Luxe baths evolve into personal spas

Read article : Luxe baths evolve into personal spas

Settle in and have your achy muscles caressed. Breathe fragrant aromas of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or grapefruit. Listen to Bach, Beethoven or cool jazz, and melt away stress in a steam shower.

Pamper yourself. You know you want to, and there’s no need to travel to an exotic location. Today’s luxe bath can be your own personal spa and so much more.

Like uber thread counts that determine a bed sheet’s degree of luxury, the number of jets and how many nozzles control the dance of water now are deciding factors in upgrading shower and tub features.

Even the lexicon has changed. Today’s home spa emphasizes hydrotherapy, and there is nothing ordinary about it. The water is healing and magical because of amazing technology.

“It’s all about de-stressing,” says Ann Roever, senior product manager of bathing products for Kohler Co.

Beyond the whirlpool, the choices today are dizzying. Consider how soothing or invigorating a massage you want. Then think about whether you want to add chromatherapy, which allows bathing in a pool of changing hues, or aromatherapy in a range of scents.

Showers simulating rain that virtually massages the body were a novelty a few years ago, but today most manufacturers offer at least one model. The German manufacturer Dornbracht offers a large rectangular rain shower that recesses into the ceiling and adjusts from the equivalent of a drizzle to a tropical downpour.

Hansgrohe’s Raindance Rainmaker features a “three-whirl massage” that goes from droplets to intense spray, plus four mood lights and two air-spray modes. It sells for just under $3,100 and looks like a futuristic feature from a spacecraft.

There now are WaterTiles, a Kohler trademark, which come in fetching square or round shapes, recessed for a cleaner look. Some are even directional, allowing adjustment of the spray to targeted areas. One of Kohler’s newest products is a sexy shower wand that provides a rain-like spray.

Glass showerheads offer another attractive design option in today’s home spa. Like other bathroom hardware, showerheads also are available in a range of finishes, including polished and satin nickel as well as oil-rubbed bronze. High-end models cost several hundred dollars apiece.

With so many body sprays, the inside of a shower these days may resemble a car wash. It’s not surprising that there’s a trend to open up the space and make it unencumbered even by glass doors, conforming to barrier-free universal principles. One of the more elaborate shower towers, the Waterhaven by Kohler, features seven water “ports,” a two- arched telescoping shower head, four movable body sprays and one handheld shower wand for $7,260.

Methven, an Australian company, this summer is introducing a spa experience called “shower infusions.” The infusions come from a small cartridge that fits into the base of a handheld shower wand, permeating the space with aromas as it hydrates. There are four flavors: Lift (a combination of grapefruit and pomegranate), Fresh (green tea and peppermint), Bliss (jasmine and ylang ylang, a tropical Asian tree) and Balance (lavender and vanilla).

Another company, Mr. Steam, offers in-shower music therapy speakers, aromatherapy and mood lighting.

The tub, as well as the shower, is not lacking bells and whistles. There’s the air bath that offers the champagne equivalent of tiny bubbles, which creates a soothing to invigorating massage. Some compare the air bath to bathing in hot springs. Or you can choose a soaking tub, a deeper tub also known as a Japanese bath.

Tubs no longer need to be tethered to a wall. Freestanding tubs in the middle of a room add a new dynamic to the bath. With crisp, angular lines or sculptural curves, these baths are showstopping artistic architectural centerpieces in an interior. One design from Agape resembles an enormous shallow bowl.

In an effort to stimulate the senses, MTI Whirlpool’s Stereo Water is an invisible audio system that delivers sound through the tub. State- of-the-art speakers are acoustic “transducers,” applied to the bath shell’s exterior surface near the waterline. The sound is evenly distributed within the tub, enveloping the bather in sounds of choice, from rousing rock to a calming concerto, according to the company.

Many tub extras can be monitored with the touch of a button on a control with digital readout. Some companies even offer remote controls that are submersible so you don’t have to lift your hand out of the water. Perhaps even more welcome are devices that baffle the sound created by whirlpool jets.

Of course, there are dozens of spa bath accessories, including ergonomically designed backrests and armrests, some heated to soothe tired muscles, neck massagers (Jacuzzi’s Fuzion 7242 whirlpool offers a cascading neck-massaging waterfall), heaters in tubs that keep warm water at a constant temperature, anti-fog mirrors and towel-warming drawers. Even pet spas manufactured by MTI Whirlpool are part of the mix.

As in other areas of the home, the emphasis these days is on customization. Pearl Baths Inc. offers “recipes” for specific therapies that direct sound, light and type of massage. SilverTag provides a computer-controlled environment with 18 showerheads and 30 shower frequencies, programmable with a touch screen. The price is staggering; it sells for about $100,000.

Bath design really began to evolve in the 1980s, when almost any room that was a candidate for remodeling got supersized. With an emphasis on health, fitness and cocooning, whirlpools were the centerpiece of the movement, with big tubs for two persons among the hot features. Footprints expanded, with space carved from extra bedrooms to create giant havens for relaxation, often with separate walk-in showers.

The trend took off in the ’90s, with more attention focused on healthy eating and exercise. Bath design continued to upgrade, and everyone wanted cabinetry that resembled furniture.

Recreating the day spa, or travel experiences at spas in luxury resorts, seems to be driving the 21st-century sanctuaries.

“With a day at the spa costing $400 or more, you can invest this money in your home and benefit over the long haul,” says Kohler’s Ann Roever.

The clean lines of the latest tubs and showerheads call out for a more minimal design style. Decorative accessories, furniture and fancy accoutrements (like dripping crystal chandeliers) arrived in the ’80s and still show up in traditional luxury baths, but the spa bath has taken on a decidedly more Spartan look.

The spa bath often features Zen-like environments. Vanities, basins and other furnishings often seem to float. Even toilets have morphed into more stylish forms, some more sculptural, such as rounded models recently introduced by Villeroy and Boch. Natural stones play a role; river rocks sometimes decorate tub surrounds and areas around showers.

Some detractors say the current spa trend smacks of hedonism and narcissism. A brochure from Pearl Baths suggests basking in a tub “reminiscent of Cleopatra” by adding flower petals or two cups of milk to the water. Still, there are therapeutic benefits. Bubbles promote circulation, and music and candles can be soothing.

“We think of the home spa as a place to relax, refresh, rejuvenate and retreat,” Roever says.

Rain Shower Heads - A New Shower Head for Your Master Bath

Read article : Rain Shower Heads - A New Shower Head for Your Master Bath

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Nothing is more invigorating than a nice hot shower. To have a wonderful experience in the shower go get a new showerhead for your master bath. Rain Shower Heads are one of the top shower heads on the market. They have so many different styles to chose from that you will wonder how you ever lived without one. Their mission is to create quality craftsmanship with exquisite designs coupled with aesthetically pleasing products. That is exactly what they deliver, I know because I own one myself.

Rain Shower Heads: Traditional Design

The first type of Rain Shower Head is the traditional design. The traditional shower head comes in four different sizes and finishes. You can buy this type of shower head in 10″, 8,″ 6″, and 5 1/2″ diameters. The first in the design series is call "Classic." It comes in a 10″, 8″, and 5 1/2″ diameter. All three sizes are designed with superior craftsmanship and are built with solid brass construction. The Rain Shower Head also is constructed with cast brass nozzles that direct precise stream control and allow better pressure during your spa-like experience. The smaller Rain Shower Head works as well as the other two except it has a smaller number of cast brass nozzles. Rain Shower Arms are sold separately from all three, however, the smaller version can be fitted to your regular shower arm or fitting. They come in Chrome, Polished Brass, and Brushed Satin Nickel. This Rain Shower Head would make an excellent new shower head for your master bath.

Next, the "Porcelain" 6″ Rain Shower Head combined beautiful with functionality. This shower head is made of solid porcelain and chrome-plated brass. It also comes in chrome or polished brass. For an extremely elegant look try combining the shower head with a matching Opus shower arm.

Then, they offer the 10″ and 8″ diameter "Legacy" Design. This is more of an economical designed shower head featuring the dimpled face construction. Even though it has not been constructed with the same cast brass nozzles, it still offers an amazing shower experience in comparison to standard shower heads. It is a full size shower head with same identical body style as the "Classic" series, but without the hefty price tag.

Lastly, there is the 6″ two-toned "Chrome and Brass" Rain Shower Head. This one is my favorite because this is the one that I own. It is absolutely beautiful with a chrome body flat plate design and a polished brass nozzle base. The brass tips are covered with soft rubber ends designed for more effective cleaning in mind for hard water stains. If you are a person that likes to soak in the tub, this shower head will give you a whole new perspective on relaxation.

Rain Shower Heads: Exotic Design

If you have a contemporary master bath then you will absolutely love this concept.. These shower heads are very unique in detailing and creative expression. They are designed to offer superior water pressure. The Rain Exotic line come in chrome, polished brass, and a satin nickel finishes. There is the 9″ "Ultra" shower head that is next to the largest size they make. It has a contemporary curved spoke-like body that delivers exceptional water pressure. The 6″ "Luna" shower head is the most exotic style in this series with a similar design, but with individual heads on the ends of each arm. The 10″ "Oasis" shower head has a much bolder look and would probably be better suited to the males in the house. Then there is the 6″ "Oasis" shower head that delivers the same experience with slightly fewer nozzles in place. Any of these styles will definitely make a statement and take your shower experience to a whole new level. A new shower head in your master bath like this one will make you feel as if you have crossed over into the future.

Rain Shower Heads: The Future Handheld

The last in the line has yet to be revealed, however, I can't hardly wait to see what they come up with after experiencing some of their other products. Rain Shower Heads are top quality and give you a wonderful spa-like escape. These type of shower heads are great for relaxing tired and aching muscles. I think that if you are going to get a new shower head for your master bath, you should consider any of these products.

Motor Yacht SHERAKHAN -

Read article : Motor Yacht SHERAKHAN -

Yacht Charter Description

Luxury motor yacht SHERAKHAN is one of the most impressive superyachts available for charter. Superyacht SHERAKHAN’S luxury interior décor and layout works very well to give a feeling of grandeur and comfort. The added extras such as the glass bottom Spa Pool and the themed cabins make this yacht one of the very best available for charter. She is available in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas and also cruises further a field offering some once in a life time adventure charters. M/Y SHERRAKAN is presently seriously considering cruising to Patagonia for the Antarctic winter. In 2014 Sherakhan underwent a refit at ICON Yachts.

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M/Y SHERAKHAN is the culmination of a dream for her owner. Whether it be the luxury dining room for 22 guests with its massive 7m Atrium bathed in natural light filtered down through the glass bottomed Spa Pool. (Seating 18) or the Joy of standing in the lookout house perched above the sundeck a massive 20m above the water line. Suites range from 30-50 square meters and are impressive for their decor, style and of course sheer size.

