didn't use them for the past few years as they were boxed up in storage. Amazingly, they are still in working condition with good scent throw. Each travel tin burns for up to 55 hours. Archipelago Botanicals aren't available in Singapore but Yankee Candle is easily available in Singapore and offers a nice range of scents.

A Perfect Day with Red Flower

Lately, my distinguished and well-loved fellow blogger Nav of Beauty Huile has stoked an intense and inextinguishable passion inside me for oils. I'm discovering how useful and pleasurable a wardrobe of oils for the face, body and hair can be, and how fragrance ties very neatly into it as well. I never thought I'd say this, but creams sort of bore me now.

One of my most recent discoveries via Nav is Red Flower Essential Omega Fresh Berry-Oil Serum. It contains oils of the seeds of lingonberry, cranberry, raspberry and strawberry, along with lots of other goodies that have anti-aging and hydrating properties. *For the absolute best in-depth and poetic review of this product's benefits, I highly suggest heading over to Beauty Huile.* Since I'm a relatively new huilophile, I am mostly interested in sharing my sensory perceptions of this product. Then, I will wax poetic (pun fully intended) about a new addition to my family of luxury candles. 

A few of the (very soft and light) scent elements of the Essential Omega Fresh Berry-Oil Serum are: copaiba balsam, fir, juniper berry, garden mint, guaiac wood, lavender and rosemary. Add to this the faint tartness of berry seed extracts, a fleeting sense of the ocean's mutable presence along with the rich ripeness of the forest floor, and you are well on your way to forming the olfactory picture I have in my mind. The fragrance gives me the same strange but thrilling feeling I get when I sniff Aftelier Shiso, in that it's somewhat familiar, but in many ways, not of this earth. I thought about it some more, and realized that both scents contain mint. Is it mint that is so bewitching to my senses that it practically scrambles my brains with pleasure? Maybe so. Without regard to the solution of the riddle, I plunge ahead, because all of the fun is in the shadowy journey. The beauty truly lies in its many natural subtleties and slight variations, and I wonder if I'd have missed them if I were the Carrie of 5 or 10 years ago, before my obsession with perfume really took root.

It's difficult for me to describe the fragrance without connecting it to the act of using the oil-serum on my skin-  the sensory experiences are inextricably linked. This is how I began to understand what Red Flower is all about. It's not just a bottle of oil, it's a verdant and charmingly overgrown pathway to self-love. You get to smell this unique scent only when you massage the elegant mossy green tinted oil into your skin (face and/or body). When you use it on your skin, you are protecting, hydrating and beautifying yourself;  healing past damage, catering to the senses in the present, and protecting your skin for the future. I don't profess to know much about the company's spiritual ethos (but they do have one, or several), but I am really enjoying drawing my own conclusions experientially. 

This is my first foray into trying Red Flower products, but the overwhelming message I'm getting from the smattering of things I've tried so far is "love yourself first, then broadcast that love to those around you who need it". If that sounds too granola for you, then you should know that I'm actually that kind of person deep down. I'm not closed off to hidden messages or subliminal tidings of good will. I know positive energy when I slather it all over myself or smell it in the air. That brings me to my next delightful ambient find: Red Flower's French Lavender Petal-Topped Candle. 

It comes with the top filled with dried lavender, which is so potent and lovely, I immediately transferred it to a mason jar like I do all my other plant and floral treasures (they do tell you to remove the dried flowers before burning the candle). It's a beautiful touch that makes any of the Red Flower candles a stunning gift for any occasion, but especially Valentine's Day or anniversaries. The wax is very soft and highly fragrant. The candle burns evenly and the color is a delicious deep, inky violet that looks particularly fetching when pooled into liquid. It reminds me of the perfect nail polish color that I don't have yet (but if Jessica/LipstickRose from Now Smell This gets enough votes, her violet-centric mood board may dictate a suitably stylish palette of Zoya Nail Polish shades... vote HERE!) This candle looks sexy, it smells transcendentally beautiful, and earns extra points for presentation-- when you give this to someone as a gift, you're telling them that you're like a Transformer. There's more than meets the eye.

