French Musings for Arles - L'Occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream

I love nothing more than a good backstory or inspiration tale attached to a high quality beauty product, and it seems that L'Occitane share that enthusiasm as there is always a swirl of information surrounding each new release. I am a true Francophile at heart, despite my obsession with France waning as reality and responsibilities take hold over my day to day life. Being able to spend even the shortest while wrapped up in fantasy-land in France makes me feel such contentment. I recently watched Le Week-End (dir. Roger Michell) and truly felt my passion for Paris take hold of me, and when I eked out the last of my L'Occitane Arlesienne Shower Cream* later that night I felt truly wrapped in French brilliance at work.

Arles is a city in the South of France and Arlesienne bases itself on the art of Vincent Van Gogh and his series of paintings completed in Arles, on the woman of Arles. I love the romance and mysterious element to the history of this and having taken inspiration from such beautiful paintings, it is no surprise that the packaging of this collection (and in particular the shower cream) is stellar. I love the functional aspect of the push top, the shape that fits perfectly in my shower caddy and most of all, the touch of rose gold on the lid. It screams modern luxe to me personally, and the scent matches that as it's not a straight up floral but has notes of mandarin, saffron and lily of the valley to balance it all out. I can definitely tell that I'm not using a supermarket shower product when I use this and the scent fills the ensuite after every use - so I'm going out on a limb and saying that the price of this is easier to cope with if you think of it as a room fragrance also ;)

the woman of Arles

This L'Occitane Shower Cream retails for $28AUD/250ml and is available at Adore Beauty. The collection is an extensive one and to see the rest of the products you can check out the L'Occitane Australia website here.

What country inspires the passionate side of you? I can't wait for the day when Mister and I wander through France together enjoying every little thing about life that we often take for granted. Weekly daydream session sorted!
-Emma

*This product was provided for consideration at a launch event. Honesty, always.

Cosmecology Paris // Hydra Skin Hydrating Face Cream

As much as I adore and appreciate the appeal of prestige French skincare, the reality is that I am not always able to indulge in it. I am currently completing my post grad at university, and the pressures of buying a new home and planning a wedding often take a toll on my cosmetic addiction. When I found out that there was an affordable French skincare brand by the name of Cosmecology Paris, I was intrigued.

No outer packaging demonstrates how much the company prides itself on being environmentally aware, and the clear white tubes splashed with colourfully classy ingredient symbols is an attractive addition to my skincare loot. At the Cosmecology Paris launch in South Yarra I had a good sniff of most of the haircare, skincare and bodycare, and I am happy to report that everything smells deliciously fruity and divine!

I have been using the Hydra Skin*  facial moisturiser for quite a long time now and I am about to run out, so I thought it time to sit down and share this product with you. Fruity and nourishing, this aloe + hyaluronic acid filled moisturiser is thicker than a lotion but still sinks in quite fast. I use a pea sized amount each morning and night (though in the PM I use it in conjunction with a serum or facial oil) and though I feel as though it could sink a little deeper, I’m content with how much it moisturises my face. It leaves a slightly shiny finish to the skin, but because I always put it on before bed or under makeup it doesn’t faze me at all.

 

Priced at only $28 for 50ml, this is a good every day skin moisturiser for all skin types that brings a touch of French skincare to your cabinet, without hurting your purse. I would ideally prefer a matte finish, so those with extremely oily skins may want to look to the Cosmecology Paris Mattifying Face Cream instead.



Cosmecology Paris is salon only, for stockists please ring 1300 300 954. 
What French skincare do you adore?

 

*This product was provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

 

French Skincare Saviour // Uriage Thermal Water

I am a huge advocate for facial sprays, and am partial to French brands as I find they work wonderfully on my skin. I often suffer from dry and dehydrated skin, and use thermal sprays to keep flaky skin at bay. I find they settle my skin and moisturise any flaky patches that I have, which are most often on my forehead and around the chin area.

Midway through the day I tend to blot and powder my t-zone with Maybelline Dream Matte powder, and finish off with a spritz of my Uriage Thermal Water* to leave a dewy look to my skin. I think this would work for all skin types, as it does not exacerbate oily complexions and provides a good shot of moisture without disturbing your makeup. It is said to be especially good for those with sensitive skin, or who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. My man is partial to a spritz of this from time to time, and I am a fan of the slightly salty taste when you lick your lips, it takes me on a beach vacation journey in my mind every time.

Uriage Thermal Water is rich in minerals and trace elements, and great for a pep up on hot days, and for a moisture boost on cold ones. It retails for $10.95/50ml (perfect lightweight handbag size that lasts for ages!) or $26.95/300ml (great for keeping on your desk!)

For Australian stockists, head to http://www.cosmetiquesdefrance.com.au/ and check the store locator. They also let you know about Nuxe and Bioderma ranges, it is a wonderful site to bookmark if you are a French skincare lover like me.

Have you tried thermal facial sprays, or do you use rose/lavender sprays? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the differences.

Emma x

*Product was provided for consideration, but I am honest in my loving review of it. Honesty, always.

Bioderma Crealine H20

Bioderma Crealine H20 is something I first heard of when I went to the Rae Morris brush launch way back in September last year. Rae told us how hard it was to get a hold of, but said that it was something all makeup artists swore by and was worth the hunt. Not long after that, I went to the Australian launch of the Bioderma brand. I am so happy that this amazing product is now readily available in Australia.

A micellar formula, this cleansing water is hypoallergenic, free from perfume and gentle as anything. Normally I see 'gentle' products as lacking results, but this is not the case with Bioderma's Crealine H20. The micelle's act like a magnet and capture dirt, oil and makeup without disturbing the balance of your skin, and so the Crealine H20 is perfect for all skin types. The best thing about this is that there is no need to rinse it from your face, so it is excellent for travel and lazy days.

I know a lot of people approach the Bioderm Crealine H20 as though it were a makeup remover, but it is so much more than that. It isn't super fast at taking off eye makeup etc, and I treasure this stuff too much to waste it on getting the bulk of my makeup off at night. I like to use a regular (read:cheap) makeup remover (right now I am using the Face of Australia remover) to get the makeup off before going over my face with a cotton pad soaked in Crealine. I also sometimes use it when I get up in the morning before I apply my moisturiser to start with a clean state, or when I get home from work if I can't be bothered doing a full cleanse yet. I'll be an honest blogger and say that if you are ever nodding off and can't be bothered cleansing 'properly', this is the almost guilt-free way to do a lazy cleanse. I wouldn't do this lazy cleanse regularly, but sometimes it happens!

I was gifted a bottle of this by the company, but have since repurchased for $39.95 (250ml) from Creelman's pharmacy on Bourke St in Melbourne. I missed it when it was out of my beauty routine, and find it worthwhile and a must-have. I spend so much on makeup for my face, and use that fact to justify the high price tag for this baby.

For a long list of stockists in Melbourne and Sydney, click here. For those elsewhere in Australia, you can email through your order to this address:

contact@cosmetifrance.com

and they will ship it to you free of charge.

Have you tried Bioderma Crealine H20?

What is your night time skin routine?

*I was provided a bottle for review, but have since repurchased and will continue repurchasing!