A note by the designer…

Main Deck:

Once you set foot on the gangway, you will be surprised by the beautiful details, the enormous deck areas, astonishing woodwork and the incredible choice of outside furniture! We are sure you have never experienced a view as marvelous as the one from the look-out house. The Spa Pool is very big (18 people)and of course we have a complete B.B.Q. area

When you finally come inside, you will be surprised by the beam of the yacht. The main saloon is about 20 meters long and 9 meters wide. The style is cozy and, what we think is the most important, homely. Every single guest on MY Sherakhan must immediately have the feeling that this is their home and can relax the way they want!

The main saloon is visually divided into two areas;
On one side we find the dining area; with a beautiful table, where 22 people can be seated. On both sides of the dining table there are 2 impressive stairs which will lead you to the owner’s deck. When you sit at the dining table and look up, you will be impressed by the atrium. You can look completely to the roof of the yacht where the Spa Pool with glass bottom is situated. The enormous chandelier is of course specially designed for this area of 7 meters of height.

The other side of the saloon is furnished to relax. Nice cozy couches, homely armchairs, enormous vases, a fireplace, a flat screen television, a bar where you can sit down to enjoy your drinks and of course a little podium with a white grand piano. Although the area is big, you will never have the chance to feel “lost”. From this area you have a nice view on the aft deck where the outside dining table is situated.

When you walk through this area and pass the dining table, you will enter the vestibule. Here you can choose to go down to the beauty saloon and the suites on the accommodation deck or even go to the fitness-massage, sauna and Spa Pool on the lower deck. When you go straight on from the vestibule, you will first meet the ladies room on one side and on the other side the library. After passing a door, you will come to the corridor on which at either side 2 spacious suites are situated. All four of them have sizes like 38 square meters with an en-suite bathroom which have baths and showers as well. (The size of 38 m2 is only the suite; it does not include the bathroom!)

The suites:

Our feeling about a big yacht is that also the suites must be large! When guests want to have some privacy, not only during the night…, they must experience all the luxury of a 5 star accommodation and of course be surrounded by a nice furnished and decorated ambiance.
All the double beds are king size. All suites are equipped with a television, DVD, stereo, mini bar, safe, air-conditioning/ heating, a vanity table/desk, a computer point, relaxing chairs, saloon table, a very spacious walk-in closet, bathroom with toilet, bidet, bath (Spa Pool), double basin and shower. On the art impression you have some idea of the style which will be fitted in these areas. The way the woodwork is done, is astonishing! Nice and with unexpected details…..

Accommodation deck:

On the accommodation deck, you will find 4 suites. The smallest will be 34 m2 and the biggest 37,3 m2. They will be fitted just like all the others. Of course there will be differences in colors and decorations, but not in luxury! You also will find a children’s themed cabin, (Only designed for children! So no access for people above the age of 13! Little people also have the right to have their own party…….) and a security cabin. These cabins are connected with the 2 suites next door, but can also be used completely separately.

The last area of importance on this deck is the beauty saloon.
The beauty saloon is also fully equipped hair- and nail studio. So the guests can be pampered as much as they want!

Lower deck:

When you walk down the stairs, at the end of the corridor on the accommodation deck, you will enter a world of body pleasure! First take a drink at the bar to get used to the idea of exercise, then some fitness on the most modern equipment, followed by a well-deserved massage, going into the sauna to give your body the most precious rest and end up in the Spa Pool to cool down! What more can a person wish for…..?

Apart from all the equipment available here, the area in which this is situated is a feast for the eyes. Because of its location, completely in the front of the ship, below decks, the area is build like an American loft. Something like this hasn’t been shown before, fantastic mosaics will amaze you.

Owners deck:

We leave this deck and follow our “tour” to the saloon on the owners deck. The one you can reach from the vestibule on the main deck or with the stairs besides the dining table. When you come by the 2 enormous stairs, your attention will be attracted by the spectacular view down on the dining table. There is a vacant space of 6 meters long and 3 meters wide! In this way, the areas are not completely separated but in a creative way connected with each other. The saloon is further furnished with exclusive and comfortable chairs, a bar with an integrated piano and a dance floor for the people who cannot control their feet! During the day time, this area will be quite popular! It is great for reading and relaxing when the sun is too hot or having a drink or playing some chess. During the night this saloon will be perfect for having swinging cocktails before dinner. In the meantime the crew can set a wonderful decorated table and the guests will be surprised when they walk down the stairs to enjoy their dinner!

Besides the saloon, this deck contains 2 suites of 31 m2 and 1 Master Cabin of almost 51 m2! This deck is completely outfitted for the owner with a huge study. Like the name reveals, this will be a Masterpiece! Located completely in the front of the ship, with an amazing view over the sea, this cabin has even its own terrace! The major Spa Pool will be in the middle of the room, apart from the bathroom. The special effect of this cabin must be seen to be believed!

The outer deck on the owners deck will have comfortable chairs, footstools and even table lamps for the people who want be outside at night and enjoy a good book or just want to sit in silence and enjoy the stars………
On every outer deck there will be music, when wanted.

Wheelhouse-deck:

The last deck is the wheelhouse deck. You can reach this deck from the corridor on the owners deck or from outside. On this deck the wheelhouse is situated, but the most important of all……..the Spa Pool, loads of deck chairs, a bar, a B.B.Q. area, shade for the burnt ones and of course the look-out house!!!! Between the 2 funnels, we created a real look-out house. Once you are up there, you will be taken by surprise!!! The height of this location will be 20 meters above the waterline, so you can easily imagine what sort of view you can have up there! A 360° view for the star watchers; this is the ultimate spot…

2014 Refit

In 2014 ICON Yachts were commissioned to refit the impressive 1945 Gross Tonnage luxury mega yacht Sherakhan. She received a new exterior paint system and new generators. During her brief visit to the ICON yard she underwent a thorough systems service and maintenance campaign. The project was managed by Verkerk Yachting Projects.

Yacht Charter Accommodation

Luxury motor yacht SHERKHAN provides superior accommodation for up to 26 yacht charter guests in 9 double and 4 twin cabins: The Master cabin boasts a Spa Pool, private terrace and a lounge area/study. The owners study / lounge can also convert into an independent double with its own en suite. There is One further double on the owners deck and Eight further equal sized cabins 4 doubles and four twins (two convert to doubles) convertibles plus two smaller cabins with bunked twins that each link to a double - suitable for children, nannies or staff. All the double beds are king size. All suites are equipped with a television, DVD, stereo, mini bar, safe, air-conditioning/ heating, a vanity table/desk, a computer point, relaxing chairs, saloon table, and a very spacious walk-in closet, bathroom with toilet, bidet, bath (Spa Pool), double basin and shower.

Yacht Charter Specifications

Type/Year:	2004
Refit:	2014	Beam:	12.05m (39' 6")
L.O.A.:	69.95m (229' 5")	Crew:	19
Charter Guest:	22/26	Max Speed:	12 knots
Cabins:	13	Engines:	Caterpillar 3512 B DI-TA
Cruise Speed:	10 knots	More Yacht Info:	Classic motor yachts corporate Last Minute Yacht Charters Recommended luxury yacht charters
Builder/Designer:
Charter Locations:	Tuscany, THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE CARIBBEAN, St. Martin/St Maarten, St Tropez, St Barts, Spain, SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA, Sardinia, Portofino, Naples & Capri, Monaco, Leeward Islands, Italy, Italian Riviera, French Riviera, France, Florida, EUROPE, Cote d Azur, Corsica, Cannes, BVI, British Virgin Islands, Balearic Islands, AMERICA, Amalfi Coast, Adventure Charter, Costa Rica, Panama

Charter Amenities and Extras

Luxury motor yacht SHERKHAN offers the following extensive list of yacht charter amenities and extras. The Tenders and Toys onboard include two 24ft (7.3m) Joker Clubman inflatable tenders type 24 EFB with 260hp Yamaha inboard, two Yahama jet skis Superjet 700, two FX1400 Yamaha WaveRunners a Laser sailboat, two wind surf boards, a surf board , a floating trampoline, a kayak, fishing rods and tackle. The yacht also has an extensive range of Fitness equipment including a Stationery Exercise bike, a Step Machine, a treadmill, a precor elliptical trainer and a set of Free weights. Extra features include , a Beauty salon, an Outside BBQ area,a Spa Pool for up to 18 guests, Hang mats, Sauna & Spa room, Library room with internet access,. The yachts Audio Visual Equipment and Deck Facilities include a TV , DVD in all cabins and the saloon, Sat TV and Hi Speed Internet access. Her Communications include GSM, Satcom , seatel,vsat and wifi.

Similar Yachts

Charter Yacht Disclaimer

This document is not contractual. The yacht charters and their particulars displayed in the results above are displayed in good faith and whilst believed to be correct are not guaranteed. CharterWorld Limited does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information and/or images displayed. All information is subject to change without notice and is without warrantee. A professional CharterWorld yacht charter consultant will discuss each charter during your charter selection process. Starting prices are shown in a range of currencies for a one-week charter, unless otherwise marked. Exact pricing and other details will be confirmed on the particular charter contract. Just follow the "reserve this yacht charter" link for your chosen yacht charter or contact us and someone from the CharterWorld team will be in touch shortly.

Wet Room Design Considerations | Kitchen Bath Design

Read article : Wet Room Design Considerations | Kitchen Bath Design

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Expert Advice Aug 6, 2017   Share

A wet room can expand the space in a small bathroom, or create the sense of a luxury spa experience in any size bathroom.

authorsMary Jo Peterson 

The wet room is expanding in purpose, in definition and in its incorporation into residential bath design. Current wet room trends are likely driven by our love affair with free standing tubs and the space they require, as well as by European designs and our interest in the clean lines of minimalist design.

A wet room can expand the space in a small bathroom, or create the sense of a luxury spa experience in any size bathroom. As designers, we will be guided by a number of pros and cons, and design considerations relating to the integration of a wet room in a particular space, and this column will examine some of them.

WET ROOM BASICS

So, what is a wet room and where did it come from anyway?

The formal definition of a wet room is “a bathroom in which the shower is open or set behind a single wall, its floor area being flush with the floor of the rest of the room and the water draining away through an outlet set into the floor.”

Many wet rooms today include the shower and a tub, usually free standing, behind a wall or divider, often glass, separating the wet area from the rest of the room. Typically, the floor will be pitched slightly to a flush linear drain, with open passage or a door and doorway.

Today’s wet room is frequently part of a spa experience in a luxury and larger bath, but you might be surprised to know that this was once a concept used mainly in lower budget and institutional settings to improve access.

