I absolutely LOVE discovering new indie companies so I went into full minkish mode when Eva approached me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing The Bath Duchess. I love all things Victorian so the name immediately drew me in. But perhaps what excited me the most was the fact that this company was actually located right on my very own sunny little island! I’m so used to dealing with international shipping and growing green horns of envy because of all the indie goodness that takes place several timezones away from me.

Anyhow, I contacted her right away and she offered to send me a bunch of products to review. Of course, I offered to pay for them but she waved off my attempts. I was really blown away by her generosity. Feeling a little sheepish, I listed out a number of products from her store that I was interested in and told her to just send me a couple of those in sample sizes. Imagine my surprise and thrill when a box stuffed to the brim with products arrived on my doorstep in record time a couple of days later.

Just look at all those goodies! I was totally blown away by how beautifully everything was packaged, and the sheer number of products in the box is astounding. I received a mix of their Halloween scented products as well as some products from her general collection. Here’s a breakdown of all the goodies that I got:

Whipped Body Frosting in Mad Tea Party

in Mad Tea Party Whipped Body Butter in Monoi de Tahiti

in Monoi de Tahiti Foaming Bath Mousse in Wail of Sirens Elixir

in Wail of Sirens Elixir Whipped Body Scrub in Phoenix Feathers, Spiritus Draconis Elixir (sample), Mad Tea Party (sample) and Peppermint Candy (sample)

in Phoenix Feathers, Spiritus Draconis Elixir (sample), Mad Tea Party (sample) and Peppermint Candy (sample) S hower Gel in Tears of Medusa Elixir

in Tears of Medusa Elixir Gingerbread Man Soap in Strawberry Jam Cakes

in Strawberry Jam Cakes Handmade Goats Milk Soap in Honey Sultanas, Claw of Griffin and Almond Cherry Liquor

in Honey Sultanas, Claw of Griffin and Almond Cherry Liquor Massage Butter Bar in French Lavender

in French Lavender Body Splash in Elixir of Life

in Elixir of Life Love-Your-Lips Butter in Lemon

Whew! That is quite the haul, I really couldn’t be more overwhelmed by her sheer generosity. I generally loved almost everything although of course, not everything worked perfectly on me. This is going to be a pretty lengthy review, so here. Have a cup of tea, fluff up some cushions and descend down the rabbit hole with me.

I received these for free, but my opinions of the actual product are unbiased. Reviews are based on my individual impressions from a test drive of the individual products. Everything is subject to my own skin chemistry, so your mileage may vary.

♥

a quick brand overview

The Bath Duchess is a new indie Bath and Body e-tailer that is situated in the happy, sunny island of Singapore. Although the local indie bathory scene is pretty quiet, Eva has established an identity for her store with lovingly handmade products which are cruelty free. She sources her ingredients all the way from USA / Canada and is absolutely stringent about their quality and the fact that they were never tested on animals. The shop’s Victorian inspired aesthetic is charming and currently situates itself around quirky and rather spooky apothecary odds and ends in celebration of Halloween.

Currently, the shop’s scent list changes with each seasonal release, although the product list more or less remains the same other than some special surprises. I have been informed by Eva that the store’s general collection (which is fittingly dubbed The Duchess Collection) will make its appearance after the Christmas release so I am definitely looking forward to that. Having opened her doors at the beginning of this year, The Bath Duchess is pretty young but Eva’s professionalism and dedication to her products have pretty much paved a very promising path for this company.

A peek at the website

Currently, The Bath Duchess’s website decor is a striking nod to All Hallow’s Eve as it showcases her Halloween collection. It’s easy enough to navigate and there is quite a bit of information provided about each product including a full ingredients list and a list of scent descriptions. One thing that I noticed though was the lack of product images. I definitely hope that this is something that she looks into for the future because one thing that I always look out for when exploring a new brand is an image of their actual product packaging. It definitely raises the faith of new customers to be able to see what they’d be getting in exchange for their money.

The thing is, the packaging for this company is absolutely stunning so I really can’t think of a reason to not showcase her products because it really would be a major selling point. To be fair, there are some product pictures on the company’s Facebook and Twitter, but customers ought not to have to go looking to know what a product looks like!

Other than that, the website is pretty functional and since it is powered by Big Cartel, checking out is a pretty much a breeze. Prices are listed in Singapore dollars but for the sake of this review, I’ll convert the prices to USD so you guys can get a better idea of how the products compare to that of other companies.

Pretty, pretty packaging!

