I've been pretty busy these days.Ramadhan will always be busier month for all moslems,it's the month of fasting(means you don't eat in couple of hours-sunrise'till sunset- for about a month),and"more"praying.We have to wake up early in the morning for sohor at 3 am (breakfast before fasting) which means we should sleep earlier.If we sleep a little late =wake up lately,so we only have little time to eat before imsak(time when you should stop eating),like me last nite when I woke up just 5 minutes before imsak so I could only eat 2 pcs of crackers that I had on my room(no point of going to dining room when you only have 5 minutes to eat),and drank a glass of water.So it's..h..h..hungry for me T_T..
Ok,better not talking about it.At least I have something to eat here rather than nothing:).This time is for another Indonesian product review,but this time the product really stated as"made in Indonesia".Unlike my previous post that left us in doubt,this time is a trully Indonesian product.I'm trying to post about Indonesian products recently since guess what..our Independence Day commemoration is upcoming!There will be lots of festive celebrations here!:) I think I want to post some about it on my next post ;)
Last month or 2 months ago,there's an Indonesian company asked me whether I'd be willing to do review on some of their products.Just like what I've stated there on my PR/Disclosure page,sure I'm fine with the review.Actually,it's not the 1st time I got PR e-mails asking me for product reviews.And sure I did tell them that i'm fine with product review,and that all of my reviews will be honest. Somehow..I've never heard anything from them after I said that. Lol..!
So,there's this company"Utama Spice"whom asked me to review some of their products.As what I'll always say to every company/PR who wants me to review their products,I'm fine with product review and that I'll be honest about my review.Sure I like free products(hell,who hates free products!:D)though i'm not a free product hunter,but that doesn't mean I'll come out with advertising words on my post while I do experience the opposite with their products.So I told Utama Spice that,and they said that they wanted me to review their products.Ok then,so they asked me about some of their products that I'd like to try.I asked them to send me 3 products only:piper betle oil,body lotion,and shampoo. When the products came,instead I got these:
Wow..such a generousity!Thank you Utama Spice,I can stack up for a year with those products ;)
You know I'm such a picky when it comes to product that I'll apply it on my skin(oh well,if you visit this blog often,you'll know it). Got to tell you that I'm personally interested in products that this company offering.So let's see what I've experienced with their products:
1st of all,a brief of company history.The company is based in Bali,Indonesia.The founder were 2 bestfriends,Melany Templer and Dayu Suci. They started it as an incense stick producer before they decided to make toiletries(shampoo,soap,body lotion,body butter,etc)and spa products.They hold the philosophy of making natural product on all of their products.Now,these are what I received:
Piper betle oil:
This comes in cobalt blue essential oil bottle.100% oil,no alcohol,no carrier oil.The company's owner daughter whom contacted me,"warned"me about this oil.She said that this oil might err.. smells.I said that it's ok,I used to piper beetle smell.Our family grown piper betle(just like any other family in Indonesia)on our yard for its medicinal purposes.Piper betle is very good for its antiseptic purpose,just like teatree oil.For eyesore,nosebleed,mouth gargle,'till acnes.I wanted to try it for acnes and compared it to teatree oil one.I diluted it with water since I don't want to use alcohol nor oil.And then applied it on skin.Please remember,if you deal with pure essential oils(the ones without any carrier in it),you should dilute it with carrier oil,alcohol(not reccomended),or water.Don't use essential oil alone,it's too potent.Here,I diluted it with water.When it's 1st time applied on skin,it felt a bit sore.The smell is different compared to fresh piper betle leaf. However,the result is pretty much the same.I use this as a subsitution of teatree oil.
Body Lotions:
1.Lemongrass and ginger-energizing:
This one is my fave among all body lotion that they sent me.It does feel energizing and waking up my mind:)
2.Rose Allure-love & joy:
This smells pretty much rose-which i'm not really fond of,this one is my no.3 among their collection.If you like rose smell,you'll love this.However I don't fancy rose that much.
3.Lavender-gentle & claming:
This is my no.2 fave as I love lavender scent.Lavender is calming and relaxing.Put this one before you sleep,it will help you to achieve a nice sleeping:)
4.Sweet Spice-love & harmony:
Though this one smells so tropical,but I don't like ylang-ylang scent.True that we use have cananga flowers,part of cultural traditional rituals,but the fresh cananga flower is fine to my liking.But not with its essential oils. So this one is not my fave.
All of those body lotions has jelly texture due to its ingredients that you can see on their web.They all have sweet scent base.The texture isn't oily nor sticky.Easily absorbed to skin.In general,I have no problem with their body lotion collection.I like it.
Wellkiss Shampoo:
It has fennel scent.The shampoo texture is runny,it has no suds,more like bubbling.
This shampoo was made in old fashioned way(which means no SLS and other foaming agent stuffs),so you won't find it sudsing.This one is better compared to The Body Shop Rainforest shampoo that I have.
I don't know why but TBS rainforest shampoo makes me more dandruffy. More,I'm not that happy about TBS rainforest shampoo ingredients.So in all,I prefer this Utama Spice shampoo to TBS rainforest shampoo one.