All bath designers have experienced the ubiquitous post-WWII 5’x8′ bath, and when square footage cannot be increased, the first step toward improving access and opening the clear floor space has been to eliminate the tub and make the entire space a wet room.

If you’ve traveled through Europe, you will likely have experienced traditional bathrooms that have evolved through the addition of a hand-held spray and a floor drain to include showers where historically, the tub was the main focus for bathing and personal hygiene. This, in essence, becomes a wet room by definition – and, depending on the care given to the design details and water control, a success. As in any bath or shower space, a prime consideration must be containing the water.

BENEFITS & CHALLENGES

Having defined what a wet room is, let’s look at the benefits, challenges and key design considerations relating to these spaces.

The foremost benefit of a wet room is that it opens the space, both visually and functionally, and usually improves access for a variety of bathers. In a small full bath, removing the tub and making the entire room waterproof reduces the amount of floor space given up strictly for passage. Another benefit of this concept is that it reduces the amount of space needed to convert a powder room to a full bath in a tight space.

The main challenge when the entire room is the waterproof or wet area is keeping desired items and areas dry. Towels and the lavatory can be planned out of the water’s path. Sometimes when designing for access in a 5’x8′ bath conversion, the toilet is planned on the wet side of the curtain or screen, so that it can do double duty as a shower seat – with a hand spray, it can support personal hygiene.

Of course this means extra challenges in keeping the toilet and its paper dry. To help resolve this, there are paper holders with covers, and because they’re flexible, shower curtains can be useful.

Another challenge in this scenario is the containing of water at the threshold of the room. Although a level entry is preferred, in limited space, one solution can be to raise the threshold not more than 1/2″; planning a second drain near the entry can also help.

When there is more space available, wet room design can include a generous shower, often planned to emphasize the tub, free standing or otherwise, and to bolster the sense of a luxury spa. Depending on the design, the tub may double as a seat for showering. A disadvantage for some would be the wetting of the tub every time the shower is used. This can be resolved with a pivoting glass screen between the two or, when the shower is large enough, the user can simply direct water flow away from the tub. When the space can be planned with no threshold, the expansion of clear floor space further increases safety, flexibility and visual impact.

Whatever the size, the waterproofing for a wet room is different than the traditional installation in that it covers more area and should be continuous. One approach is to use liquid or viscous membrane and to spread it over the entire area and up the walls of the wet room. As in any wet area, non-porous and slip resistant water-friendly materials must be specified throughout. Finish materials are typically run floor to ceiling – an added expense, but another enhancement of the luxury spa feeling.

Determining whether or not a level or flush threshold is possible requires consideration of the construction of the floor and whether the slope is possible, as well as the direction of the water flow and the distance from the water sources to the wet room’s entrance. Client preferences and intended uses also contribute, especially in the related consideration as to whether the entrance will be open or have a door, and what type of door. An open passage can be a beautiful design statement, enhanced by continuous use of the same flooring throughout, but it offers no assurance that the water or heat will be retained in the wet area. Adding a door will help resolve this, and the most effective option will be a hinged door with a gasket. In addition, incorporating radiant heat can help resolve the issues relating to warmth in the space.

Incorporating a wet room into a bath plan offers wonderful design options, but it clearly requires careful consideration and installation. It’s a huge opportunity for us as designers, and hopefully this conversation has whet your appetite to dive into the possibilities. ▪

Mary Jo Peterson is an award-winning designer whose work has earned national recognition, including induction into the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Hall of Fame and recognition as the NAHB CAPS Educator of the year for 2014. Author ofUniversal Kitchen and Bathroom Planning (McGraw Hill) andGracious Spaces (McGraw Hill), Peterson is certified in kitchen, bath, aging-in-place and active adult housing design. She has over 25 years of experience, and is president of her own CT-based design firm, Mary Jo Peterson, Inc.

DESIGN CHOICES: BATHTUB OR SHOWER?

Read article : DESIGN CHOICES: BATHTUB OR SHOWER?

Is it time to ditch the tub? Bathroom trend study reveals tricks for top redesigns

When redecorating your bathroom there are numerous choices you’ll face. The size, shape, style and arrangement of your bathroom furniture is naturally your biggest concern and sometimes finding ways to fit everything in comfortably can seem impossible – so why not cut something out … like the bathtub perhaps?

According to research, 59% of older homeowners ditching baths in favour of showers when they renovate their bathrooms but is this a trend that you should mimic? Or is there a better way to have your cake and eat it in the bathroom?

The bath revolution

While a large number of individuals are opting for showers over baths, research from Houzz has also shown that consumers are becoming more imaginative in their selection of baths when they decide to keep them as part of their bathroom design. Rather than just having a plain white metal tub, many older people invest in a spa type experience or a hydrovescent bath that helps to invigorate them as well as promote good hygiene.

It’s important to remember that not all baths are large and bulky units which prove difficult to fit in the bathroom and if you’re keen to keep this traditional feature part of the room then there are plenty of options to do so.

Firms like Premier Bathrooms offer a great range of hydrovescent bathtubs as well as walk-in baths and shower cubicles designed to help you get the most out of your bathroom; whatever its size. Hydrovescent tubs are also good for those with poor circulation or arthritis so having one installed could do as much good for your health as it does for the design of the room.

If you’re planning to design your bathroom anytime soon then we advise you consider the following trends and ideas when making your decisions:

• Opt for walk-in baths and showers if those using the units suffer from mobility issues or disabilities and remember to leave enough room for doors to open outwards where needed
• Install seats within showers and baths to help people lower themselves into the water but consider how these are arranged so as to create a stylish appearance
• Use lighting carefully to transform the bathroom into an oasis of calm – the development of safe LED lighting systems means that showerheads and bathing areas can all be illuminated safely so it’s a good option to try
• Add an en suite bathroom to the master bedroom if possible – this is a great way to add luxury and convenience to a home and according to Houzz’ research it is a trends that 85% of people are likely to follow
• Pick a bath or shower unit to match the dimensions of the bathroom – remember that there are a vast amount of styles available so give them all equal consideration and remember to consider shape (square, round or corner baths) too
• Install double sinks in bathrooms shared by couples to make morning routines more convenient and to elevate the appearance of the bathroom as a whole
• Make sure flooring is safe and practical – lino, vinyl and tiles are all preferable over carpets but you’ll need to opt for something that is water resistant and which offers a non-slip surface. Underfloor heating is also an important consideration – especially for cold winter mornings

The bathroom is now a popular room

With improvements to walk in-baths and showers, many older homeowners are investing in this type of bathroom furniture in order to retain their independence. If you can have a therapeutic bath in the comfort of your own home, why not install one of these wonderful devices today?

Wet rooms are also growing in popularity so this is something you should consider too. They are easy to use and the shower attachments are at a convenient level for all which means practical showering every day of the week.

Sources: http://info.houzz.com/rs/houzz/images/HouzzBathroomStudy.pdf

Bathroom products – bubbling over

Read article : Bathroom products – bubbling over

10-Feb-2011

The bath and shower products market increased nearly 6% between 2008 and 2009 and manufacturers have tried to maintain this momentum throughout the past year with a diversified offering, reports Julia Wray

The bath and shower products market increased nearly 6% between 2008 and 2009 and manufacturers have tried to maintain this momentum throughout the past year with a diversified offering, reports Julia Wray

Whenever consumers are forced to slash their beauty budgets they are far more likely to opt for a cheaper shower gel than switch their foundation or anti-ageing cream. But despite this danger in the face of continued economic instability, the global bath and shower products market enjoyed another year of steady growth to reach over $31bn in 2009, according to data from Euromonitor International.

“The global bath and shower industry has fared well in recent times, putting in a respectable 6% growth from 2008-9,” comments Euromonitor’s industry analyst, beauty & personal care, Carrie Lennard. “This growth rate was the same as the previous year despite the commodity status of bath and shower, meaning that the threat of trade down to cheaper brands and private label was greater than for most beauty and personal care categories.”

“Bathroom products are usually split into two sections – basic essentials and pampering, or special, products. The basics are everyday requirements at affordable prices – cheap and cheerful to get the job done,” adds Herbie Dayal, ceo of KMI Brands. “The trend is definitely to more luxurious products, with consumers demanding better fragrances, richer formulations, more exotic ingredients and more effective products.”

Bath & shower	31079.2	5.9
Bar soap	12412.2	8.5
Bath additives	3285.3	-2.3
Body wash/shower gel	9172.6	3.1
Intimate hygiene	1493.9	8.4
Liquid soap	3441.6	12.9
Talcum powder	1273.6	3.5

In terms of retail value growth was driven by increased sales in emerging regions such as Latin America (+20.1%) and the Middle East and Africa (+15.1%). More established markets experienced less dramatic expansion. “Western Europe saw just 2% value growth in 2008-9 as bath and shower is a very mature category,” says Lennard. “Growth in body wash and shower gel is expected to be slower than for other regions because household penetration is already high, leaving fewer users to convert from bar soap.”

World	31079.2	5.9
Asia Pacific	8469.3	4.8
Australasia	348.4	6.0
Eastern Europe	2115.9	2.8
Latin America	4438.6	20.1
Middle East & Africa	1770.5	15.1
North America	6030.1	2.5
Western Europe	7906.4	1.8

Standing out

As is often the case with commodity sectors, bath and shower product manufacturers sought to boost their brands’ profiles through a variety of initiatives. Radox ran a competition challenging customers to name its new Radox Shower Smoothie – due out in March.

Meanwhile Original Source (PZ Cussons) sponsored annual UK-based bike challenge Mountain Mayhem; the rationale being that after a muddy day’s mountain biking, participants can clean up with Original Source shower gels.

Other brands put the weight of their name behind CSR projects. Soap & Glory, for example, aimed to educate consumers about the issue of water shortage by encouraging them to take part in a 2-minute Rinse project.

“The earth’s biggest problem will soon stem from a shortage of water,” Victoria Montrasio, Soap & Glory’s global sales & marketing director explains. “Anyone who is able to reach out to a number of people has a responsibility to try to make a difference – I think a lot of companies are doing a great job educating consumers and giving back.” And although Montrasio notes that the success of such campaigns is “hard to judge quantitatively” she describes consumer response to the 2-minute Rinse as “amazing” and says it will definitely be repeated in 2011.

“Many new product launches now carry some type of environmental claim, although it need not always relate to the ingredients,” says Lennard. “Jo Malone’s range of bath products for French Connection, launched in November 2010 (although actually formulated by Malone 15 years ago), features the organic additive Eco Pure in its plastic packaging, which reportedly allows plastic to be fully biodegradable to water and carbon dioxide within a few years.