The fragrance is a true French Lavender which proves its natural potency with a slightly metallic twinge in the overall impression. The scent fills a room (or an entire moderately sized apartment) quickly and continues to throw long after it's been extinguished. When I compare this Red Flower candle to other luxury candles I love dearly, it ranks very highly. In fact, I'm already plotting to obtain the Italian Blood Orange, Indian Jasmine and Icelandic Moonflower candles next. True confession time: I've no idea what a moonflower smells like, do you? I hope to find out soon. One day I would love to lose myself in Red Flower's NYC urban oasis for a couple of hours. It's now become a mandatory stop on my next trip up there.

[Red Flower Essential Omega Fresh Berry Oil-Serum available from redflower.com and barneys.com among other places: 2.5 oz for $48. It's a large bottle, so this is what I'd consider a great value for a really fabulous product. The Lavender Petal-Topped Candle is available for $34 at Candles Off Main (my very favorite candle shop) as well as redflower.com, beauty.com and others.]

[products were purchased by me for my own use]

Operation Use It Up

Managed to use up several full-size products this month.

1. Olea Essence Olive Soap Scrub: I picked up many months ago on a trip to Israel. I love the lemongrass scent but it is quite watery, so I usually have to use a huge dollop to get sufficient scrubbing action for the whole body.

2. Tsubaki Damage Care Conditioner: This works very well for my dry, dyed hair and I've re-purchased it countless times.

3. L'Oreal Color-Vive Conditioner: This is supposed to help maintain the colour of dyed hair and contains UVA and UVB filters for sun protection. However, the redness of my recent home dye job still lost much of its vibrancy in less than three weeks. In terms of moisturising my hair, it was barely average.

4. Biotherm Biopur Gentle Purifying Lotion: This purports to help refine skin texture and brighten the complexion with a combination of saponine water, witch hazel and oil-regulating copper and zinc. Although it refreshes the skin without stripping it, it did not help to reduce the oiliness of my skin.

5. REN Rosa Centifolia Facial Cleansing Gel: This is a very gentle, watery gel cleanser that I like to use in the mornings. It cleanses without stripping the skin and has a lovely soft rose scent. The only thing I don't like about it is the bulky plastic packaging. It is rather expensive at around S$53 at Escentials in Tangs but a bottle lasted me just over three months with daily use. I will probably re-purchase this. Vivawoman has reviewed this too.


6. Maybelline Make Up Remover Eye & Lip: This bi-phase remover worked well for taking off eyeshadow cleanly with one swipe of the cotton pad, although liquid eyeliner and waterproof mascaras require a few more passes. It didn't sting my eyes and it is very affordable at less than S$10 but the relatively puny amount of product (70ml) means that BiFesta Cleansing Express Eye Makeup Remover works out to be better value for money.

7. L'Occitane Plum Blossom Polishing Shower Gel: Enriched with almond shell granules and plum blossom extract, this shower gel/scrub provides an effective exfoliating action that leaves my skin soft and smooth. I also find the sweet plum blossom scent to be nicely relaxing and non-generic.

8. Coast To Coast Rainforest Clarifying Facial Cleanser: This has a strong scent of the essential oils. It rinses off easily and leaves my skin clean and supple without any dryness but I don't notice any significant effect in helping to prevent acne or oiliness. I usually use this at night with my Clarisonic Mia to thoroughly cleanse my skin after using a cleansing oil to remove makeup.

9. Daiso Sponge Detergent: I've recommended this several times on the blog as it's cheap and effective for cleaning both sponges and brushes. It works very well on getting powder foundation out of makeup sponges, but I've noticed that it doesn't seem as good in removing liquid foundation as the sponges often still contain minor traces even after a thorough washing with a generous amount of the detergent. Recently, when when it was re-stocked at Daiso in Ion, I quickly snapped up another five bottles.

10. Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover: Although this bi-phase remover took off eye makeup effectively and quickly, it stung my eyes occasionally when I pressed the cotton pad against my lashes to remove mascara.


11. The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel: I found the sweet mango scent generic and it was slightly drying on my skin. I would not re-purchase it as I much prefer the Body Shop's Earth Lovers range.

12. The Body Shop Mandarin & Tangelo Linen Scented Candle: With a burn time of up to 40 hours, this candle lasted me for about two weeks with nightly use for two to three hours. I find it reasonably priced at S$29.90 and it has good throw. The slightly sweet citrusy scent is comforting without being cloying.

