My Dermacenter Discount: French Beauty Brands

I know that lots of you love French skincare and beauty products as much as me, so am happy to share an exclusive 20% off discount code for my readers at new retailer, MyDermacenter.com! The site stocks the UK’s biggest range of La Roche-Posay, Vichy, Skinceuticals and Roger & Gallet, including a number of my favourites, pictured above. I like that you can shop either by product or skin condition, as these brands cater for very specific skin needs, particularly sensitive types, which is a big part of why I’m such a fan.

I’ve cropped this pic so that the tube of La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ looks slightly less battered as I’ve almost squeezed every last drop out of it. This body cream kept me sane over the Winter when my dry skin and eczema patches flared up - and works even better paired with Lipikar Syndet Cleansing Body Cream-Gel Anti-Irritation. Long name but you get the idea - it’s a creamy body wash that doesn’t dry out your skin and helps soothe itching. Body lotion will be twice as effective if you start with a non-stripping body wash, and this one is super gentle with no nasties.

I test so many new products that I sometimes genuinely forget old favourites - and was recently reunited with this awesome Vichy Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover, which is very gentle, even on my super sensitive eyes. Even if you just wear heavy (rather than waterproof) eye makeup, this is a great one for removing it all in a swipe or two and is a beauty editor favourite with good reason. It’s almost half the price of Clarins equivalent and the difference between them is negligible. It is a bi-phase formula - as you can see in the pic - so you need to shake well before use to mix in the oil, but it doesn’t leave my skin feeling too oily after use and actually nourishes lashes.

If you’re all good on skincare but fancy a little treat, check out Roger & Gallet fragrance and body products. I’ve featured many of these on my blog over the past few years and the fresh, yet soft, Bois d’Orange and Bienfaits fragrances are my favourites. The Hand & Nail Balms are a recent launch, with a fast drying matte finish, allowing for intense nourishment minus a sticky residue. As this is a fragrance brand, these are strongly scented, so not one to apply just before dinner!

If you’d like to try any of these products, use the 20% off discount code  SBB4MDC20 for my readers, valid until the end of July at my-dermacenter.com/en-uk 

You’ll also receive 2 samples with every purchase and can join VIP tester panels to trial products pre-launch. Let me know if you try anything or have any favourites from these brands!

PS just realised I forgot to include my beloved La Roche Posay Serozinc, which I’ll definitely be stocking up on with this discount! If you’re not familiar, the best way I can sum it up is a hydrating, soothing spritz that calms minor skin irritations - I use it pretty much daily after cleansing, before serum and moisturiser.

 

 

La Roche Posay Skincare

I’ve been a fan of La Roche Posay skincare for years, so am really pleased that it’s now available to browse in my local Gordons Chemists. La Roche Posay is a French skincare brand, developed and used by dermatologists worldwide and suitable for sensitive skins.

Most recently I’ve been enjoying the Lipikar Baume AP+, immediately soothing on dry, itchy, atopy-prone skin on the body thanks to shea butter and omega-rich canola oil. The skin on my body is more sensitive than my face, so I have to be careful what I use on it and am particularly prone to discomfort at this time of year. I really like the smooth silky formula of this, which feels like more of a treat than a treatment on my skin.

My long-term favourites from the brand include Serozinc, an antibacterial spray toner, not yet available over counter in the UK (previously reviewed here), Soothing Rehydating mask (my review), Anthelios XL Sunscreen (review) and Cicaplast Baume B5, a soothing, repairing face & body balm (review).

One stand out product which I’m grateful to several of you lovely readers for introducing me to is Rosaliac AR Intense, a localised treatment serum to reduce burning, itching and redness from flare ups of rosacea. This has improved my condition more than products that cost 4 times the price and I now only suffer from occasional flare ups.

That’s another big selling point for La Roche Posay - despite the science behind the products, the price points are very reasonable. The range is being rolled out in Gordons Chemists across Northern Ireland and is already available online at gordonsdirect.com

Have you tried anything by La Roche Posay?

25% off French brands at Escentual during March

 

I thought you might like a heads up about a special promotion that one of my favourite online retailers, Escentual, is running throughout March, with 1/3 off French brands including Vichy, La Roche Posay, Avene and Klorane.

I treated myself to a bottle of Avene Extremely gentle cleanser, for times when my skin is feeling like it needs a little tlc. I love how this feels on my skin so far and will tell you more about it when I’ve been using it a bit longer. This was reduced from £8 to £5.33 and is described as ‘suitable for hyper sensitive skin’.

I’m quite new to Avene but a long term fan of Vichy and La Roche Posay skincare - and three of their products which featured in my December Favourites are included in this deal… (all product names are direct links)

La Roche-Posay Redermic + Intensive Daily Anti-Wrinkle Firming Fill-In Care - was £25 now £17

Vichy Liftactiv Retinol HA Night, down from £29 to £19.33

Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Eyes - was £22, now £14.67

I also love this Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray, from £2.10-£6.67 depending on size - it’s a really refreshing way to soothe and hydrate your face and sprays in a really fine mist that doesn’t soak your skin. I use this most mornings before moisturising.

