Zen Zest at 15 + My Favorites!

Zen Zest celebrated their 15th anniversary last Monday with a fragrance bar + shopping party. I'm so grateful to be part of this celebration, because I got to experience and rediscover the brand and the very inspiring story behind it.

Michelle Asence-Fontelera started Zen Zest in 2001. It was the time when she noticed how expensive imported bath and body products were, and that no local brands provided the same good quality at affordable prices. For 3 months, she trained under a chemist and formulated her own products. Her first batch of colognes, hand sanitizers, lotions, perfumes, and soaps were all concocted and packaged at home. With a capital of P350,000, she was able to open her first humble Zen Zest kiosk in SM Megamall, and earned exactly P4,178 on her first day of business.

From that one small kiosk, look how huge of a business Zen Zest now is - with over 100 outlets nationwide and abroad. They've also expanded their product line with body scrubs, home fragrances, and baby colognes!

Le Petit Souffle in Century City Mall is also quickly becoming a favorite venue for kikay events. The place is so pretty and the food is so good! I've only been to this French-Japanese restaurant twice, but it's enough for me to fall in love with it. Let the shopping party begin! 

First stop: Home scents

Aromatherapy

Zen Zest's Aromatherapy range is comprised of 3 themes: Sleep, Energy, and Uplift - each necessary to our all over well-being.

Sleep

Calming lavender and primes your body for relaxation.

The perfect winding down companion for a deep, relaxing sleep.

The night before this event, I couldn't sleep! I slept past 1AM despite my 8AM class schedule, so when I saw this I knew I had to get it. This one's my favorite variant from Zen Zest's Aromatherapy range. 

Energize

Energizing grapefruit essence recharges the body, and gets you ready for the next activity. The perfect booster for both mind and body.

I like light citrus scents, but not the too strong or tangy ones. When I first saw this, I thought I won't like it, but I ended up liking the Aroma Oil in Energize! It has a strong, piercing citrusy scent that makes me...HAPPY! It's weird, I can't explain why. I don't think I'd like my room to smell like citrus, but the small roll-on is very nice to have. 

Uplift

The perfect mid-day treat for your body. Achieve harmony for the body, mind, and spirit with this stimulating blend of orange and eucalyptus. Productivity stems from feeling good.

I'm biased towards anything with a "minty" feel. Zen Zest's Uplift range contains orange and eucalyptus oils. My sister has home service massage every Tuesday night, so I'm giving the Zen Zest Aromatherapy Massage Oil in Uplift to her. It's a nice, refreshing change to her usual Efficascent Oil. (Can't deny that spa-like feel with this one!)

Prices:

• Room Spray - P250
• Linen Spray - P250
• Massage Oil - P220
• Fragrance Oil - P150
• Roll-on - P120 

Home Fragrance

These are best-sellers in every Zen Zest store and even during the event. (I ran out of my top picks here, so I got scents from other categories instead.) The Anti-Mosquito is very practical and explanatory. Nobody likes dengue! The Cabinet Deodorizer is a winner. It takes away stuff kulob closet smell, even from your ukay finds! Nobody smokes at home, so I wasn't interested in the Anti-Tobacco variant. (I hope the smoking ban begins now.) The last and my favorite is the Kitchen Fragrance, not because I cook but because it smells like Starbucks! It's not only for the kitchen. ;) 

Prices:

• Air Purifier Kit - P1,500
• Fragrance Blend - P500
• Diffuser - P400
• Anti-Mosquito/Anti-Tobacco/Kitchen/Cabinet Deodorizer- P300 (300ml) & P150 (150ml)

Next stop: Personal scents

Eau de Toilette

Zen Zest has so many choices in their Eau de Toilette range! For the EDT, Tangerine is a forever favorite of EVERYBODY! It's a universally appealing scent. My blogger friends kept raving about it during their event, saying it's their favorite from their high school days. I might have been living under a rock, since it's my first time to smell it. MY MY! I love it as well, and I'd use it even if I'm way over my tweetums stage. REVIEW SOON! :D I also got the EDT in Coral and Cobalt (for Panda)!

Prices:

• Eau De Toilette - P230
• Eau De Parfum - P340
• Eau De Cologne - P100
• Cocktail Body Spray - P180

Classic Collection

Classic Body Spray - P200

Classic Body Wash - P140
 

Classic Body Scrub - P150

Hand Soap - P100
Hand Sanitizer - P50

Zen Zest's Classic Collection is LOVE. The body sprays remind me of their more expensive imported counterparts, but they perform just as nicely! They have a wide range of fruity and floral scents at super affordable prices. I was torn between Cherry Blossom, Honeydew Melon, and Vanilla Cream. I think I took the longest time since I couldn't decide, but in the end I got the yummiest scent in Vanilla Cream - the last bottle, too! One whiff immediately took me back to my college org room, where someone walked in and asked, "Bakit amoy cake?" Haha! 

We had a special set menu from Le Petit Souffle, too! :>

Honey Citrus Salad

Matcha Parfait & Salted Egg Parfait

Not in the photos: Carbonara and Cold Matcha Latte. The Honey Citrus Salad made me love vegetables, the Cold Matcha Latte is sooo creamy and good, and the Salted Egg Parfait is excellent! 

