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My beauty practices have changed due to COVID-19. I use far less makeup and makeup removers, while applying more hand creams than ever due to frequent handwashing. Using scented cream while wearing a mask is underwhelming since it’s hard to smell the fragrance. Still, I appreciate the times when I’m at home and able to freely breathe in the fragrance from creams. I’ve convinced myself that such a ritual is necessary to testify that my sense of smell is intact. This is when BOUQUET GARNI’s fragranced hand creams and body lotions come into play.
Hand Cream / Body Lotion
Fellow editor Dianne has already compared one of the brand’s body lotions with KLAVUU’s and concluded that the latter is more moisturizing. Nonetheless, I’m sold on BOUQUET GARNI’s switch from pump bottle to tube packaging – it means there will be less wasted product as I can always use a tube squeezer or cut open the tube to scrape out the remaining content. The tube packaging also makes it easier to carry around.
Hand Creams
Perfect for sharing with friends and family, the hand creams are available in a gift set with four scents: Aqua Soap, Baby Powder, Lovely Rose and Floral Musk. These scents are also available individually, with new names and graphics for Aqua Soap (now Clean Soap) and Floral Musk (now White Musk). The Cherry Blossom scent is not included in the set and only sold separately.
Packaging:
The packaging is one of the reasons I want them all. Each tube features a unique print: rabbit and towel for Clean Soap, lamb and cotton for Baby Powder, rose and macaron for Lovely Rose, deer and butterfly for White Musk, and cherry blossom and the Eiffel Tower for Cherry Blossom (though I wonder if it should be the Tokyo Tower instead). The graphics accurately depict the mood of each fragrance.
Scents:
Here’s a breakdown of the scents from the lightest to the most intense:
| Baby Powder | Cherry Blossom | Clean Soap | Lovely Rose | White Musk | |
| Top Notes | Powder, amber | Cherry blossom | Soap, floral | Bulgarian rose | Musk, floral |
| Middle Notes | Powder, musk | Freesia, powder | Powder, fresh | Floral, amber | Musk, amber |
| Base Notes | Floral, musk | Floral, amber | Sweet, woody | Musk, woody | Floral, powder |
Out of the five, I favor Cherry Blossom the most and Lovely Rose the least. Cherry Blossom has a very delicate floral smell, but is more lingering and sensual than Baby Powder. I can smell a hint of lemon in Clean Soap, and White Musk is the most sensual. Lovely Rose is a tad too strong and sweet for my liking.
Moisturizing Power & Finish:
Before application / 30 seconds after application / 30 minutes after application
The smiley face indicates skin elasticity. The first figure indicates moisture level, while the second figure refers to sebum level.
Regardless of the scents, all hand creams boosted my skin’s moisture level to around 55%, except for Lovely Rose which oddly gave just 50%. After 30 minutes, the level dropped to 36% which is still higher than the original 22%.
The hand creams contain shea butter, tocopheryl acetate and glycerin to moisturize skin, Indian lotus extracts for soothing effect, and citric acid to gently exfoliate. Like most hand creams nowadays, these are quick-absorbent, non-greasy, non-sticky and emollient. They don’t leave any residue or separate into two layers. I wouldn’t say these creams are super moisturizing, but they’re good enough for adding an extra dose of moisture after washing your hands. The lingering scents made me feel good too!
Body Lotions
The original pump version comes in six scents: Baby Powder, Cherry Blossom, Clean Soap, Rose Garden, Vanilla Musk and White Musk. The new tube version switches things up by dropping Cherry Blossom and Rose Garden while adding Ylang Ylang to the range.
Packaging:
The new packaging genuinely has the user in mind. The lid at its base is big enough so that the tube can stand upright firmly without tipping over. It also means the lotion stays at the bottom, and no time or effort is wasted on squeezing the content towards the lid! Unlike the pump bottle version, the tube has a proper lid that ensures the lotion stays uncontaminated and unoxidized.
Similar to the hand creams, each scent is characterized by a unique print, such as tropical flowers and food for Ylang Ylang and white flowers and perfume for Vanilla Musk.
Scents:
Here’s a breakdown of the scents from the lightest to the most intense:
| Baby Powder | Clean Soap | Ylang Ylang | Vanilla Musk | White Musk | |
| Top Notes | Powder, amber | Soap, floral | Ylang ylang | Musk, vanilla | Musk, floral |
| Middle Notes | Powder, musk | Powder, fresh | Floral, powder | Powder, musk | Musk, amber |
| Base Notes | Floral, musk | Sweet, woody | Ylang ylang | Amber, floral | Floral, powder |
I didn’t try Clean Soap and White Musk, but I assume they share the same scent as the hand creams. Out of the other three, I prefer Vanilla Musk the most and Ylang Ylang the least. Maybe I’m just not a fan of sweet and sugary floral-scented lotion.
Moisturizing Power & Finish:
Before application / 30 seconds after application / 30 minutes after application
The body lotions share a similar moisturizing power as the hand creams, but the former keep skin hydrated longer. The body lotions are more aqueous in texture and hence more spreadable than the hand creams. The consistency is just right for normal skin.
Shea butter, panthenol and tocopheryl acetate contribute to the moisturizing power of the lotions, while tea tree leaf, lavender and Indian lotus extracts help to soothe skin.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for a hand cream or body lotion with the added benefit of soothing the senses and keeping you pleasantly fragranced for the day, these are great go-tos for those with normal skin. BOUQUET GARNI also offers body mists, hair serums, hair treatments, hand wash and body wash in the same fragrances.