When I mentioned Bottega Verde, I was met with confused looks. Nope, I'm not talking about Bottega Veneta (the world famous weave bag brand); but Italian beauty brand Bottega Verde, founded in Pienza (Italy), a small Tuscan town. It first opened its doors in 1972 as a small herbalist shop that prided itself on artisan products and cosmetics made from natural active ingredients....and how lucky are we to have this little spot of Italian beauty now in our sunny shores!
The store interior is just gorgeous to behold: an open concept where customers can freely roam around in this welcoming space. Beautiful motif tiles lined the floors, reminiscent of the traditional types seen in Tuscany.
Spotted their collection of make up, which is affordably priced ... definitely looking forward to checking it out when I have the time!
Surprise surprise! We were thrilled to be told that we could pick out anything that we can find in a small box, and I had a ball of a time (albeit a tough one due to its massive selection) choosing. Here's what I came up:
Since I love the experimenting with hair styles with my Babyliss curler, my hair has become abit of a dry straw-like cluster of a mess. So this Bottega Verde Heat Shield Serum with Argan Oil was a no brainer pick for me. The serum itself is a milky white, viscous liquid that glides on to hair and has a lovely powder musk scent.
I'm a newly converted fan! I love that you can also use it as a daily haircare even if no heat styling is involved. And not only does it infuse hydration into my dry strands, but it also gives a nice shiny sheen to the nourished strands. Being relatively fast-absorbing, I don't have to worry about after-greasiness and it weighing down my hair.
But of course if hydrating nourishment is king than your best bet is the Argan Mask with Argan Butter and Oil. This fluffy white cream hair mask contains plant-based active ingredients such as a mix of Vitamin E and Argan butter to give hair a nourishing boost. I found this a godsend for untangling some of my pesky hair knots (a result of not combing often) and also leaves it feeling silky and glossier than before.
Now I can never do without serums, and so a beeline to the serums section I went. I was recommended their best-selling Red Grape series and the idea of an antioxidizing serum was interesting. The same ingredients used in wine; red grape extract contains Resveratol (which helps fight the signs of aging), as well as antioxidants ( 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C), thus effectively protecting skin from pollution damage and boosting collagen
I am almost mesmerized by the light sweet juicy scent of the serum. The UVA Rossa Serum is a cheery pink gelish liquid, which applied on to skin to leave a lightweight layer of moisturization. I found that it feels abit tacky when applying, and it took some time to be absorbed. But after a few weeks of use, I found my complexion clearing up from a recent breakout, and skin looked alot fairer than before...something I believe that is credited to the detoxifying effects of the serum.
While I enjoy a nice weekly exfoliation, I am abit picky when it comes to scrubs. This stems for me having relatively sensitive skin, so the exfoliation bits has to be small and gentle enough for me. I found that the Bottega Verde Argan del Marocco Body Scrub suitable for me.
The grounded apricot kernel was very finely milled, and even vigorous scrubbing doesn't cause any skin irritation. Suspended in a invigorating blend of Argan Oil and Dessert Jasmine extract, the scrub actually kinda melts into skin as you massage it over your body, unlike others which sometimes leaves a mild layer of oiliness. Upon rinsing off, my skin feels supple and soft, and lightly perfumed in its aromatic scent.
Yes, one can never go wrong with hyaluronic acid when we're talking about serums. I found the Ialuronplus Highly Effective Concentrated Hyaluronic Acid Serum deliver as its namesake: long-lasting and deep penetrating hydration. Of all the serums I've tried, I found this to be one of the fastest absorbing ones...seeping into my pores and mattifying out almost immediately.
I believe that due to the concentration of the HA, my skin actually looked more supple than before in a month (after stopping my current skincare). This intense hydrating boost helps to revitalise the enlarged pores of my skin, hence minimizing it to give a more plumped up appearance. TIP: I love mixing this with my liquid foundation to application more smooth!
The Bottega Verde Keratin and Coconut Shampoo is a special formulation of keratin, coconut milk and smoothing agents to fight frizziness, a common problem given our weather. Just a regular 20c dollop is good enough to lather the clear shampoo gel into a rich foam for a luxurious wash with juicy fresh scent of coconut milk...simply yummy!
I like the fact that its seemingly mild looking liquid, it actually does provide a pretty good cleanse for my oily scalp. The annoying thing about my dry hair-oily-scalp situation is that shampoos I usually use either dry my strands further or don't wash well enough so my scalp becomes greasier. Definitely a repurchase for me!
Bottega Verde has a very nice selection of perfumes and EDTs so it would have been a crime to miss out. I gravitate alot to fresh florals so the romantic notes of LEIFlower Eau de Parfum is perfect for me. It opens with the rich, luscious bouquet of violet, rose and peach and the lily of the valley, the transitioning into warmer notes of woods and musk.I think its abit of a lighter and fresher version of the DIOR J'adore, so if you like fresh florals scents like this then LEIFlower is definitely one to explore. A sensual and clean scent for everyday...and an absolute new favorite for me!
Thank you Bottega Verde Singapore and congratulations on your lovely store launch!
To stay updated on their latest arrivals and news, do follow them at the below or head over to their boutiques at Suntec City L2-454 (North Wing) or Punggol Waterway Point L1-56.
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