“And a new line of bath and shower products is set to launch this year called Stop the Water While Using Me (www.stop-the-water-while-using-me.com). Its environmental credentials are that the products are made using natural ingredients, have biodegradable packaging, and are sustainably manufactured. The product’s USP however is that it reminds people to turn off the tap when using the product, in order to help the environment.”

Sustainability was also on the agenda for Trevarno Organic Skincare, which launched a collection of palm oil-free soaps.

“The ever increasing global demand for palm oil means that even ‘sustainable’ producers can be contributing to devastating environmental damage in the continuing expansion of this industry,” explains Trevarno’s manager Richard Cox. “As palm plantations encroach further on forests and peat land this in turn is causing destruction of communities, biodiversity and contributing to climate change. We felt the only solution was to remove palm oil to help lessen the demand for this ingredient.”

Available in Nourish and Revitalise, Soothe and Calm, Cleanse and Protect, and Indulge and Relax categories, the soaps contain a blend of natural butters and oils as an alternative to palm oil.

Dove	Unilever Group
Lux	Unilever Group
Palmolive	Colgate-Palmolive Co
Nivea	Beiersdorf AG
Safeguard	Procter & Gamble Co

Dermatology crossover

Efforts by manufacturers to rise above the competition in a crowded marketplace has led to increased segmentation in bath and shower.

“In all beauty markets there is greater segmentation with more brands addressing different needs – high fragrance, naturals, seasonals, stress, spa and so on,” notes Dayal. “This is very marked in washing and bathing but also true in skin care, hair care and other categories. It implies that there is a steady stream of new products being marketed and innovation is what drives trial and continued growth in our business.”

Recently, such innovation has come in the form of bath and shower products claiming effects more usually associated with skin care.

“A significant number of bath and shower products launched by brands like Dove now make claims such as having intense moisturising or dermatological properties,” says Lennard. “It appears that dermatological bath and shower products may now be moving into the mainstream. Unilever’s Dove VisibleCare line of body washes, for example, claims to visibly improve the condition of the skin within three weeks.”

Indeed, Dove VisibleCare Crème Body Wash products contain a trademarked ingredient, NutriumMoisture, said to address lipid and protein damage. Also addressing moisture deficiency, Johnson & Johnson’s new 24hour Moisture Shea & Cocoa line includes two body washes – an exfoliating one and a radiance version.

For sensitive skins, Imperial Leather (PZ Cussons) introduced SkinKind – a range of hypoallergenic shower products, while Sanex launched Sanex Dermo Hypo Allergenic Bath and Shower Gels.

At the premium end of the market, Elemis (Steiner Leisure) introduced Elemis Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, which contains milk protein to help create an environment to correct skin microflora and regulate skin’s moisture content.

Launched in September 2010, Connock London’s range of bath and body products (including Comforting Body Wash and Soothing Bath Oil) contain moisturising kukui oil from Hawaii.

According to founder Amanda Connock, the oil acts as something of a dermatological panacea. “It is high in essential fatty acids and is very good at penetrating into the skin, so it gives an excellent moisturising effect,” she says. “The women in Hawaii use the oil everywhere – hair, body, skin – and for conditions like eczema and psoriasis.”

Michelin star cleansing

A recent standout trend has been for fruit scented bathroom products and the gourmand tide is showing little sign of turning. Indeed last year it accelerated with even more savoury and spicy notes added to the mix.

Henkel’s Fa launched a Yoghurt Body Smoothie Douche Créme line, comprising four fruity shower gels in a milk-based formula, while Palmolive (Colgate Palmolive) offered Palmolive Nutra.Fruit Shower Crèmes, containing moisturising cream swirled with fruit extracts. KMI’s Beautifully Delicious meanwhile brought a strawberry and pomegranate fragranced line of products and a limited edition apple & watermelon bubblelicious bath & shower gel to the table.

Spicy pink pepper provided the basis for Molton Brown’s paradisiac pink pepperpod bath & shower product, a feminine counterpart to its best selling re-charge black pepper bodywash. And pepper popped up again in Original Source’s Winter Black Pepper and Cardamom Shower Gel.

In fact Original Source took the food theme to another level with its new Gourmet range. Based on experimental flavour combinations, the range comprises Cassis and Cranberry Shower Shot, Lime and Sweet Chilli Spice and Chocolate and Mint Shower Melt.

New from Soap & Glory was The Breakfast Scrub, a blend of oats and sugar boasting a maple syrup fragrance. “Last winter, one of the Soap & Glory team at HQ used to make golden syrup infused porridge oats every morning and Marcia Kilgore, our founder, would always ask ‘what is that delicious smell coming from the kitchen?’ This was the trigger,” Soap & Glory’s Montrasio tells SPC. “The name of course comes from The Breakfast Club movie.”

Other launches were more traditional. L’Occitane brought out an orange blossom and sweet blackcurrant scented Fleur Chérie Bath and Shower Gel, while Yardley and Woods of Windsor relaunched under new management, an autonomous Yardley division. Yardley introduced a triple milled soap and shower cream in English Lavender as well as triple milled soaps in Lily of the Valley, Peony, Iris and English Rose. And Woods of Windsor now comprises Bath & Body Collections in True Rose, Lavender, Lily of the Valley and White Jasmine.

Spa inspiration

“Unless you live on your own and never go out, taking a bath may be the only part of the day you have all to yourself. So you want the experience to be as enjoyable as possible. You don’t necessarily want to jump in the shower and scrub yourself with a cheap soap that is likely to destroy your skin’s natural pH,” asserts Anna Doyle, founder of new natural spa brand occo.

But as tempting as a relaxing bath may be, consumers appear to have slashed both their me-time and their budget as bath additives took the biggest drubbing of any bathroom product sector, dropping 2.3% to $3,285m.

As Brid Costello, research analyst, Mintel International Group, explains: “The fast pace of modern lifestyles makes showers a more viable alternative to bathing for many people’s daily personal hygiene routine and brands are responding to consumers’ bathing preferences by offering shower products that are often at once convenient and experience oriented.”

Despite the trend leaning towards quick and convenient in 2010, however, those consumers seeking tranquillity were able to choose from several new launches designed to maximise the pleasure of bathing.

Inspired by ancient Norse rituals, Arran Aromatics created new bath, body and home fragrance collection Eydis, built around a clover, gorse and honeysuckle scent.

Looking further east for inspiration, spa brand Rituals introduced a Tao range, which includes three bathroom products: Wai Wang body exfoliating cream, T’ai Chi shower foam and Wu Wei calming cream bath.

Doyle’s occo also offered a spa experience from home. It launched with 65 skus – including bath and body washes – divided into six ranges named after the locations in Croatia which inspired their fragrance.

According to Doyle, the brand fills a niche for true spa products that are easily accessible. “I wanted the brand to be equally positioned through spas and in-store retail,” she tells SPC. “A lot of products sold in spas are treatments rather than lifestyle products and a lot of retailers have products with the word ‘spa’ on the label, but they’re not true spa products. I felt there was a gap in the market for a genuine spa brand that people could enjoy at home.”

The association between Turkish baths and rose petals was exploited by Lush which launched Turkish Delight, a smoothie shower soap containing rose absolute, rose oil and rose water. Lush also updated its cult bath ballistics (oversized, essential oil-based bath bombs) by adding a top layer consisting of ballistic mixed with shavings of bubble bar to create a foam trail.

Dead Sea Source (KMI) also introduced bath bombs (ginger scented in this instance) as well as a monoi-based product line.

Alternatively, Beiersdorf launched the ultimate in convenience: Nivea Double Effect Shower & Shave. Recognising that that many women like to shave in the shower, Nivea’s new product contains avocado oil, which ensures that the foam sticks to the skin allowing the razor to glide across to remove hair effectively.

And Lennard believes such products will have a competitive advantage moving into 2011.

“The potential for value-added body washes and shower gels remains strong as consumers continue to show a positive response to the most recent product innovations,” she says. Other product categories can expect a less prosperous year. “The bath additives industry is set to contract by $251m as time poor consumers continue to opt for showers. As a result of this habit the main growth in the industry will come from body wash, which is set to see nearly $1.5bn absolute growth by 2014.”

So to stay afloat in the bathroom products market manufacturers would be wise to follow their customers and focus on shower.

Swatting bugs
“Liquid soap sales have been particularly strong since 2009, driven by the H1N1 scare,” Euromonitor’s Carrie Lennard tells SPC. “Starting with the initial H1N1 outbreaks in Mexico in April 2009, sales of hand sanitisers skyrocketed, leading to 6% global growth in liquid soap over 2008-9.”
Manufacturers reacted quickly to the initial swine flu outbreak resulting in a wave of new products with antibacterial and antiviral claims, a trend that continued in 2010 with launches like Dettol’s No-Touch Hand Wash System, which senses users’ hands and dispenses antibacterial soap without them having to touch a potentially germ-infested pump.
The popularity of such products was highlighted by a recent poll commissioned by the American Cleaning Institute and the Personal Care Products Council in the wake of calls by special interest groups to ban the use of antibacterial agents in personal care, which revealed that 74% of US consumers used antibacterial soap.
And renewed swine flu fears over 2010’s winter months mean hand sanitisers will remain a good investment for manufacturers in the near future. “As there are still numerous highly publicised deaths due to swine flu, the scare is set to continue to mark the category out as holding major long-term growth potential for the duration of the flu outbreak,” confirms Lennard.

New Clarins Treatment Essence - how to use for best effect

Read article : New Clarins Treatment Essence - how to use for best effect

Treatment essences aren’t something new to us, skincare fans, are they? But what if there was a treatment essence that helps your skin, based on age and skin concerns? Now, that might be something worth investigating. And that was what I headed to discover in Paris with skincare brand Clarins, as part of the Malaysia digital influencer team! W00t!

Clarins’ office headquarters in Paris!

Paris is a beautiful city, filled with eye-popping monuments, historical artifacts, and stunning architecture that makes you want to look upwards all the time, so you don’t miss anything of the beautiful wrought iron balconies and rooftops. Paris is also home to world famous luxury fashion designer brands and international beauty brands, of which Clarins is one. I’ll take you through some highlights of my PB’s Parisian Adventure with Clarins, tell you a LOT more about these Clarins Anti-Ageing Treatment Essences (and how to score some samples) and how I was taught to use them for best effect. Settle in, it’ll be quite a ride 🙂

Learning about the Clarins Treatment Essence at the Clarins Headquarters

How often do I get the chance to visit a major brand’s headquarters and meet the owners? Never! That’s the answer! LOL! I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to skincare or brands in general, and I love meeting the people behind a brand or product. They are always so passionate about what they do, and that is very, very inspiring!

