First of all, huge apologies for the lack of blogging recently. My finals at university took over my life, and since graduating everything has been a bit of a blur: I turned 21, moved house, got a temporary job, and am currently searching for a career job. But fear not, I will be putting aside much more time for this blog from now on, and I am aiming to put up a new post at least once a week. So without further ado, let's talk French pharmacies...
So I mentioned I turned 21. Well, for my birthday, my parents and brother took me to Paris for the week. The weather was beautiful (as I write this, I am wrapped up in a massive jumper, clutching a cup of hot tea, and watching the rain beat against the windows...hello British September), Paris was gorgeous, and I was thoroughly spoilt with lots of lovely presents and treats. And I may have had 1 (read: 1000) too many Laduree macaroons...
But being a lover of all things beauty-related, naturally one of the main things I was looking forward to was the French pharmacy experience. With a list as long as my arm, I tried to narrow it down to the essentials, and here is what I cam back with. FYI: the cheapest pharmacy by a mile is the City-Pharma on Rue Four in the Saint-Germain-Des-Pres district.
As you may or may not know, Bioderma has long been a favourite of mine. Since discovering it a couple of years ago, I have not used another make up remover (except for very stubborn waterproof mascara), and I have absolutely no desire to do so. This stuff has something magical about it: it looks like water, smells like water, feels like water on the skin/eyes, but removes make up like a dream. No oily residue; no violent scrubbing action needed: just a quick swipe across the skin and a couple of seconds of pressing onto the eye area. This bottle is the Crealine version for sensitive skin. I have also tried the Sebium one as my skin is very oily, but I find it much less effective and a little more stingy on my eyes. Praise be to ecsentual.com for bringing this product to the UK (and you can also get it in some independent pharmacies, like The Garden in Covent Garden) but it is still far, far cheaper in Paris. To my dad's despair when we had to weigh the luggage, I got 4 of these 500ml bottes for 40euro. My only regret is that I did not buy more and sneak them in when he wasn't looking.
The other two products in this photo are 'beauty waters'. The first, Caudalie's Eau De Beaute, is a pricey option, but it smells absolutely divine and just makes me feel so refreshed. I tend to carry this around in my handbag and spray it on my face mid-afternoon. It refreshes my skin, makes my make up look like it has just been applied, and makes me smell all spa-like. Definitely one for tube-goers. The other, Avene's Eau Thermale, is a little less luxurious, but it gets the job done. It doesn't have a scent, but it works in the same way. Just be careful not to go too heavy on the sprayer or you'll end up looking like you've got a little bit sweaty - never a good look. Overall, I much prefer the Caudalie offering, but at around one third of the price, Avene's water is probably the better option for a hot summer's day when you'll be spraying this on left, right and centre.
Serozinc by La Roche-Posay, is one of the products I have been lusting over for a while now. I wasn't sure whether to include it on this blog, as you cannot get hold of it in England, but I've heard a few rumours that it might be making an appearance soon, so I thought it was worth mentioning. This is a toner made of zinc sulphate solution, which is a chemical known for its healing properties: lots of people are prescribed zinc sulphate to minimise scarring etc after surgery. I use this toner twice a day, by spraying a little bit on a cotton pad and sweeping it all over my face and neck. I do have quite a lot of acne scarring, and this has definitely helped minimise that. I wouldn't recommend using it on any live acne as it does sting a bit, but it really will make a big difference if used on scarring regularly and over a period of time.
Another product that I picked up from Bioderma was their Sebium Pore Refiner. As I said, I do have very oily skin, and by the end of the day, the foundation I wear on my T-zone has usually found its way to the edges of my nose and the crease in my chin. This product is supposed to be used like a primer in oily areas, and it evens out the skin by minimising pores, and thus provides a great base for make up. I have used this for the past few weeks, and I really do think that this makes a difference. However, it was fairly expensive for the amount of product you get, and I'm not sure that it works any better than other primers I have tried. I am going to give the Urban Decay setting sprays a go next, so I will let you know how they compare.
The final product I picked up was the Embryolisse Hydra-Masque. This was recommended on Amelia Liana's blog LianaBeauty, so I thought I would give it a go - I hold her opinions on beauty products in very high esteem! Having said I have oily skin, I think it is more combination really, as my cheeks, forehead and around my nose do seem to get very dry and dehydrated, especially when the it starts getting cold. I have only used this a couple of times so far, but on both occasions I have taken it off, gone to bed, and woken up in the morning with skin that looks healthy and plumped and ready for the day. I have heard that for those of you with very dry skin, you could use this as a moisturiser every other day in the winter months for extra hydration. It sinks in immediately, and is completely unnoticeable on the skin, so I can definitely see how this would work.
And that's it for my French pharmacy skincare haul! This blog post feels like a bit of an essay, but I thought it was worth reviewing each of the products separately. I really do love all of them, and am so pleased I picked them up. French pharmacy skincare continues to put Britain's Boots offerings to shame, unfortunately, but with more and more French brands heading this way, there is hope yet!
Have a wonderful week, and try not to let this soggy weather get you down...
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