If you’d like to browse the rest of the products on offer you can check them out at Escentual.com - do let me know if you treat yourself!  If only Bioderma Crealine was in there, this would all be perfect - hint hint Escentual! ;-)

December Favourites

My first ever monthly favourites post… I always love reading these on other blogs and have been asked to do them on here, so despite being halfway through January, I thought I’d share my December favourites!  I’ve included makeup, skincare and hair products. (I used a separate set of suncare products while on holiday but I’ll do a separate post on those).
First up, makeup…

I totally meant to number these pics, but I’ll talk you through them instead and link to any previous review posts I’ve done.
Face - left hand pic (clockwise from 9 o’clock):

• Laura Mercier Starlight Mineral Illuminating powder, Translucent - gives soft focus effect with delicate gold sheen when under the light
  
• Laura Mercier Crème Smooth foundation, Warm Ivory - medium to full coverage (detailed review coming soon!)
  
• Top Shop cream blush, High Five - gorgeous doll pink blush, a little goes a long way {review}
  
• Chanel Illusion D’Ombres, Illusoire - heather-grey metallic shadow which I adore!
  
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer, 01 Light - long lasting, non drying or caking creamy formula - love this. {review}

Eyes & Lips - pic on right, from front left:

• Eyeliner pen by AH Francis, #31 - user friendly felt tip style eye liner in a rich Royal Navy shade {FOTD}
  
• Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick, #01 - the perfect red. Get so many compliments on this. {swatches}
  
• Bobbi Brown Lip Color, Brown - the perfect everyday lipstick {review}
  
• Lavera Glossy Lips, Magic Red - a lovely subtle berry toned gloss that’s very moisturising and comfortable to wear {FOTD}

Nailpolishes:

• Orly Mineral FX Nail Lacquer, Rococo-A-Go-Go - the most striking shimmering rich purple polish on the planet. Fact. {swatches}
  
• Mavala Sparkling Bronze #230 - big bold glitter polish, fabulous as a pedi (wore this on hols, lovely with faux tanned feet)

Skincare
 
Nip + Fab Sheer Make-Up Fix  Described as a BB (Blemish Balm) I view this more as a primer product. It evens out skintone, refines pores and provides a great base for foundation. If you have fabulous skin it may well give you the confidence to go au naturel… sadly that won’t be me! It does help my foundation apply, look and last better though and is great value for money. NB it’s a completely clear gel.
Vichy Liftactiv Retinol HA Night  This was a 2011 hero product for me.  I hadn’t used Vichy products for years and this totally blew me away. First of all I adore the presentation of the product. The conical lid comes off to reveal a slimmer version underneath, which you press to ‘foam’ the product onto your hand. It feels and sounds like mousse when it’s dispensed, but applies like cream. This feels divine on the skin and really does make my face look refreshed and ‘plumped up’ in the mornings. The Liftactiv range contains hyaluronic acid and retinol (meaning spf must be used by daytime) the products feel really gentle on my skin and didn’t cause any irritation at all.
Vichy Liftactiv Retinol HA Eyes  The accompanying eye product is equally lush.  Like the face cream, I love how this product applies, by pressing the long skinny nozzle to release the perfect amount.  It feels ever so slightly waxy and really moisturising around my eyes.
La Roche Posay Redermic+ (sensitive skin) This anti wrinkle firming moisturiser contains complex anti ageing ingredients including 5% pure Vitamin C. It temporarily plumps up the skin and fills in fine lines making it look temporarily firmer and smoother - I do tend to top it up and reapply makeup if I’m going out for the evening. This product also has long term anti ageing benefits, and feels rich but not too heavy on the skin. I have big respect for the science behind the La Roche Posay brand and have liked all of their products I’ve tried.

Left to right: each product applied, then lightly blended: Nip+Fab, Vichy Liftactiv Night, Vichy Liftactiv Eyes, La Roche Posay Redermic+
Hair

Label M Organic Moisturising Lemongrass Shampoo and Conditioner smell beyond gorgeous and for some reason seem to keep it clean twice as long as normal. They are paraben free and contain an organic blend of Lemongrass (obvs!), Echinacea and Jojoba oil; the packaging is sleek and I love the user friendly pump bottles. More than anything I love the smell, but in all honesty these products didn’t make my hair feel as moisturised and nourished as expected considering the price point. They seemed to make my hair quite big & puffy, so may be better suited to someone looking for volume. (Also available in Orange Blossom which I think sounds gorgeous!)
Label M Organic Lemongrass Shampoo is £12.45 and Conditioner is £15.95 for 200ml at Beauty Booth 
Sleek Blow Out Cream is one of the best styling products I’ve tried in a looong time. I really struggle to find a styling product that works well with my hair. It smells beautiful, quite sweet like vanilla. It fights frizz and coats my hair in nourishing cream which seems to hold the style well without weighing it down at all.  I’ve used it with my Babyliss Big Hair and when blowdrying my hair straight and it worked great both ways - it even seemed to cut down on drying time (always a bonus!). 
Label M Sleek Blow Out Cream costs £13 for 150ml at Beauty Booth and I’ll definitely replace this when it runs out!

Hair & skincare samples