For this new Clarins Treatment Essence, we were briefed by Caroline Camuzat, Clarins’ International Scientific Manager at Clarins’ new HQ offices in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The spanking new building is bright and shiny and eco-friendly, with a self-cooling system mimicking a beehive, that is also energy efficient, has an internal cafe and staff canteen, and pleasant gardens through which to walk. Wouldn’t I love to work there! 😀

Being the International Scientific Manager, Caroline took us through the what, how and why of the new Clarins Treatment Essence, and answered a couple of burning questions I had about which to pick, since we have 3 to choose from.

New Clarins Treatment Essence

Some of us are by now, familiar with the skin’s natural barrier that protects us against external aggressions. These Treatment Essences, which are applied immediately after cleansing, as the first step of your post-cleansing skincare routine are designed to “unlock” this skin barrier and boost skin hydration, so other products that go on, absorb more effectively into the skin. Think of it like a pre-serum, or pre-essence – something familiar in most Asian skincare lines.

I must say that when you first prep your skin using the Treatment Essence, you will find that any other products go on and absorb into skin more quickly. The logical summation is that this Treatment Essence will help boost the absorption and efficacy of other products that follow. This has been the premise of treatment essences since they appeared on the skincare scene in recent years.

clarins treatment essence" width="710" height="1024" />

Cruising down the River Seine with Clarins Treatment Essences 

However, realising that our skin ages differently and is unique, and therefore one treatment essence cannot suit every skin type, Clarins came out with not just 1, but THREE different Anti-Ageing Treatment Essences to suit 3 different age groups.

• 25+ Multi-Active Treatment Essence Vitality Booster (pink) (RM200) – targeted at younger skin with the first signs of ageing, this essence boosts cell vitality, radiance and slows down cellulcar ageing. The result would be more supple, moisturized and revitalised skin.
• 35+ Extra-Firming Treatment Essence Bounciness Enhancer (orange) (RM215) – targeted at skin that has noticeable signs of ageing which includes dehydrated skin, this essence helps reinforce the skin structure so skin is more bouncy, smoother and firmer. The result is better hydrated skin, reduction of fine lines and skin that is more plump.
• 45+ Super Restorative Treatment Essence Smoothness Enhancer (red) (RM285) – targeted at much more matured skin that is dull with reduced cell turnover and lines and wrinkles, this essence helps re-energize the skin to boost skin radiance, and exfoliate the dead skin cells to help product penetrate better into the skin. The result would be softer, more supple and radiant skin.

As maybe expected, the 3 different Treatment Essences have different textures as well, ranging from the very light texture of the Multi-Active Treatment Essence, to the slightly heavier Extra-Firming Treatment Essence and to the almost emulsion feel of the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. I’ll share more about this when I post my review 😉

clarins treatment essence" width="710" height="525" />

Clarins Herbarium cart at the Jardine Palais Royal 

As Mr. Christian Coutin-Clarins, current Chairman of the Clarins Group told us when he met us, Clarins prides itself on using high quality ingredients, and to take the best from nature to create their products, while protecting bio-diversity and nature. The key ingredients in each of the Treatment Essences are from different plants and sources, to cater to different skin needs:-

• Multi-Active Treatment Essence – Teasel extract to increase cell vitality and boost skin energy, Acerola Seed Extract to boost skin radiance and Myrothamus Extract to slow down cellular ageing
• Extra Firming Treatment Essence – Lemon thyme and Green Banana extract to enhance skin bounciness and smooth and firm skin, Fig extract and hyaluronic acid to boost skin moisture
• Super Restorative Treatment Essence – Pueraria Lobata Extract to stimulate synthesis of collagen, Ginseng & Green Coffee Extract to boost skin radiance and Hibiscus Flower acid to exfoliate skin (I’m particularly pleased about the use of the Hibiscus flower because that’s our national flower! 😀 )

How do you pick which Treatment Essence to use?

I asked Caroline how we’d pick which Treatment Essence to use. Was it based on our calendar age? Or was it something a little more technical?

Answer:

You pick the Clarins Treatment Essence based on the age of your skin, which may or may not correspond to your calendar age. For those of us who take pains to care for our skin, and use sunscreen daily, you will likely find that your skin’s age is far younger than your calendar age. By way of example, I’m 42 this year and based on my age, would be a prime candidate for the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. However, Caroline assured me that the one I should use would be the Extra-Firming Treatment Essence for a while instead (whew! LOL!) as my skin did not display the concerns to be addressed by the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. By contrast, someone who doesn’t pay a lot of attention to their skin, or who displays the skin concerns that correspond to their age group might then need to pick a Treatment Essence from within their targeted age group or perhaps even the next one up. This is most likely to be true for the 20-somethings who may be living the party and late night lifestyle, and find that the Extra-Firming Treatment Essence does more for them than the Multi-Active Treatment Essence will.

GET YOUR SAMPLE! If you’d like to sample this Treatment Essence (I’m only posting my review in about 2 weeks from now so you can try it and share your experience when I share mine) CLICK HERE to get your sample (Malaysia only)!

How to apply the Clarins Treatment Essence

This is where I thoroughly enjoyed the session with Denise Bathe, Clarins’ Skincare International Training Manager, who is a wealth of information about the pressure technique recommended by Clarins and used at all Clarins Spas worldwide during their facials. She was trained by Clarins’ founder Mr. Jacques Courtin and is so passionate about what she does that I couldn’t help being caught up in the wake of her enthusiasm.

With Denise Bathe at Monseiur Bleu, a restaurant overlooking that iconic Tour Eiffel! She has BEAUTIFUL skin!

I also had the privilege to experience a Clarins facial at the Clarins Spa at the Hotel Molitor where we were put up, and I’m going to tell you right now that it feels EXACTLY like the Clarins facials here in KL! I used to frequent the Clarins Spa at BSC and KLCC and guys, it’s EXACTLY the same! You don’t have to go to Paris to experience it haha! 😀

I’m going to save the pressure technique for another day (or we’ll be here all day!) but what I wanted to share was how to use the Clarins Treatment Essence. Denise tells us there are 3 ways, all of which are effective.

• Use a cotton pad – Drop some of the treatment essence on a cotton pad to saturate it, and pat it over your skin. This takes the least amount of time and is good for those who are in a hurry.
• Use your hands – Drop 1-2 drops of the treatment essence in your palm, warm it up between your palms, and pat it on your skin, tapping with your finger tips. This takes a little more time, and is good for your evening routine, or for those who are used to making a little more effort with their skincare routine. I use this method as I abhor wastage 😛
• Use it as a mask – Get a paper mask capsule (you can easily get these at Daiso – Clarins will have some available, but it isn’t their mainstay right now) soak it with the treatment essence and then lay it on skin for about 10 minutes for an intensive treatment.

My personal preference is to use my hands. I do it with all essences, and I don’t see why I should stop LOL! I dislike the wastage on the cotton pad, and I find that with hands, you actually use a little less product (I usually use 1-2 drop at most) and that means your 200ml bottle can last you quite a while!

Meeting the owners of Clarins!

I don’t meet brand owners every day, and even less so when it’s an international brand of repute. Clarins is one of the few major beauty brands out there who are still owned by family of the founder. It is currently helmed by the 2 sons of founder Jacques Courtin – Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins and Mr. Christian Courtin-Clarins, both of whom are incredibly friendly and down-to-earth.

How many Chairmans would allow a bunch of strangers into their office? Not many, I warrant, but Mr. Christian invited us in to show us where he worked, and showed us pictures of his family (all the Courtin-Clarins children are involved in the company in one way or another) without batting an eyelid. It was quite an experience!

Mr. Christian Courtin-Clarins is also very passionate about environment conservation and is personally involved in many Clarins’ CSR projects worldwide. For him, protecting nature is protecting our future for our future generation, and the Clarins group is very active in these endeavours. We are assured that they will keep innovating and developing their products to be better and kinder to the environment, as well as moving towards airless packaging and keeping prices affordable.

Dr. Olivier Courtain-Clarins has recently launched his book “Doctor, I want to be the fairest of them all”, a book containing 60 of the most asked beauty questions he receives, one for each year Clarins has been in existence (It’s in English!) It’s adorably illustrated, and proceeds will go towards arthritis research. I haven’t had any information on whether it’s available in Malaysia, but you can get it on the international Clarins websites.

I always end up with weird pictures of me like this all the time haha! Having my book autographed by the author himself, who looks a little perplexed!

It was a humbling experience to meet both these driving forces behind the global success of the Clarins brand, and to realise that they are unpretentious and very personable people who love what they do, who love their work, and who are passionate about their incidental pursuits and the growth of their company.

Grab your sample!

So there you have it. The highlights of the Clarins x MWS adventure with Paris in Paris haha! 😀 I had an amazing time, I learned a lot and I hope I’ve managed to share some of what I’ve learned with you, so you understand a little more about these Clarins Anti-Aging Treatment Essences and what they’re for.

Paris dreaming of Paris while cruising down the River Seine – I loved this shot! 😀 We waited so long for the flag to unfurl properly and I swear I was almost sunburnt! 

I will be posting my review in about 2 weeks so I’d suggest you grab your sample now, give it a go and then in 2 weeks, come and share your thoughts with me.

GET YOUR SAMPLE! If you’d like to sample this Treatment Essence (I’m only posting my review in about 2 weeks from now so you can try it and share your experience when I share mine) CLICK HERE to get your sample (Malaysia only)!

Do these new treatment essences intrigue you?

They are available at counters from now, so go and have a play. Because some of you on Instagram asked, I checked with Clarins Paris and was told that the Treatment Essences are available only in Asia for now, because we are more receptive to a more complicated skincare routine. But who knows, they might expand to the rest of the world later, if people are receptive to the product! Now, go, get your sample and let me know if you enjoyed this post enough to try the product 😉

Paris B

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Use market trends in deciding on a bath, shower or both

Read article : Use market trends in deciding on a bath, shower or both

Actress Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in the famous shower scene from the Alfred Hitchcock film |Psycho.|" />

Actress Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in the famous shower scene from the Alfred Hitchcock film
Psycho.

TO bath or shower? That is the question.

I am not inquiring about whether you would rather have a relaxing soak or an invigorating shower.

I would like to focus on the decisions to be made if you are in the throes of planning renovations or extensions, or are about to build your new home.

In today’s modern housing market how do you decide on bath or shower?

Always include one bath or is it not worth the bother?

Are baths still relevant in all homes?

I was hoping to provide some up to date, recent in-depth research statistics about what Aussies want in terms of baths and showers in their homes, as considerable research has been undertaken about the water consumption for each washing option.

Like research showing that us Australian types are washing more frequently than other nationalities.

But these reports failed to focus on the simple question: do Aussies prefer a bath or shower given the choice?

Not forgetting the combination option of a bath with a shower over it.

So I will use my understanding and knowledge of the real estate market and its general preferences.