I am a huge sucker for packaging so it absolutely thrills me when a seller places attention on the littlest details. And The Bath Duchess definitely does not fail to deliver in this aspect. Everything was wrapped in colored tissue paper and boasted an adorable Halloween sticker with those circular images from the website. I really like how the packaging reflects the store’s aesthetic and colors.

And look! Aww, it’s a little Halloween greeting card with a sweet handwritten message from the seller. I just really love this little personal touch. It’s one of the lovely parts about shopping indie; you always feel like you’re not just another face-less customer.

And here is a picture of the products! As you can see, they are stunning. The general collection products are a lot more feminine but I really really love the Halloween labels.

In case you were wondering, this gorgeous packaging is pretty constant regardless of when you order from them. I stalked their instagram account and found this:

I believe this was from their Easter / Spring collection. Just look at those colors and those gorgeous stickers! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Safe Packaging

I love how The Bath Duchess pays attention not only to the looks of her products, but also to making sure that they arrive without any leaks or contamination.

All products in jars come with safety seals to keep their contents fresh. I love how the little samples even came with tiny plastic covers to prevent spillage. The shower gel and body spray were loving taped up but in my excitement to try them out, I forgot to take pictures of those. But trust me, there is very little chance that your products won’t stand the test of being knocked around during shipping.

Turnaround Time

The stated turnaround time is 3 to 5 working days, which is pretty fast by indie standards. It was so cute that Eva got all apologetic when she told me that she was pretty swamped with Halloween orders and that the turnaround time would be pretty long. I suppose most Singaporeans aren’t used to shopping indie but for me, I’m pretty impressed that she got my package out within about 3 working days. We spoke about the possibility of a review on Sept 20 (Saturday) and she shipped out my parcel on Sept 24 (Wed) so, like I said, that was quick! I received the parcel on Sept 27 which is like, a total magical 1st for me. I’ve finally got a sense of how my dear lucky US indie fans feel!

Shipping Costs (and possible woes)

The Bath Duchess does ship internationally, but shipping can get pretty pricey if you’re thinking of shipping outside of Singapore. Here’s a list of estimated shipping charges from the website:

4-5 jars of 120g ~ SGD$28 [USD$22.40]

7-8 jars of 120g ~ SGD$36 [USD$28.80]

Medium Flat Rate Box ~ SGD$80.95 [USD$64.75] (Fits 20 jars of 120g)

Large Flat Rate Box ~ SGD$90.55 [USD$72.40] (Fits 25 jars of 120g)

Excess shipping charges over $1 will be refunded, so there is that. Still, I’d imagine that these shipping costs would be pretty painful if you’re not located in Singapore (after the pains I have to endure to get my Cocoa Pink or BPAL fix, I can definitely sympathize!).

♥

Body Frosting

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Goat’s Milk, Sweet Almond Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Coconut Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Stearic Acid, Optiphen, Body safe colorant and Fragrance.

First and foremost, just look at that product label! I definitely can’t wait to try out their general collection products because I love the whole girly Victorian aesthetic.

This body moisturizer has such an adorable name and it definitely lives up to it. I love the whipped consistency and it feels like smooth and airy buttercream frosting. The body frosting spreads very nicely over my skin and leaves just a bit of a sheen behind. Within minutes, it gets absorbed, leaving behind smooth and moisturized skin in its wake. It starts off feeling a little oily on my skin but once you get past the initial slight stickiness as it dries, it really is a treat for the skin. A little bit goes a long way so as long as you don’t overindulge, the oiliness probably won’t be too much of a problem even in Singapore’s humid climate!

Mad Tea Party

A special blend of sparkling citrus with 3 different types of tea for the mad tea lover! Soothing, green and fresh for the senses.

The Mad Tea Party scent is from the Duchess Collection and it smells so lovely! It’s mostly a fresh and invigorating green tea scent on me with a splash of citrus. I get a little touch of florals as well, something a little reminiscent of orange blossoms to my nose. It’s like having a garden tea party with a bunch of little girls in frilly dresses sipping tea from Mom’s best china tea set. There’s just something so youthful and innocent about this scent that keeps me sniffing myself. This body frosting leaves behind a nice scent trail which wafts about softly for an hour or so after.

Whipped Body Frosting costs USD$11.16 (SGD$13.95) for a 4oz tub and is available in any of the seasonal scent options.

Whipped Body Butter

Ingredients: Aqua, Kokum Butter, Monoi Butter, Macademia Nut Oil, Avocado Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance and Optiphen.