Spotted at Kino!

Any guesses what these are?

They are actually jelly candles that are newly available at the stationery section of Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City!

Yankee Candles Haul

Tangs Vivicity had the Yankee Candles Christmas collection display at one of the store entrances on the second level. I was quite surprised by the large number of holiday scents, like Christmas Cupcake, Christmas Eve, Christmas Wreath, Sparkling Snow, Jack Frost, Welcome Christmas, Mistletoe etc.


I usually purchase only the small votives as these burn for up to 15 hours. Each usually lasts about 3 burns for me. They retail individually for S$4.90 or three for S$9.90. There are also jar candles in both small and large sizes but these are more expensive at S$19.90 and S$49.90 respectively. The Peppermint Swirls large jar candle smelt simply divine.


I ended up coming home with these 15 lovelies. Should last me well up to Christmas!

Yankee Candles

While searching for a soap dish for my Lush goodies in the Tangs basement level today, I was surprised to find a Yankee candles section. The small votives, which have a burn time of up to 15 hours, cost S$4.90 individually but Tangs is currently selling pre-selected packs of 3 votives for S$9.90. In the US, these cost US$1.99 each so Tangs' price is pretty decent. I also picked up a Brazilian Passion Fruit candle tumbler with burn time of up to 30 hours (S$25.90).


I've been burning the Island Guava votive which has a yummy sweet citrusy scent but the throw is a bit weak. I can smell it alright as the votive is right next to my laptop but it's definitely not strong enough to scent a whole room. After the votive has burnt for about an hour, the throw increases to about a 2-metre radius.

Shopping haul

It's the Hari Raya holiday today in Singapore, which means no work! After a leisurely drive and stroll around Changi Beach, I ended up at Vivocity and did a good bit of shopping :-) Hey, it's the national pastime in Singapore!

I have a weak spot for candles and am always on the lookout for new brands to try. Hence, I was super elated to discover The Wellness Store & Spa stocked Red Flower and Pacifica candles. I have some vague memory of Pacifica candles being highly raved about on Makeupalley while Red Flower was a brand that I had often seen in American magazines. But until today, I had no idea that they were actually sold in Singapore. Now, if only someone can let me know if Archipelago Botanicals is also available locally, my candle fantasies would be complete.



I got the Red Flower Italian Blood Orange candle (S$27) and the Pacifica Soy Candle in Thai Lemongrass ($36). The special feature of Red Flower candles is that they come topped with real flower petals that you can use to scent your drawers or use as potpourri. The Italian Blood Orange is a yummy, refreshing citrus smell that reminds me of the orange-scented scratch'n'sniff stickers that were popular in my childhood. I purchased the larger size which has a burn time of 45 to 50 hours.

The strange thing is that according to the Red Flower website, the larger size retails for US$34 which is almost twice the price that I paid at Wellness. I'm not sure if it's a pricing error by Wellness but that makes me want to go back and seriously stock up! Wellness also carries the smaller size with a burn time of 10 hours, which retails for S$15. Again, that is a steal as the US retail price is US$12. Hmm, what's going on here?! Wellness also has the Moroccan Rose, French Lavender, Himalayan Larch, Japanese Peony, African Lily, Icelandic Moonflower, Spanish Gardenia candles plus a couple of others.



On the other hand, I totally overpaid for the Pacific candle (5.5oz, burn time of up to 50 hours), which retails for only US$11.95 in the US, about half of what I paid. Ugh... guess you can't win them all! But it had such a zesty, almost lemon-ish aroma that I just couldn't resist. The Wellness Store & Spa is located on the third level of Vivocity, tucked away in a quiet spot.

I was also surprised to find that there was a sale going on at River Island which is one of my favourite British high street brands. I picked up this incredibly soft cotton top for S$60 (original price $111) and yellow knee-high socks with ribbons for only $10 (down from $21). Then at Mango, I got this grey wool vest for $65. Love the cutting and the button details on the vest! There was also a matching pair of shorts which I skipped. Mango is currently having a 20% off for purchases of 3 items and above, but only for Mango VIP cardholders. You need to spend S$300 in one receipt to get the VIP card.