In my experience I would say the following rules apply generally, but of course there will always be exceptions.

■ In one or two-bedroom properties, or where every square metre is at a premium, the walk-in shower tends to rule.

Undersized baths or showers over a bath are usually not as popular.

We would usually swap a compromised bath option for an oversized shower in this property type.

■ For the more compact three bedders, townhouses, villas or some units, this can be a little more complex, as that extra accommodation can attract small families.

So including a bath in one bathroom could make sense.

But in a one-bathroom home go with the oversized shower as the bath/shower combo is rarely sought after.

However, minimum size baths are not ideal, so unless you can fit a bath 1650mm in length or more, don’t bother.

■ For larger homes, at least one bath is still a desirable and preferred option.

That bath should still be of a reasonable size — ideally 1800mm in length or more — but not too large.

Buyers might look at the huge bath as having little advantage with the cost and time to fill it up being rather prohibitive.

If you only plan one bath for the larger home that is usually enough, unless the property is at the upper end of the market.

But the question is where to locate this. In a family home, ideally the one bath is located in the family bathroom.

Alternative placement is within the main bedroom, ideally not in an open-plan design form, as other family members might want bathing privacy.

As a general guide, the small spa bath and the corner bath are all generally out of favour in my opinion across all property types.

The bath-in-the-room concept is often perceived as a luxurious option but not ideal if it is the only bath.

Baths are always popular for families, especially if you have young children, cold winters or quite simply a large home.

The shower I believe is king overall but most seem to dislike the standard size shower of 900mm x 900mm.

So go those extra few millimetres, minimise glass screen areas as they just need constant cleaning and don’t forget the recessed niche to place your shower products, ideally on a wall out of sight from the main space.

Andrew Winter is host of Selling Houses Australia on Lifestyle

Bruce Beresford-Redman's prison diaries - CBS News

Read article : Bruce Beresford-Redman's prison diaries - CBS News

Produced by Josh Yager, Paul LaRosa and Ana Real

"48 Hours" first told the story of Bruce Beresford-Redman in 2012. His wife, Monica, was murdered in a Cancun hotel while his family was vacationing. Bruce returned to the United States to take care of his children, but when Mexico charged him with his wife's murder, he was extradited there to stand trial. Nearly three years later, he is still on trial.

Where does the case stand and how long will Monica's family have to wait for justice? "48 Hours" correspondent Troy Roberts confronts Beresford-Redman about the charges against in him in his first sit-down interview.

Video diary: "My name is Bruce Beresford-Redman ... I'm in a Mexican prison, where I've been on trial now ... for more than two years and nine months. I am accused of the murder of my wife, Monica ... for a crime I did not commit."

In a video diary he made for "48 Hours", Bruce Beresford-Redman says not a day goes by that he doesn't "miss and think about his wife."

Monica's family misses her too.

"I wish I could believe that he didn't have anything to with my sister's murder," said her sister Jeanne Burgos in a 2012 interview with Troy Roberts. "It's for the love that we have for her and all the memories that we have about her ... that we are here today demanding justice."

Bruce Beresford-Redman

48 Hours

Recording diary entries in his cell inside Cancun's Benito Juarez Prison and elsewhere around the prison compound over a period of four months, Beresford-Redman says he wanted people to "understand what can happen, to get an idea of, what things are like here in Hell."

Video diary: "Making these video has really made me much more visible here ... which is really not a great thing for me...My existence in here has become a very basic struggle to simply survive."

"For many years I worked in reality TV and the reality of reality television, even at its best ... it's a world that is created. Being in here is real ... it is real and it sucks. .. it's noisy and it's smelly and it's sweaty and hot and cramped ... it's extremely uncomfortable.

"This is not an easy place to be I really don't have any, any what you could call real friends here ... and it's impossible for me to really have anybody in here that I can trust."

Riots there are not uncommon. In his video diary, Beresford-Redman documents the effects of being tear-gassed during an uprising.

Video diary: "It's Friday ... I've heard some pops and then I smelled the tear gas ... I'm getting kind of a choking sensation now ... and my eyes are just burning...it's just really strong ... itchy ... burning ... oh, god, it's awful."

A NEW REALITY

Living behind bars has been the reality for Beresford-Redman since "48 Hours" first met him in February 2012.

"This is not the United States. I really don't know this system. I don't know how it works," he told "48 Hours."

Back then, Beresford-Redman was housed in the high security wing of the Benito Juarez Prison -- a cell block full of drug traffickers and assassins responsible for countless murders around Mexico.

Now, he's in general population where he has more freedom. Beresford-Redman agreed to make video diaries to document his day-to-day life. It is a rare glimpse inside a Mexican prison.

Video diary: "Being incarcerated anywhere, but I think maybe especially here, time just gets warped ... it is almost impossible to live in the present because the present is just absolutely miserable."

"I don't think that I could possibly convey what it feels like to have not seen my children, not held my children, for nearly three years now."

"Everything that I worked my life to build is gone... If I'm convicted, I am facing a sentence of 30 years..."

Beresford-Redman says he spends a lot of time reliving time with his wife and kids -- "just times when I was free."

Bruce and Monica Beresford-Redman

Images of Monica -- lovely, vivacious and headstrong -- haunt Beresford-Redman.

Video diary:"I've had a lotta time to think back on things and to remember things from the past..."

For more than two years, "48 Hours" tried to get permission to do a sit-down interview in the prison. That interview between correspondent Troy Roberts and Beresford-Redman took place earlier this year.

"How did you meet Monica?" Roberts asked.

"Monica owned a restaurant in and a nightclub in -- in West Los Angeles called Zabumba," Beresford-Redman replied. "I randomly went there one night for dinner. And this beautiful woman served me great food ... it was a fun place. And I ... went back to try and get her attention ... and I sorta never left. ...Monica was the most beautiful, engaging-- just-- she was great. She was so cool, and -- very quickly I found that my relationship with her was different than any relationship I'd ever had before and I was in love with her and she was in love with me and it was terrific."

Monica's sisters, Carla and Jeanne Burgos, say that when Bruce and Monica first met back in 1997, they seemed like a happy couple. The Burgos sisters spoke to "48 Hours" in 2012.

"She had life. She was very outgoing and self-confident," Jeanne said. "Bruce was a very well read person. He can be very eloquent ... but not necessarily the emotion."

After marrying in 1999, the couple had two children: Camilla, now 10, and Alec, now 7.

Monica had the restaurant and Bruce had his career, which was taking off in a hurry. He was a top producer on the CBS program "Survivor" and also worked on several hit reality shows for other networks and cable outlets.

As the money poured in, the family moved to a $2 million house in Los Angeles. With the more lavish lifestyle, came some unexpected challenges.

"Things became difficult?" Roberts asked.

"At times, sure," Beresford-Redman replied. "Both Monica and I worked a great deal. ...I worked during the day, she worked at night ... there was a period of time when we were sort of passing one another."

If that sounds like a recipe for marital discord, it was. Beresford-Redman began an affair with his longtime casting director Joy Pierce. At times, the two had trouble keeping their hands off each other, even in front of Monica's sister, Carla.

"I went with him to a party," she said. "It was a club ... we got there ... she jumped on his lap ... and I was ... you know..."

"You were stunned," Roberts noted.

"Yeah," Carla replied.

Beresford-Redman was struggling with the affair on an emotional level. He considered telling his parents, David and Juanita, and eventually confided in his mother.

Asked if she encouraged her son to break off the affair, Juanita told Roberts, "I did. I said, 'You know, that's the only smart thing to do. You will hurt yourself. You will hurt Monica.' ...I got the impression that he had really fallen in love and it was going to be very difficult for him to break it off."

After Monica angrily confronted her husband, Beresford-Redman wrote her a brutally frank e-mail. It was written on March 4, 2010 - only one month before the couple was to leave on their ill-fated Mexican vacation. In the e-mail, Beresford-Redman laid bare the painful truth, writing: "Joy and I were lovers." Monica was devastated.

"My relationship with Monica was good," said Beresford-Redman.

"You can't paint a rosy picture on this, right? Roberts asked. " I mean ... you guys had problems."

"Like any marriage, like any family, we had -- we had issues, certain issues," he replied. "But we were -- we were happily married and we were in love with each other ... We were good."

Beresford-Redman wouldn't talk to "48 Hours" about his affair, but in an e-mail written to Joy Pierce in the spring of 2010, he outlined the steps a furious Monica had taken against him: "She...denied me access to my children ... she shut me out of my home ... and liquidated all my money, " he wrote.

"It was a point where she had decided to get divorced from him," said Jeanne.

But Beresford-Redman did all he could to change Monica's mind. He promised he'd break off his affair with Joy and told Monica he would change his ways. Monica agreed to go with him for the family vacation they took every year for her upcoming birthday. This time, they traveled to the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico.

"And how was the trip, initially?" Roberts asked Beresford-Redman.

"It was good. It was -- it was really fun, you know," he replied.

"So you and Monica got along well during this trip?" Roberts asked.

"Yeah, we had a really good time," said Bruce.

That's hardly the way Monica described the trip, according to her sister, Jeanne, who says she spoke to Monica by phone the day before she was murdered. Jeanne says Monica was upset about Bruce's cheating.

"I told her, 'Monica, don't worry. You know, come back here, just move on with your life,'" Jeanne said. "...you're just going to build up your life again and you're going to be happy again."

The next day, April 5, 2010, was to be the last day of Monica's life.

"She was gonna do some shopping-- and then she was perhaps gonna go to a spa," Beresford-Redman explained.

"And when did you grow concerned?" Roberts asked.

"Probably 10:30 or 11:00 that night," he said, sighing.

Bruce's concern was made all the worse because he says Monica had not taken her cell phone so he could not call her. Police later discovered that she did not take her passport or a room key, either.

"Was that surprising that she didn't take her phone when you were alone with kids?" Roberts asked.

"No. No, not really," Beresford-Redman replied. "When Monica was off the grid, she was off the grid."

She didn't take her cell phone? She left the kids all day with him? She never does that, ever," Jeanne told Roberts.

Video diary: "One of the things that I remember from the night that Monica was first missing was my children sleeping. I had given them baths and I had put them to bed ...and I thought, 'OK, I'm gonna go outside and I'm gonna take a look. I'm gonna see Monica walking back towards the room."

But Monica did not come back to the room -- not that night and not ever. The long, upward trajectory of Beresford-Redman's once-successful life and career was about to end abruptly.

A LOOK INSIDE PRISON LIFE

When Bruce Beresford-Redman left on his family vacation to Mexico in 2010, he probably never thought home would turn out to be Cancun's Benito Juarez prison.

The prison, where he has spent nearly three years on trial for his wife's murder, houses more than 1,800 men and women in a compound originally built for 700.