This body butter smells almost as exotic as its ingredients! What’s so special about the Monoi De Tahiti Whipped Body Butter is that rather than containing the usual shea or cocoa butter, the main stars are kokum butter and monoi butter. I’ve personally never been acquainted with these two butters before and I have to say that I am pretty excited. The texture of this body butter is nice and airy, but I can tell that it feels a little richer than the body frosting. Despite the rich and decadent creaminess, the butter actually gets absorbed pretty easily into my skin, leaving behind just a light oily sheen for the first five minutes or so. One thing that I really like about this butter is how quickly it gets gobbled up by my skin. Most body butters tend to linger around for minutes, leaving me with a bit of a sticky, oily feeling, which is why I tend to veer towards lotions and light body oils. This Monoi butter on the other hand is a rich butter that behaves like a lotion. It gives me velvety soft skin and I am very impressed.

The butter very fittingly is scented with the fragrance of the tiare flower. It’s a pretty straightforward tropical blossom note that reminds me of night blooming white buds by the beach. It’s a little too floral perfume-y for my taste since I tend to gravitate towards creamy gourmand scents in general. I feel a little like a rich, classy old lady wearing this scent for some reason. I guess that’s what straight up florals do to me. Still, this is really a wonderful butter; I’d say that it’s close to being up there with Haus of Gloi’s pumpkin butter in my book, with only a few points docked off for the lack of scent options. I can’t find this on the site, so I’m thinking that this was a special release, perhaps during the summer. I hope to see it become part of the general catalog eventually because I really, really like it.

I couldn’t find a price for this whipped body butter since it isn’t currently available for sale on the site. I’ll probably ask Eva and will update this review accordingly when she gets back to me.

Foaming Bath Mousse

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Distilled Water, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sorbitol, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Body safe colorant and Fragrance.

Now if you’ve got sharp eyes, you probably noticed that one side of the label says “Whipped Body Frosting” while the other side advises you to use a bath pouf or shower sponge for “best lathering results”. I have to admit that I didn’t read the fine print and decided to go ahead and smear the product all over my limbs after my shower. I was puzzled since the tacky feeling was very much different from the one I got out of the Mad Tea Party Body Frosting. Anyhow, I eventually deduced that this was a mislabeled jar of Foaming Body Mousse. I pointed it out to Eva and she was so apologetic and grateful that I pointed it out. Apparently, she had specially printed out this label for my jar so hopefully this was just a one-off accident. What I do love is how quick she was to admit her mistake and apologize for it.

In any case, I am thrilled that I got a chance to try out her take on whipped soap because this product is gorgeous. The texture really is like the fluffiest cream mousse and it is just a joy to scoop it out of the jar. I used it with my trusty bath mitt and managed to get a rich, creamy and bubbly lather very easily. I would go as far as saying that this could actually rival Haus of Gloi as my favorite whipped soap. The consistency is smooth, without any undissolved soap bits and it just leaves my skin feeling so clean yet pampered at the same time. It also works great for shaving. My only complaint is that it sits on the pricier side as far as whipped soaps go.

Wail of Silence Elixir

Aquatic notes, seaweed, and a slight tinge of sweet floral combined with a wailing note from a deadly songstress for a complete surrender of oneself.

To top off an already awesome soap, I loved the Wail of Silence Elixir scent. This is a wistful and dreamy aquatic floral which shifts between the slight briny edge of sea salt to the sweetness of white petals floating with the waves. It smells really fresh and yet there is also a kind of pining quality underneath which makes this a bittersweet blend. It reminds me of the fleeting love between mermaids and sailors. The scent doesn’t linger for long after washing it off but I definitely enjoy it while it remains.

Foaming Bath Mousse costs USD$10.35 (SGD$12.95) for a 4oz tub and is available in any of the seasonal scent options.

Whipped Body Scrub

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Macadamia Oil, Vitamin E, Glycerin, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sorbitol, Propylene glycol, Disodium Lauryl sulfosuccinate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Cane Sugar, Body Safe Colorant and Fragrance.

I received this scrub in four different scents: Phoenix Feathers, Spiritus Draconis Elixir, Mad Tea Party and Peppermint Candy. The first two are from the Halloween collection while I think the others are from the Duchess Collection. I found the formulation to be slightly different between the Halloween and the Duchess scrubs so I’ll be separating them into two different sections.

