Last week, I was invited to attend Burt's Bees Hydration Tea Party, to learn about their new hydration range, and to immerse myself in some comforts within the cosy confines of Cosans Coffee @ Solaris.

Upon arriving, I spotted my new blogger friend Rin, and immediately plonked myself down next to her and started checking out the array of Intense Hydration products in front of us. I couldn't do much checking on the cleanser and the treatment mask (for obvious reasons), but we peeled open the stoppers from the day cream lotion, unscrewed the night cream jar and also the eye cream.





Rin was super enthusiastic in testing it out on her arms "to see if it works as a hand lotion", which of course, worked very well. The night cream, in my opinion, is much too heavy to use a lot – so we were told that it can also double as a hand cream – which is wonderful because you get another use for it, and your money's worth! The day cream is much lighter, and absorbs pretty fast which makes it a great for day use, and a light hand moisturizer.

And the smell... it's one of the nicest floral products I've come across. I've reviewed their Radiance range with royal jelly before, and that doesn't even come close to smelling as good as this one does. Clary Sage – a Mediterranean plant that is hardy and able to retain moisture in harsh weather conditions – is the range's main ingredient that's responsible for the lovely, natural scent. A few other mix of natural nut butters also contribute to the scent and moisturising quality; like the mafura butter, tucuma butter, kokum butter (this I heard of) and cupuacu butter (pronounced, ku-pua-su). Upon application to the skin, the smell is less floral and carries a hint of the bitter orange peel extract that is also used in the formula.




Check out the eye cream! It comes in a pencil-tipped dispenser, for fuss-free application. You may not realize, but packaging plays quite a vital role in making your customers love your products. Which Burt's Bees obviously scored well in terms of product quality and smart packaging. I'll give extra points for ultra-clean and modern design too!

We settled down for a bit and tuned in for a short presentation on the product, its benefits and why it's so great. It is an Intense Hydration range, so the core use of this product is definitely for those with dry/sensitive skin, as Clary Sage has great moisture retention properties. As with all Burt's Bees products, they are 99% natural (with 1% being natural preservatives) and you can definitely expect the goodness that comes with natural sources from Mother Nature. Their products are also non-comedogenic (doesn't clog pores) and contains prebiotic-technology, so you can say hello to anti-aging properties too. It is a whole lot of good rolled into one range.

After the presentation, we were given a short challenge to design a shirt based on "what Burt's Bees means to you". Who doesn't love anything artsy and craftsy? It was fun while I hack away at my shirt with the pastel dye sticks, while bantering with Rin and Zoe (from Tongue In Chic) who are seated right next to me.














Later on, our sandwiches arrived – looking all charcoal-ey and delicious. I love everything nouveau in the food industry that involves the color black – charcoal buns, squid ink pasta, smoked black cheese, black quinoa, black garlic, and so on. They certainly do feed us well, much props to the Burt's Bees team and the lovely people at Cosans Coffee. I was so stuffed, I couldn't polish off my tiramisu cake, much as I wanted to.





We got to take home a miniature cream cleanser, miniature day cream and a full-sized treatment mask to try. It's been nearly a week since I made use of it, and although I have been quite blessed with a pretty good complexion with minimal problems – Burt's Bees' Intense Hydration range has improved the texture and feel of my skin.





It's more noticeable at the end of a work day, when I hit the gym, the air-conditioning and the sweat usually leaves a few dry patches around the sides of my cheeks. Since using the Intense Hydration range, I noticed no change to skin texture after/during gym, and that the moisture is pretty consistent throughout the day. The day cream feels light enough to use, and I don't get an oily T-zone at the end of the day – which is awesome for night events. (I mean who likes a reflective face when you take photos at events, right?) The treatment mask is also a treat to use as it leaves you with pillow soft skin in the morning. No more facials for me now that I have this!



GIVEAWAY CONTEST!
Alright then, here comes the fun part – a giveaway! I'd totally be glad to gift you guys the gift of great skin (and this is pretty easy to win too) so all you need to do is answer the two (2) following questions in the comment section.

1) Name me any three (3) ingredients used in Burt's Bees Intense Hydration range.
2) Give me one reason why you would like to try the Hydration range?

*Please leave your name and email too as I will need to contact you if you win.

That's it! Here's what FOUR lucky winners stand to win.




Contest ends 12 October 2014, and you will be able to redeem your prizes at the Burt's Bees store @ The Gardens from 20–31 October 2014. Winners will be notified by email.