In a very intimate setting at Sugarleaf in Makati, I met with Neva and Claude of Leyende where they showed me some of their products as well as gave me a short background and lowdown of their ingredients, in a simplified and non-jargonic manner, of course.
Before starting, my man-hands were treated to a spa-like treat by the girls of I do nails. My hands were cleansed with the cleanser followed by a scrub called la dolce scrub.
Dolce means "sweet" and the grains are actually muscovado sugar, which explains the sweet sugary smell, which reminds me of calamansi juice (that's also because there's calamansi extract in the product, which acts as an antioxidant and it's also got benefits which helps even out the skin tone). The sugar melts into the skin instead of coating it with a slimy, oily, or heavy layer and it left the skin feeling soft.
Leyende takes inspiration from our lolas and their own kikay routines back then when spas and commercial skin care products didn't exist yet. Using calamansi to whiten skin, VCO to condition and thicken hair, the same principle of taking trips to the kitchen to make beauty concoctions synthesized into products without losing their potency and active enzymes. When I asked if the La Dolce scrub would attract ants upon storage, Neva told me it won't. Although Leyende products use ingredients derived from food products (pineapple and calamansi extracts, Mango butter, muscovado sugar, virgin coconut oil), they won't cause ant invasion since these aren't cooked and heat wasn't use to make the products. So not to worry about pests here. Also, it is important to note that although these smell yummy, the products are not to be ingested, even if sugar really is used.
After exfoliation, My hands were coated with Lift Off, a natural peel-off face masque with calamansi extract (the label "F" means it's for the face, although it's pretty okay to use this on the hands, it will just be a bit costly to use this all-over body). Like peeling glue off hands when we were kids, it's the same principle. It was brushed on my hands and let dry till it was okay to peel off. It gets stiff and crusty but once you peel it off, there's soft skin underneath. There will be areas that are hard to peel, probably on areas where the masque was applied thinly. A cotton pad or damp towel could be used to remove this so we don't go out looking like a molting snake.
While snacking on pita wraps, my hands were massaged with the Face Canvas moisturizer. The first time I saw this moisturizer, it was still in a jar. I think packaging it in a tube makes it more hygienic, especially using this on clients. The face canvas also acts like a makeup primer also, so that's two birds in one stone, er, tube. Instead of using silicone to fill in lines and make the skin velvety-smooth, it uses mango butter which nourishes the skin with no greasy afterfeel. I sure could keep this in mind especially if I'm doing gigs which need everything fast.
I noticed that if not unscented, the products have a very faint scent that reminds us of food. For skin care on clients, I prefer those that aren't heavily perfumed since perfumes mean added chemical fragrances, which can irritate some clients. Not only too are the products friendly for the skin and wearer, they're also friendly to the environment. I'll get into detail with that when I review one of their products, the Place In The Sun sunblock, which I'm currently testing on myself.
Thanks to Neva and Claude of Leyende as well as Nina of justwandering.org.
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