Rituals

The brand, that is.

Rituals is the brainchild of Raymond Cloosterman, a former bigwig in Unilever. Founded in 1998, it is a Dutch brand offering a wide range of luxurious products for the home and for personal care. Quality and luxury without the high price tag, I would say. The premise of this brand is to transform everyday routines into little self-pampering rituals. It has looked mostly to the East to learn about ancient traditional rituals such as bathing, washing, massage, grooming and tea drinking, and it then developed products revolving around these rituals.

As a result, Rituals products contain all sorts of natural ingredients, some exotic, such as ginseng, rice milk, China clay, sweet almond oil, Himalayan crystal salt and lotus flower, just to name a few. It doesn’t claim that its products are made from 100% natural ingredients though. On its website, it states that it strives to use natural, renewable and preferably organic ingredients and where nature can’t provide, they use safe synthetic alternatives developed through state-of-the-art technology and research. There is also a big emphasis on fragrance in Rituals and the company has worked with world reknowned perfumers to develop the perfect mix of fragrances for its products.

The reason I’m writing about Rituals today is because I was out shopping earlier this week and decided on a whim to visit the Rituals shop. I had only ever been in a Rituals shop once before a few years ago, but it was only for a casual browse. This time, I thought I would take a closer look at the brand and its products. Rituals reminds me a little bit of The Body Shop, only sleeker and having a more extensive concept and philosophy. I’m a sucker for interesting marketing concepts and I believe Rituals has a great unique selling proposition. Impressed, that’s what I am.

I found the interior of the shop very inviting. With the simple, dark furnishings and the back-lighting, there was a calming, warm and cosy atmosphere in the shop. I was quite overwhelmed at first seeing the wide range of products and even the men are not forgotten. There were hand creams, body lotions, shower gels, body scrubs, shampoos and conditioners, hair masks, shaving creams, deodorants, massage oils, lip balms and even bathrobes and wardrobe refreshers, all presented in very sleek and simple packaging. Rituals also has a facial care range and of course, makeup!

It was really the makeup that piqued my interest. In a brochure that I picked up from the shop, Rituals claims to be the first brand in the world to offer cosmetics that incorporates gemstones in its formula. The Pure Beauty cosmetics contain gemstones: sapphire for eye makeup products, ruby for its lip products and nailpolishes, amethyst in its foundations and powders and tourmaline in its foundations. It is said that these gemstones radiate energy and each has a unique effect on the skin such as promoting dermal circulation and improving skin elasticity. I had a look at the list of ingredients for the eyeshadows and indeed, sapphire powder was on the list!

Without any further ado, let me share with you my acquisitions. Call it a haul if you like, but here they are:

Makeup
Eyeshadows
L: Pure Color No. 7157 (turquoise)
R: Pure Color No. 7158 (medium pink)

Lipsticks
L: Lip Jewel No. 7163 (light pink/purple)
R: Ruby Lips No. 7174 Sheer (orange/brown)

Eyeliner
Star Secret No. 7217 scuba (deep turquoise)


Body care
L-R:
Mandarin Shake – energising shower gel (with sweet mandarin & fresh mint)
Massage From Heaven – hydrating & nourishing bodymilk for dry skin (with ginkgo biloba & frangipani)
Gingko’s Secret – extra rich & repairing hand balm (with ginseng & ginkgo biloba)

Your Mini Hammam giftbox comprising:
Hammam Body Mud – nourishing shower mud (with purifying China clay & fresh eucalyptus)
Hammam Olive Secret – ultra nourishing shower paste (with fresh eucalyptus & pure olive)
A Scrub glove
Touch of Hammam – whipped body cream, ultra rich (with fresh fig & rice milk)

I thought the prices were quite reasonable. The products that I bought were in the €6 to €20 retail price range. There was a sale going on, so I did end up paying less for some of the products.

I have been testing out some of the items and I hope to do a review on them in a few weeks.

In the meantime, do have a look at the Rituals website if you're curious to learn more. Besides the Netherlands, Rituals also has a retail presence in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal and several other European countries. Mr Cloosterman has ambitious plans for Rituals, so I think it would only be a matter of time before Rituals reaches US shores, if not already!

Well, please excuse me, I’m off now to enjoy an energising shower with the Mandarin Shake!

Note: For the benefit of readers in the UK, besides having several stores in England and N. Ireland, Rituals UK also has an online store that you can check out here.

Posted in Brand: Rituals , gemstone makeup , Much About Dutch