Halloween Scrubs

This is an amazingly formulated scrub which is just so smooth and creamy. It lathers up so well that I actually think that it could double up as a body wash as well on days that you’re in a rush (or if you’re simply feeling a little lazy.) The sugar bits are a little coarser than what I am used to but they do dissolve well eventually. I only use this scrub every other day or so for this reason since I think it’s a little heavier on the exfoliating side. I do very much love the smooth, polished feeling that I get after washing the scrub off. If the sugar granules were a little finer and more tightly packed, this could very well be one of my top favorite sugar scrubs. As it is, I really do like it.

Phoenix Feathers

Cool citrus notes and sweet herbs brewed with feathers from the Phoenix to heal.

This is a yummy fall scent that is just so warm, zingy and cuddly all at the same time. There is just a hint of a citrus note that reminds me of lemongrass and this is accompanied by a touch of candied ginger. There is a bit of a sharpness to this scent, but at the same time, it leaves evokes an assuring feeling that makes me feel all warm inside. This is a very uplifting scent and I’m definitely reminded of a phoenix rising from the smoldering embers and ashes. This did warm up my sensitive skin a little and I experienced a bit of redness after washing the scrub off. It disappeared after about five to ten minutes, so I’m not really bothered by that.

Spiritus Draconis Elixir

Made from the breath of the ignis draconi (fire-breathing dragon) dwelling in the deep mountain caves of Transylvania, hot smoking ambers and burnt sugar. We’ve added blood orange essential oil for stimulation of the senses.

This is a very yummy gourmand scent that is perfect for Fall. I think I might actually be growing to love the resinous warmth of amber especially when it’s blended together with the lush, thick molasses scent of burnt sugar. There is a subtle citrus note that just serves to add a bit of tartness to the smooth, undulating creaminess of the molten sugared amber. I’d say that this is one decadent fire breathing dragon and I would love to smell like him.

Duchess Collection Scrubs

The main difference that I found between these and the Halloween scrubs is in the texture of the sugar granules and how they are mixed together with the scrub. The sugar granules are a lot coarser than I’d like them to be and they’re rather loosely packed so that it feel as though they weren’t as well mixed in with the scrub as they could be. Other than this, the scrub is still pretty smooth with good lather, but it was difficult to get the sugar bits to dissolve completely which means that the version of this scrub is probably not going to be suitable for shaving. Which isn’t that big a deal since it does exfoliate pretty well; a little too thoroughly for my liking, to be honest. To clarify, this is still a pretty good scrub, just maybe not one of my absolute favorites in this particular incarnation.

Peppermint Candy and Mad Tea Party

The Mad Tea Party scent smells pretty much the same as it does in the Body Frosting so I won’t linger on it. I was pretty excited about the Peppermint Candy scent since I am such a sucker for candy canes. This scent wasn’t really what I expected though since it mostly smells like a fruity bubblegum candy that is just short of a little bit cloying. I do catch little whiffs of peppermint but it definitely isn’t dominant in this scent. I would have preferred if the mint came out more to temper the sweetness of the candy so that the scent would be more balanced.

Whipped Body Scrubs cost USD$7.92 (SGD$9.90) for a 4oz tub and USD$12 (SGD$15) for a 8oz tub. It is available in any of the current seasonal scent options.

Shower Gel

Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, DL Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-7, Rosemary (Rosmarius Officinalis) Extract, Citric Acid, PEG-7-Glyceryl Cocoate, Body safe colorant and Fragrance.

Tears of Medusa Elixir

White flowers and rose geranium soaked in her tears results in an elixir that has the ability to lift melancholy and depression.

I was really excited to try out this shower gel because as much as I love how pampering my whipped soaps are, sometimes I do appreciate the overall no-frills convenience of a trusty shower gel. I used this without a bath mitt, so it’s just good ol’ fashioned lathering up with my hands. And believe me, that is all it takes to create a nice, foamy lather. This shower gel is on the small side which makes it perfect for travelling. The good news is that a little of this product goes a long way so it would probably last for a lot longer than you’d think, looking at its smallish size.

Tears of Medusa is a crowd pleasing floral that veers a little towards the more generic and safe side of fragrances. This isn’t to say that I didn’t like this scent, I did, but it’s just not one of my favorite scents out of the collection. It smells very classy and feminine, like a higher end commercial product for a fraction of the price. I can’t really pick out individual notes but the overall impact of the pale colored bouquet is pretty intoxicating.

Shower Gels cost USD$7.96 (SGD$9.95) for a 5oz bottle and is available in any of the current seasonal scent options.