Lavender Liquid Soap:
Just like the shampoo,this soap was made in old fashioned way.I've been using this for a month or so,by far it doesn't dry my skin out. Texture is runny,not sudsing.I have no problem both on its ingredients and it doesn't dry my skin too.I like this soap.
Body Butter:
1.Cocoa Love Body Butter:
I didn't request for boddy butter since what I wanted to try was their body lotion one.And they're kind to put this cocoa body butter on the package that they sent me.Now,I'm GLAD that they sent me this because I really like this!This body butter is only a blend of cocoa butter,virgin coconut oil,cinnamon,and vanila.Nothing's else.This one reminds me of Badger Cocoa Body Butter(aka Creamy Cocoa Everyday Moisturizer).I wanted to try that Badger one,but hesitated to buy it since I heard that the badger cocoa body butter has hard texture and it's hard to be applied on skin. This Utama Spice cocoa body balm has soft and balm texture that I can scoop it easily from the pan. I love the smell,it's yummy.However,if you buy this body butter,please bear on mind not to put it on hot area.Couple of weeks ago I went out town-coast area destination,I brought this body butter(because I like it,so I brought it!),left it on my car. When I came back to car,I opened the pan,and..it's 100% melted!!:D Just like when you cook and melt the butter/margarine,that's how it's exactly like.So the liquid began to drop,I panic and then my father gave me any plastic that he could find on the car.After that, I put it on cold area.
Now this is the plastic look alike:
the liquid butter is solidified again
The body butter texture now:
I regret not to take a pic of this before it's melted.It's such a pretty texture,not that balmy and not that hard.Just the right texture. I really like this body butter one.
2.Tropical Flower Body Butter:
The texture is different that cocoa one.See pics here:
It's thicker than body lotion one,but almost the same texture like body lotion one.It has jelly texture. I don't fancy the scent,so this one isn't my fave one.
Body Scrub:
This comes in huge pan.The body scrub is more like dry lulur(powdery lulur/scrub),the original version of Indonesian body scrub.Only consists of dry herbs,nothing's else.
When you use it,you need to mix it with water,and make a paste.After that you put in on your skin then gently massage and scrub your skin before the paste get dried.Let the paste dry then wash your skin.That's all!The scent of this scrub reminds me of param(parem),traditional Indonesian remedy for muscle and joint ache.
courtesy of air mancur
But the smell is not that strong.It also has some kind of fresh cookies smell when you've mixed it with water.This scrub is freshly picked from company's garden,then dried it before grinding it on the machine.So it's actually a really fresh product.I like this product too.
Body Mist:
Senja Hydrating Body Mist
The scent is quite strong and exotic scent,something that reminds me of incense stick scent which is not my fave.So this one is not my fave.
Guess I don't have problem about their products.If there're things that I don't like about their products,it'll be this non spill cap system:
They use it for both soap/shampoo and lotion products.If it's shampoo/soap,after quite a while of usage,the cap will have some liquid soap/shampoo on the empty space there:
Not so nice idea imo.And when it comes to lotion products,it'll be harder to take out the product since the texture is jelly. Another thing that I want is that they should come with a better INCI name instead of just ingredients for their label. That's all. Other than that,they already have good labelling.They also include exp.date on each of their products.It's on the bottom of their products:
Overall,I like their products and I do appreciate their sincere intention to have their products reviewed and not just as a marketing gimmick.I say this because after having some conversations with them,I conclude that they do want honest opinion about their products instead of just marketing gimmick(a.k.a"what we want is that you to give your opinion and feedback about our products"). See?good intention = good products.Even if the product failed,I'm sure that kind of company whom hold such philosophy will always try the best to enhance the quality of their products.Because the company aims for better products through good critics and not just praises. And certainly,I like this kind of company.It's obvious that they do care about our concern and safety as consumers. Specifically about Utama Spice,they're very nice,friendly,and cooperative answering every question of mine regarding their products ingredients(yes,I'm that picky!).Curious about them?Just jump to their web(click here)for more info about their products. If you live in Indonesia,you really shouldn't miss to try their products.Especially if you're like me whom seek for better and safer product ones.
That's all for now.Thank you for reading,and Have a lovely day!:)
Body Butter
Body Lotion
Body Soap:Liquid
Brand Review:Utama Spice
Hair Shampoo
Indonesian Products
Oil:Piper Betle
Scrub:Dry Scrub
Sponsored Review
20 lovely notes
I've never heard of piper betle before...I just googled it, haha:) I'm not sure if we have it here
ReplyDeleteOh,really?I thought you've ever heard it before since there're a lot of essential oil there:) Hmm..maybe because the plant is cultivated in south and south east asia only?maybe the plant only lives on weather that those countries have?:/ Dunno..
DeleteBut you have teatree,I think it's almost similar(though not exactly similar).They both have antibacterial properties:)
hi dear i nominated you on http://aliceorionaaxelle.blogspot.com/2012/08/versatile-blogger-award.html
ReplyDeleteOh,ok!:) thank you for the award!:)
Deleteayoo semangat puasa nya ^^ .