I had the loveliest time too because of my favorite girls! Hello, Donna, Andy, and Raych! (Krissy, too!) I missed you all. Hihi. I loved the Zen Zest event because it was a reunion of beauty bloggers. 

Thank you, Zen Zest! ♥

I'm excited to review these Zen Zest products! I still can't believe that most of their products costs just around P200 to P300. It's true, no matter how tough the economy gets, Filipinos still find the time and budget to hunt for and buy products that will help them look good and feel good. After 15 years in business, Zen Zest has already broken through the Asian market with stalls in Japan, Bahrain, and Brunei. I won't be surprised to see them in other foreign countries in the near future. Next time I'm at the mall looking for gifts, I'll drop by Zen Zest! 

What are your Zen Zest favorites? Which product do you want me to review first? :)

Facebook: Zen Zest Asia

Instagram: @ilovezenzest

Love,

Helen

Let's keep in touch!

Lucky Citrine on Facebook
Lucky Citrine on Instagram

Unboxing: Perfectly Pristine Glamourbox [April 2014]

Welcome to Lucky Citrine's first unboxing post, featuring the Perfectly Pristine Glamourbox! (Gah, now I know how Subscription Boxes Queen Tellie feels!) It's just really like Christmas in April (or whatever month you get your box) because of that lovely element of surprise and mystery that surrounds each box.

Now Unboxing: Perfectly Pristine Glamourbox

If you're not familiar with Glamourbox yet, let me just give you a brief background. Glamourbox is an online beauty subscription service that lets you discover and try premium and niche beauty brands. For a subscription fee of P595, you'll receive a curated box with at least five deluxe beauty samples delivered to your doorstep. If you liked the products you samples, you can buy from Glamourbox's online boutique or at the brand's actual stores.

This month's box was heavy and jam-packed, hence no seal. (And I think this is a happy problem. Haha!)

This box's theme is Perfectly Pristine - so fresh and perfect for summer! It covers everything you'll need to keep fresh during the hot summer months.

Curation Card

Here's the looong list of products, description, and prices.

Time for the big reveal! I know Glamourbox promises at least 5 deluxe samples per box, but look at this! The box runneth over with full-sized products and BIG deluxe samples. :D

In the order of my favorites, let's discover what's inside the box!

Barenaturals The Mane Event Nourishment Hair Mask
in Macadamia Nut and Argan Brazilian

Get ready for an all-natural hair mask that truly delivers! Infused with oat proteins and oils of macadamia nut, argan oil and colza, it helps condition, detangle, fight static and rebuild damaged hair.

Full Size 130g/P380

Sample Size 100g/P293

My hair's acting up lately, and it's not as wavy/curly as I want it to be. I think Mr. Sun dried it up, so I am really happy to see a natural hair mask in this box! It comes with a small spatula inside (surprise!), and it contains no silicone, paraben, phthalates, petrochemical, and SLES. It smells nice and has a thick texture; I'm just hoping it won't weight my hair down. We'll see about that soon!

Avon Skin So Soft Fast Hydration Body Gel Lotion

Instantly hydrate & revitalize your skin with the refreshing sensation of this fast-absorbing gel lotion. Enhanced with watermind oil & vitamin E, it leaves skin touchably soft all day.

Full Size 200ml/P330

I love lotions and I seriously have a hard time sleeping at night whenever I forget to apply it, so it's no surprise this one also came as a favorite. I'm used to thick body butters, but a light gel lotion is more appropriate for the hot weather we're having now.

Barenaturals Sexy Back Scrub with Sacha Inchi Oil

This back scrub made with lulur exfoliants and antioxidant-rich sacha inchi oil fights and sloughs off bacne and other common skin woes. It's all you need for a smooth and sexy back.

Full Size 170g/P290

Bacne is not really a big issue of mine, but it's lulur so I'm tempted to use it all over my body. Anyone ever had the same evil thought? Haha

Belo Intensive Whitening Bar

Get fairer, rosier skin quick! Belo expertly combines tranexamic acid with kojic acid for this soap that has 64% more lightening power than a product with kojic acid alone.

Full Size: 65g/P59.75

I've read a lot of people aren't too thrilled with the idea of having a whitening soap in the box, but I am! I'm a fan of Belo skincare products and I think they're really promising (yet affordable). I'll be using this after summer though to bring back the fairness that was. (No, I am still not regretting any of my day trips! Haha)

Zen Zest Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrance

Feel instantly invigorated with this wondrous combination of citronella, lemongrass and eucalyptus. Its citrusy scent keeps mosquitoes out too!

Full Size 250ml/P250

Sample Size 50ml/P50

I've actually tried the 2 other variants of Zen Zest Room Fragrances before (Kitchen Fragrance and Cabinet Deodorizer). This one's a welcome addition to our home since mosquitoes seem to love the taste of our blood. Eww. Zen Zest Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrance has a strong scent, but I can take it as long as I don't get new bites.

