Kenzo Belle De Jour White Lotus Mask

Out of all skin care products, face masks are the one hardest to evaluate, especially ones you only use a couple of times a week while they promise long-term results with continuous use . Kenzo belle De Jour White Lotus Mask (did you know Kenzo has a full skincare line? I've only learned about it recently) is a restorative, hydrating and brightening product, so I decided to do an ongoing series kind of thing- I've used three times by now, so you will get a quick review now, a progress report after 6-8 weeks and a conclusions once I finish the jar.

The first thing you notice about Kenzo Belle De Jour White Lotus Mask is the packaging and attention to details. It comes with a thick, well-designed album-like booklet and an application brush that looks sturdy and very well-crafted. This made me very happy, because nothing ruins the a skincare experience like fingers in the jar (germs! cooties! bacteria!). Then there's the white lotus scent, which I might not want in a personal fragrance, but when it comes to skin care it's actually quite exquisite and enhances the spa-like feeling.

You brush a thin layer of the mask to clean face and let it dry for ten minutes. The mask is clear and you can actually open the door without traumatizing the UPS guy. Ten minutes of quiet time, inhaling the scent and relaxing are quite wonderful no matter what exactly you put on your face, but Kenzo Belle De Jour feels great (there was a tingling sensation around my nose the very first time I used it, but it hasn't returned since), it doesn't tighten or flake, so you just remove it with wet cotton pads (I prefer a warm washcloth). This is also a good time to wash the brush and let it air dry.

Once clean, my skin looks as it feels- clear, bright and visibly renewed. I noticed the areas I regularly load with a brightening serum look... brighter, I guess. The face is smooth and comfortable- it doesn't scream for a moisturizer right away, but of course I treat it, and my Secret de Vie seems to sink right in and do its regular magic.

We'll see how it goes long term, but so far, so good.

Kenzo Belle De Jour White Lotus Mask ($70, 2.5oz) is available from kenzousa.com. A press sample was sent by the company for my consideration.

Kenzo Amour (EDP)

Reason eleventy seven why Sephora isn't doing a great service even for the brands sold there: I've tried Kenzo Amour countless of times at the store and all I got was cherry syrup. All the more subtle notes and nuances got lost in the Pink Sugar-Kim Kardashian saturated air.

The opening of Kenzo Amour is, indeed, very sweet (and that's coming from me, wearer of vanilla, immortelle and most honey perfumes known to men), but doesn't stay this way for too long, and things improve considerably, especially if one bothers giving it a generous spritz on actual skin and lives with it for a while. It becomes clear that there's a mellow wood note there, some delicate and quite sheer flowers- cherry blossom and frangipani, which aren't always my thing but in this case they're really appropriate and never become carnivorous (am I showing my pretty-flower phobia yet?).

The dry-down is all rice pudding. It's not as far out there as Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant, which explains why Amour eau de parfum is a popular fragrance while the poor Elephant has only a cult of rabid fans. On the plus side, Amour is hardly ever inappropriate and doesn't require planning ahead to wearing it. Yes, it's a gourmand, a comfort scent (the rice steam note is gorgeous) and vanilla-haters will not change teams upon testing this perfume. But it's not as low-brow as so many others in this genre and price level and above all, Kenzo Amour is pretty and friendly, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The success of the original  spawned a sequel, Kenzo Amour Indian Holi, an extrait version- Kenzo Amour Le Parfum and a flanker, Kenzo Amour Florale. I haven't tried any of them, but now I sort of suspect I should give the first two a fair chance.

Kenzo Amour ($56, 1oz EDP) is available from Sephora and many department stores.

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