Video diary: "When I walk around the prison, no matter where I'm going or what's going on, I am constantly aware that this is just a hostile environment for me."

"I'm completely shut down. I'm simply in survival mode," Beresford-Redman told Roberts. "To make it in here, you cannot indulge in human sentiments. ... you really have to deaden part of yourself and just survive."

Video diary: "My Spanish is still not very good ... So I'm always paying attention ... and you're never really able to relax."

It's a pressure cooker of criminals and contraband that often boils over.

"You're with people who have demonstrated poor impulse control and a number of them may have mental problems,"Beresford-Redman explained. "It's not uncommon to have fist fights ... screaming matches ...it is a very dehumanizing situation."

Bruce Beresford-Redman his cell at Cancun's Benito Juarez Prison.

48 Hours

Video diary: The cell that I'm in is a very small cell ... it's designed for three men. And there are 10 of us in here. There have been as many as 17... This is the bathroom of the cell. All of these buckets are full of water. The water here runs only for a couple hours a day."

"I come back from my workout and I take my first shower of the day ... I shower four times a day ... I wash my clothes ... I do everything I can to keep myself clean and healthy. It's a real struggle ... This place seems like a really great place to incubate a plague. Despite my best efforts I managed to get a rash that everyone else here had that just swept through this place like wildfire."

The cell is open to the elements -- rain and relentless heat. He says the smell from open sewers is blinding, adding that "the whole country -- it feels like is just steaming."

Video diary: This is my bunk where I sleep. I've awakened probably seven or eight times now with a cockroach on me someplace.

Among the personal items Beresford-Redman keeps on a shelf above his bed -- his favorite picture of his daughter and son.

Video diary: "This is breakfast this morning ... brown liquid with some beans on the bottom there I think ... I have gotten violently ill eating the prison food... I have been able to supplement my diet ... with-- food brought from outside. I befriended-- an inmate in here. He has since been released. But his family still comes to see me once a week with some home-cooked meals and some snacks and some other things, so that I don't have to rely entirely on the prison food."

To pay for his food and other expenses, Beresford-Redman's parents send him money from their retirement nest egg. Less fortunate inmates have to rely on meals in buckets served by new prisoners known as "talachos."

Video diary: "They are as close as you can come to slaves. You can buy your way out of it, or you can do your talacho work for your first year here."

"The guards basically maintain a perimeter on the outside and their concern primarily is making sure that nobody gets out... The prisoners discipline each other ... and it's much more dangerous, because there's really nobody to come to your help, to your aid, if you are in trouble in here."

Danger is all around, but he says Mexican prison also means a freedom he never had in American prison, where he spent 18 months awaiting extradition.

Video diary: "In many ways, this is like a very small village that they just threw razor wire around. There's churches in here, there's a mechanic shop in here ... guys making hammocks."

Some of the women prisoners are even allowed to have their children live with them. Three times a week it's visiting day.

Video diary: "...this place is full today of families ... on visit days. From 8:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon the prison ... fills up with families and wives and kids...

"Family is extraordinarily highly valued here and the prison administration and prisoners themselves and the gangs in here have enormous respect for the visits."

He says visit days make him sad, "a little melancholy." There are no family visits for Beresford-Redman.

Video diary: "I would not allow them. I don't want them to be confronted with how I am forced to exist in here."

So Beresford-Redman hasn't seen them in nearly three years. His lifeline is phone calls to his children, Alec and Camilla, who live with his parents in California.

Video diary: "To hear my kids' voices, to hear my parents' voices ... is the best, most human part of my day. ... I have not been able to be a father to Camilla and Alec for ... years now. It is devastating. It takes all of my energy just to keep going."

But there's no choice. Beresford-Redman, his family, and Monica's sisters are all navigating an unfamiliar landscape: justice in a foreign country.

"There's no question that the Mexican legal system is different from ours," said Sonya Tsiros, U.S. Consul General for the Cancun area.

Tsiros says she is closely following the Beresford-Redman case - and that by Mexican standards, it doesn't surprise her.

"Has Mr. Beresford-Redman complained to you about the length of this trial?" Roberts asked.

"He has raised that issue," Tsiros replied. "And we're following through on that."

"Do you have any sense of what the prison conditions are like?" Roberts asked.

"I would say that the prison conditions are not up to what we would consider standards in the United States," said Tsiros.

Beresford-Redman, at least, has a bed. "48 Hours" found another American, 38-year-old Johnny Mintu, from Seattle, who, incredibly, sleeps on the floor under Bruce's bunk. It's not uncommon in this prison.

Video diary: "From time to time ... when I just really need some privacy and a little bit of quiet and just a little more space than I can get in my cell or in the rest of the prison ... I book a conjugal room."

Most inmates rent the room for sex. Beresford-Redman says he rents it for peace and quiet.

Video diary: "You're not supposed to be in here by yourself. But I just put down the name Jane Doe and nobody's ever checked."

Trying to recreate life outside the bars is only a temporary escape.

Video diary: "I cannot afford in here to appear on the outside as absolutely broken as I feel on the inside."

As the sun begins to set, the prisoners are locked in for the night.

Video diary: Another night here ... another night in paradise ... then I just lay down and try to go to sleep...

It's a sleep, he says, that is haunted by the memory of his murdered wife.

Video diary: "I still miss her all the time and I still think of her all the time ... I never lose sight of the fact that this is really Monica's story."

Monica's story is a murder mystery. And for Beresford-Redman, it's a real whodunit.

THE DAY MONICA DISAPPEARED

With so much time on his hands, Bruce Beresford-Redman says he thinks often of the day Monica disappeared.

"As soon as I was awake, I called the hotel desk, I guess, and I said you know, 'My wife didn't come back yesterday. Do you know where she is?'" Beresford-Redman told Troy Roberts.

Monica Beresford-Redman

After reporting that she was missing, he called Jeane Burgos, Monica's sister.

"When Bruce called you to say that Monica was missing what went through your mind?" Roberts asked.

"My sister missing? Monica? Monica's not a person that gets lost, she doesn't get lost," Jeanne replied. "She's a person that she goes anywhere and she makes friends and she knows what she's doing."

A worried Jeanne immediately flew to Cancun to help with the search, but the next day, hotel workers found Monica's body in that sewer situated near the family's hotel room.

"How could someone put a person in the sewage. Very, very, very horrible," she said.

"How did you learn that her body was discovered?" Roberts asked Beresford-Redman.

"I was at the hotel ... I was sitting there waiting ...and they brought me back to my room," he replied. "I had no idea what was going on. ...Finally someone told me that they had found Monica's body.

It would have been her 42nd birthday.

Video diary: "I could not make sense of that. It just didn't seem possible."

Bruce Beresford-Redman became a suspect almost immediately because investigators thought his story of Monica's disappearance defied logic. They didn't believe she would leave the children behind without taking her room key, her passport, or even her cell phone. What's more, Beresford-Redman had visible scratches on his body.

He says the injuries to his hand occurred after a boat ride as he tried to carry his children up a steep incline.

"It was rocky and slippery and I had to lift the kids out and then climb out myself and I scratched my hands a little bit," he explained.

As for the scratches to the back of his neck?

"We were diving ... and I surfaced and there was a nylon rope and it was just a rough nylon rope and it abraded ... the back of my head a little bit and that was it," he told Roberts.

Police also learned that two English teenagers had reported hearing screams coming from Beresford-Redman's room very early on the morning Bruce said Monica went shopping.

Jen Heger covered the story for Radar Online.

"A female screamed crying for help," Heger explained. "The next morning, the teenagers told their parents about what they had heard to the concierge. The concierge called the hotel room to see what was going on and Bruce said that Bruce and Monica were arguing about the children and that everything was fine."

Beresford-Redman maintains that he and the children were simply playing a loud, boisterous game. But now his every move was coming under scrutiny.

Asked why he had a "do not disturb" sign on the door all day, Beresford-Redman told Roberts, "Well, I was in and out all day with the kids. We were napping and doing stuff and didn't wanna be disturbed. It's as simple as that really."

"The Mexican authorities believe that Bruce wouldn't allow the maids to clean the room that day because there was a dead body inside and that dead body belonged to his wife -- Monica," said Heger.

The police theorized that Beresford-Redman had suffocated his wife and, later that night, went looking for a place to stash her body.

"We also know," Heger continued, "someone went in and out of the room nine times in the middle of the night."

Beresford-Redman says he was nervously checking to see if Monica was about to return.

"I was in and out of the room many times to take a look to see if I could see her, to walk down to where the footpath is visible and to take a look and return to the room," Beresford-Redman told Roberts.

Back in Los Angeles, Monica's sister, Carla Burgos, thought back to the last time she had seen Bruce and how agitated he seemed to her. It was just two days before the family left for Cancun.

"I've seen him before they traveled and he was totally angry and crazy. I said, 'Don't be around him ... Monica, please listen to me, get out,'" she said.

"Why do you think Monica's family is convinced that you killed her?" Roberts asked.

"I really don't know," Beresford-Redman replied. "I understand their pain. I understand their sense of loss. After my children and myself, their loss is the greatest ... however, why they wanna blame me, I don't know ... that I don't know."

Monica also had life insurance. Her husband was not the beneficiary, but the children stood to inherit $500,000 each. All in all, investigators believed they had a strong circumstantial case but there remained a huge question -- how could Beresford-Redman kill his wife, and then dump her body while taking care of two young children?

"They were in one hotel room and it was not a suite. It was one room," said Heger.

There was scant physical evidence against Beresford-Redman except for a very small amount of blood investigators found on the bedroom pillow and a balcony railing.

"When people look at you with suspicion, how do you feel?" Roberts asked.

"I've been accused of a horrible, abhorrent crime and I'm innocent," said Beresford-Redman.

"You did not kill Monica," said Roberts.

"I did not kill Monica," Bruce replied.

But the police were convinced Bruce Beresford-Redman did kill Monica and they had no other suspects. The hotel, which says it kept written logs of everyone entering or leaving the grounds, reported it had no record of Monica leaving that day. And if there are security cameras at the Moon Palace, no recordings have surfaced.

Video diary: "My best guess would be that somewhere in the course of her day, she ran into some people that she should not have run across ... I think perhaps she attracted the attention of someone who was very dangerous."

While Beresford-Redman was cooperating with police, his children were taken back to Los Angeles by a friend of Jeanne Burgos. She also arranged for her sister's body to be brought back, even though Beresford-Redman had already paid for Monica to be cremated.

"Why do you think Bruce moved to have Monica cremated?" Roberts asked Jeanne Burgos.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory," she said.

"Why do you think?" Roberts pressed.

"To get rid of any evidence," Jeanne replied.