Soap

Ingredients: Goat's Milk, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and Soy Bean and Coconut Oil

I received 4 bars of soap in total and they all look so incredibly beautiful. I really think that this would make amazing gifts for the lucky people in your life. Since they’re all made of pretty much the same ingredients, the main difference is really in their appearance which is why I opted to try out the Almond Cherry Liquor and Honeyed Sultana soaps first while keeping the Gingerbread and Claw of Griffin soaps in their packaging. Because you know, my bathroom is just overflowing with soap from my Chagrin Valley purchase (review of that coming soon!).

To be honest, I’m not really that much of a fan of bar soap. My skin dries up pretty easily which is why I love my whipped and cream soaps so much. These soaps are pretty lovely though. The lather that I got out of them is pretty mild but they do a good job of getting me clean. I did get a little of that squeaky clean sensation that I have come to associate with bar soaps, although it is a lot less apparent here than what I’m used to. Which is a good thing, because I really don’t like that feeling very much. On the whole, I am pleased but not particularly blown away. Then again, perhaps I am a little biased to bar soaps. I did find them to veer a little bit to the pricier side, so I probably would only purchase them as gifts and stick to the the fabulous Foaming Body Mousse myself.

Gingerbread Man Soap

Strawberry Jam Cupcakes

I can’t really comment too much about the scent of this soap since I’m leaving it in the package for now, but I do get whiffs of a sweet, juicy strawberry when I sniffed at it. It’s a beautiful soap and I honestly couldn’t really bear to use it because that Gingerbread Man is just too cute! It’s a rich dark brown color with an iridescent surface that is a lot prettier in real life.

Gingerbread Man Soap costs USD$4.40 (SGD$5.50) and is available scented in either Strawberry Jam Cupcakes or Claw of Griffin.

Goats Milk Soap

Honeyed Sultanas

This is a really, really gorgeous and generous chunk of soap that smells absolutely GORGEOUS. It’s like the juiciest and sweetest grapes dipped in a sticky sweet pool of honey. The glitter at the top of the soap is definitely a nice touch as well. This soap will probably last you for a good long time – it’s so big! The scent is a little milder in the shower, but it really is scrumptious. I wish this could be available in a perfume oil because I would love to have it linger around me.

I couldn’t find a price for this soap since it’s currently not available for sale at the store.

Almond Cherry Liquor

This is one of the most gorgeous looking and beautifully scented bars of soap that I have ever encountered. It looks like one of those ornate porcelain tiles that you find in the bathrooms of dukes and duchesses. It almost broke my heart to cut into this bar of soap because it is just so pretty! The Almond Cherry Liquor scent is drop dead gorgeous. It reminds me of a gourmet lollipop that is a little boozey, a little nutty and absolutely sexy. I’ve been looking for excuses to use this one lately because I can’t get enough of the scent.

Goat’s Milk Soap Bars cost USD$5.60 (SGD$7) for a 75g bar and is currently only available in Almond Cherry Liquor at the time of this review.

Claw of Griffin – The scent is reminiscent of an old world herb sachet, with a handful of magic herbs sprinkled in for effect.

This is a miniature version of the Almond Cherry Liquor soap that is scented in Claw of Griffin. Unfortunately, I can’t really comment on the scent right now because like the Gingerbread soap, I’ve chosen to leave this one in the plastic for the time being so that I can keep it fresh and unspoiled for when I am ready to use it. From my attempts at sniffing it through the plastic, I can pick up a bit of a green herbal scent is reminds me a little of chamomile or perhaps thyme.

This is a sample size so I can’t find a price for it at the store.

Massage Butter Bar / Massage Tart

Ingredients: Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Fragrance.

These are listed at Massage Tarts on the website, although the label calls them Massage Butter Bars. Whichever name it is, these are wonderfully decadent little solid lotion bars that are meant to be used after the shower. I’ve tried out a couple of solid lotions in the past and somehow never got enamored with them since I didn’t like the waxy, tacky feeling that they left behind on my skin. These little treats might just convert me though! I’ve found that the best way to use them is to rub the bar over the skin in a massaging motion and then to continue the massage process as you coax the product into your pores. The Fox was a lucky recipient of this regime the other night and he couldn’t stop raving over it.