ReplyDeletewuiih byk yaa dikasi produk nya, asiik duunk =D .
uda liat2 produk nya, waah bahan nya murni2 yaa kayak 100% pure ^^ , harga nya murah2 lagi.
Thank you,Naomi!:) Ternyata 2 biji biskuit tidak cukup buat tenaga 1 hari,hahaa XD
DeleteOh ya..lumayan ga perlu beli body lotion cs setaun,hihihi ^^v
Hmm..yah,begitulah yg dikatakan mereka^^ Aku si plg suka sama cocoa body butternya.Shampoo sama sabunnya juga bagus.Lulurnya juga.Coba aja naomi:)Cocoa body butternya ga berminyak heboh gitu kok,cepet ngresep di kulit.Apalagi kulitmu kan kering:)
Hi Lynn,
ReplyDeleteWow, I call it proper samples:))
I tried to check their site, but my Mailware system blocked it...So can you please tell me what kind of ingredients they use? Do you have the full list?
I liked your review!:) (Mine is up too)
Hi Dina:)
DeleteRight,they're very generous:) Oh,your mailware system blocked it?:O maybe you should use other browsers instead since I have no problem to view it here.I don't have the full list,I certainly have to write it down.I'll send it to you through e-mail or else.
Thanks!:) I'm reading your review now..:)
Lynn, interesting products...
ReplyDeleteBUT what I actually wanted to say was... You're so hardworking in doing reviews! I envy you! That's such a long post and you reviewed a lot of products in one post. I like reading review posts done by other bloggers but I hate writing my own reviews, haha.
Thanks Vivi:)
DeleteLol..actually I'm as lazy as hell:D It's just I have to write some thoughts of mine,to share it to other people.Just like what you've also been doing:) I praise you for your DIY's post,I'm lazy to do it ;)
I actually really want to write my post in Indonesian language also,but guess it takes time and..energy!You know I'm kinda sad to see that many of my Indonesian fellows still not realize about what are inside their cosmetic products,and just being an easy target for bad marketing campaigns.It gets me bad feelings when I see someone(online and offline)has skin problem,her/his cosmetic is pricey but filled with tons of synthetic chemicals that actually harms her/him,tell her/him about it but s/he just doesn't believe it simply because of what company claims..
Still,I'm not sure about having bilingual post on my post.Lots of hand massage will be required here:D
Hey Lynn! It looks very nice and interesting:) Nice review though:) I'm so curious about all those tropical scents :D that you don't like :)
ReplyDeleteHi Dasha,Thanks:) Oh,those products mostly use ylang-ylang eo,and some spices eo.The scent is mostly warm scent,which some people in west fancy it(maybe due to their cold climate?).But what I like is light,energizing scent.Or light floral scent since we have hot weather here.If you like the smell of ylang-ylang or clove,you'll love it!:)
DeleteLynn, aku jadi ngiler sama Utama Spice. Apalagi Cocoa Body Butternya, sama samponyaaa. :D~ Dan body scrubnyaa...ah, semua deh! Haha ? haha. 9
ReplyDeleteMereka cuma jual produknya online ya?
Eh,kok commentmu yg ini masuknya ke spam ya??untung aku iseng2 klik spam box..
DeleteNggak juga,kayanya ada storenya juga di Bali deh.Kalo kota lain ngga tau.Coba aja tanya^^.Aku blm bales e-mailnya ownernya,tar mau sekalian aku tanyain apa?
Aaah, jadi ngiler sama Utama Spice. Body butternya, samponya, uwaaaw. :D~
ReplyDeleteOh iya, aku juga pernah nyoba Rainforest Shine shampoo. Plus si kondisionernya tapi ya gara-gara kurang puas sama komposisinya dan efeknya nggak keren-keren amat, jadi ya berhenti deh. :)
Wah..welkom bak tu bloging dah ;)
DeleteIya,cobain aja.Mending ini drpd shampoonya TBS mah.TBS ada ethoxylationnya seingatku,jadi ga gitu suka.Dah gitu ketombean lagi,entah napa -__-
Btw,gimana konsernya?^^
Hahaha, iya, kembali lagi! :) Terima kasih sambutannya. *lebay
DeleteKayaknya kapan-kapan mau ah nyoba sampo si Utama Spice ini. :9
Konsernya sip! (Y) Hehehe.
Yah,skrg malah aku yg lagi angot2an nulis.Capeee Zzzzz... T_T
DeleteIya,cobain aja^^v Btw,kamu ga ntn tu SMtown?:D k-pop lover bukan?;)
Aku sudah liat website-nya dan facebook-nya, tertarik sama essential tea tree oil, kemaren tanya2 ke admin gimana cara belinya dan sampai sekarang masih menunggu jawabannya hehehe ;)
ReplyDeleteOh,good for you then!:) Btw,karena itu 100% pure essential oil,jangan dipake langsung ke wajah.Di larutkan sama air dulu fyi^^ Maksudku,tiap aplikasi aja dan bukan langsung di botolnya.
DeleteSpamming isn't a lovely thing!I won't approve any spam and advertisement comment here.Please,don't try your luck by spamming on my blog.Thank you..