Beresford-Redman stayed in Mexico for about a week after Monica's body was found. Authorities took his passport and insist they ordered him to remain in the country. He says his lawyer told him he was free to return to the United States.

"48 Hours" correspondent interviews Bruce Beresford-Redman

48 Hours

"This is what I find a little difficult ... is that they're investigating your wife's murder and you go home? Why wouldn't you stay here?" Roberts asked.

"Well, because I have two small children who were at my home. They just lost their mom and I believed at the time that I had done all I could do to help the police so I went home to be with my children," he replied.

Having no passport, Beresford-Redman got a ride to the Mexican border near Laredo, Texas, and simply walked across using his driver's license for identification. From there, he took a train rather than fly back to Los Angeles. His unorthodox journey raised suspicions.

"You didn't go back to the United States to escape possible arrest?" Roberts asked Beresford-Redman.

"No, I went home to be with my children. I was at my home. I was not hiding. If I'd been trying to evade I would have attempted to evade. I went back to the United States and went directly home," he explained.

Beresford-Redman cared for his children for seven months. But in November 2010, Mexico declared him a fugitive and issued a warrant for his arrest. He was taken to a federal jail in Los Angeles where he stayed for more than a year until he was finally extradited back to Cancun to stand trial for the murder of his wife.

"Bruce probably feels that he is trapped in the worst reality show he could ever imagine," said Heger.

SEEKING JUSTICE IN MEXICO

In February 2012, Bruce Beresford-Redman -- outfitted in a bulletproof vest -- was extradited back to Mexico in a scene straight out of a movie.

Video diary: "I was taken by the U.S. Marshals to the airport ... I was brought here in the middle of the night in a rainstorm..."

"I hoped that my trial would end quickly when I got here," he told Roberts.

That is not what happened. Essentially, the courts in Mexico move at their own pace. There are no juries and in many courtrooms on any given day, there's more than one trial going on at the same time.

Video diary: "The courtroom that I'm being tried in looks like a very busy shipping office above a warehouse someplace."

Criminal defense lawyer Pat Fanning lives part-time in Mexico and has experience with the country's judicial system.

"They just don't have the resources to do the things the way we do," Fanning told Roberts. "Here, it's more like a municipal office in the United States where you'd go to get your driver's license, where you'd go to pick up a birth certificate or something."

U.S. Consul General Sonya Tsiros says the differences are more than cosmetic.

"There's not a trial, per se, in that there is one period of time in which a judge hears all of the evidence. ... It's done through a series of written presentations to the judge," Tsiros explained. "It doesn't occur ... in the same fashion in the United States."

But as the trial has dragged on, what once seemed like a strong prosecution case appeared to evaporate in court. Testing revealed that the blood droplets found in the hotel room did not belong to Monica. That raised questions about where Monica had been killed because she had suffered a substantial head wound.

"Our experts ... say it is not possible to kill someone and produce that type of injuries without leaving blood," said Jaime Cancino, who is one of Beresford-Redman's lawyers in Mexico. "If that have happened there... it would produced a humungous quantity of blood."

In court, prosecutors could not even produce the Q-tips investigators used to collect the blood. Most everything else they took from the family's hotel room as potential evidence turned out to be contaminated by mold and water damage while in police custody.

And some of the physical evidence presented at trial helped Beresford-Redman. Footprints found near the crime scene were not Bruce's. It also came to light that Monica's fingernails were not tested for the presence of DNA because her body was so decomposed.

"There isn't much direct evidence and the evidence they do have has been contaminated, largely," Roberts noted to Fanning.

"Well, it has in -- in large part. But you still have, for example, that they were havin' marital troubles ... that he had a girlfriend ... the life insurance policy on her for half-a-million dollars," he replied.

But in court, even the circumstantial case against Beresford-Redman appeared weaker than advertised.

Some witnesses, like the English teenagers who reported overhearing screams coming from the Beresford-Redman room, did not appear in court. Beresford-Redman says other witnesses did not repeat the stories they had first told police.

"It's clear to me that they have no idea what happened to my wife," he told Roberts. "There was witness, who was a housekeeper, I think. And he came in ... and before anyone asked a question, he said, 'I wasn't there that day. I didn't see anything. I don't know anything and I don't know why I'm here as a witness.'"

Another person not called to the stand or even part of the case was Emily Hamilton from Baltimore. She says she was nearly raped at the Moon Palace one month after Monica was murdered. And her attacker, Hamilton says, was a hotel worker delivering food to her room.

"He threw me on the bed. ... He had his arms around me. I was trying to force him off and I remember feeling pain ... 'cause I thought I could fend for myself, but he was too strong and overbearing ... and that's when I yelled for my friend Casey and she came back in and that's when he was pulling up his pants and that's when he ran out of the room," said Hamilton.

"So you must've been frightened out of your mind," said Roberts.

"Very much so," Hamilton replied.

That worker was fired. In the United States, it's likely he'd be a suspect in Monica's murder, but that possibility was not raised in Beresford-Redman's trial. However, in 2013, an independent criminologist was appointed by the court to review all the evidence against Beresford-Redman.

"He reviewed the case, he visited the crime scene, he did all the things required to make his report," Beresford-Redman told Roberts.

After six months, the criminologist released a bombshell of a report. His conclusion: Monica was not murdered in her Moon Palace hotel room and there was no physical evidence linking Beresford-Redman to her murder.

Video diary: "I naively assumed at that point that the prosecution would drop the charges and would focus their investigative efforts elsewhere ... and nothing has happened. Charges aren't dropped. My trial continues with no end in sight. I'm still here..."

"If you're gonna convict me, convict me so I can appeal. Otherwise just give me a ruling so I can go home," said Beresford-Redman.

"Do you think you're being unfairly singled out?" Roberts asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "It feels at times to me like they don't wanna do anything with me. I'm stuck and ... in many ways I feel like I'm without a country."

Sonia Tsiros says members of the U.S. consulate have visited Beresford-Redman on 19 separate occasions.

"U.S. citizens who are arrested in a foreign country are subject to the laws of that foreign country," Tsiros explained. "We can't intervene in court cases and we can't request special treatment for U.S. citizens."

"Can you use the influence of your office to move things along?" Roberts asked.

"If there's due process violation, we can raise those. But we can't intervene in -- in a case," she said.

"I'm broken inside. I have lost my wife. I lost my children ... I've lost everything else," Beresford-Redman told Roberts. "I'm on emotional autopilot, just surviving every day in the hopes that I will finally at some point get outta here but that is a diminishing hope."

Of course, he is not the only one who's lost a loved one.

"Everybody loved her," Carla Burgos said of her sister, Monica. "She was so awesome, so full of life. She was so fun, so smart. Everything,"

Each side hopes for justice ... and that may soon be coming because after nearly three years, the last witnesses will finally testify.

A LAST HEARING

After years in a Mexican prison - and in legal limbo - Bruce Beresford-Redman's trial finally may be nearing an end.

Video diary: "It's a Thursday afternoon. Tomorrow I will be taken back to court, and I am told it will be the last hearing in my trial...

"It's very difficult for me to get my hopes up... because I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop ... and so often it seems to drop on my head."

He says the trial so far hasn't made any sense. Lost or contaminated evidence, missing witnesses and agonizing delays. It's his first court date in about three months.

On this day, he's set to face the prosecutor's final two witnesses -- hotel employees who may have witnessed Bruce and Monica arguing the day before her murder.

"How many times have you appeared before this judge?" Roberts asked.

"If I had to guess, I would say probably, 40, maybe 45 appearances in court over two-and- a-half years. At the many of those appearances, however-- the witness doesn't show up, and we stand around for a little while and they reschedule the witness for another eight weeks or 10 weeks down the road and we all go home again," Beresford-Redman replied.

But these witnesses actually do show up. Today, it's the judge who doesn't.

Like many of the other hearings, this one goes ahead anyway with the judge's assistant presiding.

Video diary: "...the witnesses arrived ... no one including the prosecution seemed to have any idea what they were going to say..."

Incredibly, the final two prosecution witnesses sound like part of the defense team. Both tell the court they've never laid eyes on Beresford-Redman or his wife.

"We didn't hear them arguing," one of them told "48 Hours" after the hearing. "We didn't even see their faces."

With no more witnesses on either side, Mexican law requires the judge to conclude the evidence phase of the trial within about five days; but that doesn't happen.

"Why don't we have a verdict?" Roberts asked Pat Fanning.

"Because we're in Mexico," he replied. "That's how things are done here and nobody gets excited about it."

For nearly three years, "48 Hours" has asked Mexican authorities to go on the record about this case. But they refused.

Back in prison, it's hard for Beresford-Redman not to hope.

Video diary: "Yesterday was a good day...and you sort of take them as they come..."

"I am absolutely confident that if -- if there is a ruling according to the facts, that I will be exonerated," he said.

"And when will that happen?" Roberts asked.

"Well ... that I don't know. That's my problem," he replied.

But the Burgos sisters insist Bruce is right where he should be. And justice for Monica demands that he stay there.

"If he really killed my sister, which it looks like he did, I want him in jail. But it doesn't make me happy to see him in jail," said Carla Burgos.

Video diary: "I spend a lotta time in here looking over the barbed wire ... I can see birds and green trees and life outside -- oh this Hell...

"It's really time for me to go home. It's time for me to be with Camilla and Alec. It's time for me to try and put back together some kind of a life for them and for myself."

His parents, meanwhile, are trying to keep life in California as normal as possible for Alec and Camilla, but it's not easy -- they're 81 and 76.

Juanita Beresford-Redman has been keeping a video diary, too:

"It's ... about 8:30 in the morning. The children have gone off to school. It's reasonably quiet at the moment.

"Camilla's birthday is coming up ... and she asked me yesterday did I think daddy might be able to home for her birthday this year... and I told her honestly, "No honey...he's not gonna make it this year."

"Is it your fear that this may go on indefinitely?" Roberts asked Juanita.

"It is a fear," she replied. "I can't see why it's gone on this long."

Carla and Jeanne Burgos tried and failed to get custody, but they have regular visitation with the children.

"We love those kids more than anything in this world," Jeanne said. "It's not what is good, what is bad, it's what is the best for the kids."

"We are a family, but we're not their father... we're their grandparents," Juanita said. "We love them, but, it's not the same."

"I will never make my peace with being incarcerated for something I didn't do. I will never rest or stop fighting. I may lose continually, but I'm never gonna stop ... because this is crap," Beresford-Redman told Roberts.

But as memories and milestones slip past, all Bruce Beresford-Redman can do is watch, wait, and wish his children well.

Video diary: "...I love you guys, I miss you. Be strong and ... and all I want is for you guys to have the best life you can."

Prosecutors should be submitting their closing arguments in writing by the end of November.