Vanilla & Co. Moisturizing Witch Hazel Beauty Tonic

Quench skin with vitamins anytime, anywhere! This beauty tonic will recharge and protect skin from constant exposure to the sun, dust and pollution.

Full Size 150ml/P199

Sample Size 50ml/P67

At first, I wasn't sure what this was for. Is it a toner or face mist? But then I decided to settle with face mist. I wish they included the list of ingredients though, since I'm iffy when it comes with experimenting with new skincare products. Just like Pat, I am so relieved I didn't get the foot blush. LOL.

Sebamed Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Dandruff, begone! Restore the natural balance of your scalp with this mild shampoo with PH 5.5. It removes dandruff flakes and reduces any irritations without drying it out.

Full Size 200ml/P425

Sample Size 20ml/P42.50

Plus points for the super cute bottle! Can't get any more travel-sized than this, huh? However, I'm not having major dandruff problems so I might just set this aside first.

Venus & Mars Naturals Smooch Lip Detox SPF15

Break free from chemicals! This lip butter is made only of the finest natural oils to make your puckers smooch-worthy! Charged with SPF15, it protects lips from sun damage.

Full Size 10g/P205

Sample Size 5g/P102.50

I love how this lip balm smells like peppermint! It's all natural to boot. It comes with SPF 15. Check, check, check. Almost perfect, but it would have been perfect if it came in a stick! No to dipping fingers in pots, especially during hiking or beach trips.

Add-ons:

Clean Fragrance Shower Fresh

Inspired by the uplifting, nostalgic scent of soap, this juicy fragrance exudes a "just stepped out of the shower" freshness.

Full Size 30ml/P2,000

It has been said that French women are all for perfumes that spell seduction, so they can't understand why their Yankee sisters are all for the clean, shower fresh scent. I somehow agree that you definitely can't seduce anyone using soapy scents, but I find myself liking Clean's clean scent. Therefore, that makes me un-French. Haha

Aloe Derma Pure Aloe Vera Gel

Tote this on your next adventure! With 99% organic aloe extracts, this multipurpose gel gives soothing relief to sunburn, minor cuts and wounds, insect bites and even acne.

Full Size 114g/P460

Sample Size 15g/P61

Korean brands sell tubs of Aloe gels with 92% aloe, while this one has 99% organic aloe vera juice. These sachets are very handy! I'm bringing a pack or two to my next trip just in case anyone's sunburned skin is in dire need of aloe relief.

Valda Pastilles

For instant cooling relief and fresh breath, just pop on of these chewable pastilles on your mouth!

Full Size 50g/P150

Sample Size 20g/P60

This one's so freakin' nostalgic. I was also one of those 90s kids who got really excited at the sight of a Valda Pastilles gold tin! But my excitement wore off when I opened this pack. My jelly pastilles were all "melted", so it turned into one big minty blob. It's hard to eat it like that, but I can't deny, it's still delish!

Subscription Fee: P595

Box Value: P1,355.75 (excluding the sample perfume vial and voucher)

Glamourbox doubled the amount of the subscription fee, which is a good thing since you certainly get more than what you pay for. Perfectly Pristine Glamourbox does not have as many makeup as I'd like it to have, but the bath and body care junkie in me just had a mini heart attack because of sheer excitement (upon opening the package), so I'd say it's pretty much worth it!

Like GlamourboxPH on Facebook for more information. There are still slots left for the Perfectly Pristine Glamourbox. You may subscribe here! :)

Love,

Helen

Haul: Zen Zest Home Fragrances

When I attended the last BDJ Rendezvous, I received a couple of Zen Zest items in my loot. Then, I also won a Zen Zest product from the raffle. :D

Oh Zen Zest, why are you chasing me? Haha! Now, I have with me a Zen Zest haul. Let's explore more of their products, shall we?

Zen Zest Summer Fruits Body Wash

I like body wash more than soap, and this one comes in a small bottle which is travel-friendly. I personally LOVE The Body Shop's Satsuma Shower Gel since it has that fresh, piercing, zesty citrus scent, but the scent of Zen Zest Summer Fruits Body Wash was very mild compared to the latter. This one foams up nicely when used with a bath lily, and it doesn't dry out my skin.

Zen Zest Kitchen Fragrance in Choco Cappuccino

This one's the best ever home fragrance Zen Zest has released. At least for me! It's made to neutralize pungent kitchen odors, but I'd gladly use this in any room. Just a whiff of the mocha and choco hazelnut scent and it takes me to Starbucks instantly.

Fragrance Diffuser in Mandarin Orange

The reed sticks are responsible for diffusing the fragrance oil into the air. (You have to untie the reed so the fragrance diffuses better. I didn't remove it here so it would look better in the photo.) I placed this in our living room, and the windows are almost always open so I guess this one had a hard time "perfuming" up the entire place. The fragrance is mild, uplifting, and pleasant. This Fragrance Diffuser would last for about 3 weeks.

Like Zen Zest Asia on Facebook to know more about their products.

Quick question: What's your favorite product or scent from Zen Zest? Will check out your recommendations on my next mall trip! :)

Love,

Helen