This morning I woke up to the wondrous news that the Escentual French pharmacy sale is BACK. Every three months or so this incredible sale rolls around and I lose all self control. I asked on Twitter if people would like a ‘what should I buy, please enable me’ blog post and a lot of you said yes, so here it is: the 15 products you need from the Escentual French Pharmacy Sale.
*Image taken from Escentual.
Let’s dive straight into my picks for the products you need (yes, NEED) from the Escentual French pharmacy sale.
- Every Avène product contains the famous thermal water that the brand was built around, so the Avène Eau Thermale Water Spray is typically the first product I recommend people use. I always have at least 2 of these sprays in the house as they are so wonderful for soothing my skin when I’m having a rosacea flare up, due to its anti-inflammatory and soothing magic properties. I use it on flights, on hot holidays, to tone after cleansing if my skin is feeling particularly sensitive, on sunburn, rashes, burns etc. I can’t rave enough about this!
- Avène Soothing Moisture Mask* – If you like face masks (who doesn’t?) but struggle to find one that doesn’t aggravate sensitive skin, then this one will be your new favourite. It’s very calming but gives a major moisture boost.
- I struggle with pesky blackheads on my chin and nose and this cream really helps to keep them under control. The Avène Cleanance Expert Emulsion* is a moisturiser but I just apply it in the areas I need it rather than all over my face. It contains X-Pressin (Avène’s alternative to glycolic acid) which unclogs pores, prevents the build up of dead skin cells, and smoothes the texture of the skin. I really notice a difference if I don’t use this regularly.
- Avène Cold Cream Body Lotion* – A body lotion is a body lotion is a body lotion, right? Not when you have sensitive skin. I get keratosis pilaris (or chicken skin) on my arms and it gets worse when I use highly fragranced or complicated moisturisers so when I discovered this it was a revelation. It’s lightweight but gives my skin long-lasting moisture, has no fragrance and doesn’t feel greasy.
- I’ve recently been testing the Avène Tolerance Extrême Emulsion* moisturiser (you can read my thoughts in more detail HERE) and it’s another great product for those of you with sensitive or delicate skin. It only contains seven ingredients and is gentle enough to be used after a chemical peel, which will be music to the ears of those of us with super sensitive rosacea skin! This is better suited for oily skin, but there’s a cream version that’s just as good for normal-dry skin.
- The La-Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] is a cult product, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s aimed at people with oily or blemish prone skin, as it targets sebum production, helps to lessen marks left by blemishes, refines the skin texture and unblocks pores. Plus it doesn’t aggravate sensitive skin. DOUBLE PLUS they’ve recently released their tinted version La-Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] Unifiant* which has all the above benefits, but gives a light coverage. Slight warning, the shade ranges are lacking so if you’re at either end of the skintone spectrum, this version probably won’t work for you.
- When something is recommended by Sali Hughes, I am already sold. La-Roche Posay Redermic [R] is a wonderful product for people wanting to up their targeted skincare as it contains retinol which has been proven to treat the signs of ageing. This product also contains SPF 30 which is wonderful news – usually retinol can only be used at night as it can make the skin more vulnerable to damage from the sun. It sits well under make up and doesn’t aggravate sensitive skin, all while targeting fine lines, pigmentation and uneven skintone. I am 32 so I have a few areas I like to target with my skincare but nothing too intense, but this one gets a huge thumbs up from me.
- If I had a pound for every time I’ve recommended this product to someone, I could probably buy a new face! La-Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is a thick, almost emollient, cream that I reach for every time my skin is unhappy. It blitzes dry patches, calms flare ups and doesn’t leave my skin feeling suffocated, which many thicker creams can. I have raved about this enough on this blog, just buy it. You will not regret it.
- I use the La-Roche Posay Effaclar Astringent Micro-Exfoliant Lotion* clarifying toner every morning to keep my oily skin in check and to sweep away any oil, dead skin and other gunk that’s appeared overnight. Dead skin can make even great skin look dull and the introduction of a light exfoliating toner can make a difference between skin that’s ticking along nicely, and bringing back that radiance we all love (especially over the winter when skin gets dull and grey!) It’s very mild so doesn’t irritate my skin (although it is a little stingy around the eye area so be careful if you have sensitive eyes like me). It isn’t life changing, but it’s a small step that keeps everything ticking along and might be a good introduction into chemical exfoliants if you’re new to them.
- La-Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light Fluid SPF 50 – I wear factor 50 every day due to my translucent skin and rosacea, and it’s hard to find the perfect one. It needs to be light enough to not be greasy, that doesn’t leave a white cast, sits well under make up, and doesn’t make my skin unhappy. The whole Anthelios range is great and I highly recommend it.
- If you haven’t heard of Bioderma micellar water then you may have been living under a rock. Another cult product, used my make up artists for years, this is a really gentle but efficient make up remover. There are many cheaper high street versions but they are just not as good. Soz. I use the Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution because I have oily skin but if you have ‘normal’ skin I’d recommend the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution. It gets off all make up, without the need for scrubbing, doesn’t dry the skin, and is very gentle on my irritable skin.
- The best way to understand why I love the Vichy Dermablend Foundation* so much is to watch my video review of it which you can find HERE. If you’re looking for a high coverage foundation then this is the dream!
- I take this Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Oil on every holiday. It can go on the legs and arms to give a gorgeous healthy glow, on the ends of hair (sparingly) to smooth split ends, on cuticles… it’s the best multi-tasker I’ve found. Plus it smells HEAVENLY.
- Cult products don’t get much more cult than this. I have used this lip balm every night since I bought my first pot of this Nuxe Rêve De Miel Lip Balm and I have 2 back ups in my stash. It’s slightly matte and a little gritty which puts people off but I love it as it feels like it’s giving me a little lip scrub at the same time. Plus a pot lasts FOREVER.
- I bought this before it came over to the UK and I love it. It smoothes my fly-aways and frizz while making your hair smell delicious. If your hair needs some TLC after a lot of sun and chlorine then the Klorane Mango Butter Nourishing Leave-In Cream is perfect.
And that’s it (well, I probably could’ve done a list of 30 but I need to eat at some point today!) Which of these amazing products from the Escentual French pharmacy sale are on your list? What else would you recommend from the sale? I do love a bit of enabling… Let me know in the comments!
Lex
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