The bars are on the smaller side and are shaped as a beautiful little butterfly. I don’t know about you, but there is just something intoxicating about rubbing a butterfly over the skin of someone you love. And it definitely helps when it’s scented in the most deliciously soothing French Lavender. The trick is to treat the usage of this as a kind of a ritual of love and pampering; you really need to take your time to rub this in. I’ll be sticking to my body butters and lotions for regular moisturizing but for a special treat, you can’t beat this little Massage Butter Bar. Or Tart, if you prefer.

Masssage Butter Bars cost USD$4.80 (SGD$6) for a 25g bar and comes in 4 scent options including an unscented variation.

Body Splash

Ingredients: Aqua, Witch Hazel (non-alcohol), Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Optiphen and Fragrance.

Elixir of Life

Wild honeysuckle, warm milk and rice blended with a lock of Persephone’s hair breathes life back once again.

The Bath Duchess doesn’t offer perfume oils, so the Body Splashes are the only fragrance line in the store for now. This is a water based body spray that is actually really quite potent in terms of fragrance. I spritzed myself lightly and the scent just dances around me in a cloud. The throw is pretty strong, and it’s fortunate that I like the scent because my room is filled with it. What impressed me is that it actually lingered around for about 5 hours on me, which is actually even longer than some perfume oils. I actually prefer this to Haus of Gloi’s summer refresher sprays which I actually do love, but the scents are pretty short-lived on me.

Elixir of Life smells like a commercial floral perfume in a good way. It’s a classy, expensive smelling honeyed floral that has a bit of a milky edge to it. I love the addition of rice because it really adds a unique edge to what would otherwise have been a pretty textbook creamy floral scent. It reminds me of a cultured young lady who’s enjoying a spa treatment. She’s refined and elegant, yet there’s also a hint of vulnerability as well. I’m pretty fond of this and have actually taken to carrying it around in my bag for times when I don’t really want to have be careful with not spilling my favorite BPAL Unicorn perfume oil (which I love so much that it basically goes everywhere that I go – we can’t be parted.)

Body Splash costs USD$8.72 (SGD$10.90) for a 3oz bottle and is available in any of the current seasonal scent options.

Love-Your-Lips Butter

Ingredients: Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Sweet Almond Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, flavoring oil, Stevia.

I am such a fan of this lip butter. First and foremost, the packaging is gorgeous. I love oval lip balm tubes and that vintage looking label art is just so pretty. Since it’s a Halloween themed label, I’m assuming that the label art changes according to the season – which is really just another reason to stock up on these so they can sit prettily in my collection.

The formula is so buttery and smooth, it glides on effortlessly and leaves a nice glossy sheen. The first thought that popped into my head while I was applying it was that this is one of the creamier lip balms in my collection. My lips feel really soft and pampered. It is slightly sweetened so if you’re like me, try to resist the urge to lick your lips.

I got this in a lemon flavor which sounds a little like a safe, albeit slightly boring flavor choice. Don’t be fooled though, it is actually anything but boring. There’s this buttery, almost pastry-like edge to the lemon which actually reminds me a little of Black Violet’s Patisserie (which incidentally is one of my favorite lemon fragrances ever). This is more lemon shortbread cookie than straight up lemon and it’s really taking every last inch of will power in my body to not lick it off for nomming purposes.

Love-Your-Lips Butters cost USD$4 (SGD$5) for a tube and is available in 6 flavors.

♥

On the whole…

Whew! That was a long review, possibly the longest that I have ever written. If you have stuck with me thus far, kudos to you. I have really enjoyed my experience with The Bath Duchess. Some products have really impressed me and I’d say that they are actually up there together with the more established indie brands. My definite favorites of the lot are the Whipped Monoi De Tahiti Body Butter, the Foaming Bath Mousse and the Love-Your-Lips Butter. I do find that the prices veer a little on the pricier side as far as indie bath and body products are concerned. That, coupled with the high international shipping, might possibly discourage prospective customers from trying out the store; which is such a pity because I definitely think that this is a company that is worth checking out. I’m hoping that sample packs or blogger special packs can be introduced in the future to expose this company a little more beyond Singapore’s shores.

There still needs to be a little bit of refinement in terms of consistency since some products have different names and some of the site urls contradict the size / name of the product. I guess I’m nitpicking a little, because honestly, this company is just starting out and I’m amazed at the high standard that it has already managed to attain. Give Eva a little more time and she’d definitely be taking the indie world by storm.

I can’t wait for the next seasonal release and for the Duchess Collection to finally be added as a permanent fixture. In the meantime, I’m going to indulge in a happy, sweet-smelling cloud of minkishness while I enjoy my The Bath Duchess products.