Haulin' in Lyon part two & Bioderma review

You might recall over the summer I changed my skincare regime from Clarins to Bioderma. After three months of using the products I think now is the right time to review them.

It all started with Crealine H20 which is a non-rinse micellaire make up remover. I can't believe when I lived in Paris I used to walk past this on the shelf and use some random make up remover wipes (basically whatever was on special offer!)

Crealine H20 is soap and perfume free, it is also PH neutral. It removes all of my make up easily and leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh without being stripped.

I was so impressed I decided try more products from Bioderma. I replaced my Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Bioderma Crealine DS Purifying Cleanser and I replaced my Clarins Hydraquench Cooling Cream Gel with Bioderma Crealine DS Cream Dermo-Brevete. Both of these products are designed to specifically target dry skin on the sides of the nose, on the cheeks and on the chin. Like the Crealine H20, the cleanser is soap and perfume free and PH neutral. It also has the same feeling of leaving my skin feeling clean without being stripped. The cream has a very light formula (it almost turns into the consistancy of the Crealine H2O) but is surprisingly very moisturising. I use it as both a day and night cream.

Whilst picking up backups of these products in Lyon, I also bought Bioderma Restructuring Cream Shampoo for dry & damaged hair and Concentrated Restructuring Mask for very dry & damaged hair. I will do a review of these products very soon.

The lady in the pharmacy very kindly gave me a bunch of samples, including a face mask which I can't wait to try out.

If you do not live in France and would lke to try out Bioderma products, don't worry you can order from http://www.leguidesante.co.uk/ I had no problems ordering from this website in August and they have some kind of points system too.

Bioderma products are split into three categories:
Red is for sensitive-dry skin
Blue is for very dry skin
Green is for oily skin

Part three of my Lyon haul is coming up soon.

Bisous -x-

Haulin' in Lyon Part 1 (Sephora) & Make Up Forever product raves

This is what I picked up from Sephora in the second city of France...


(From L-R)

Make Up Forever HD Elixir - this is something I've been wanting to try since its release in the States. It has only just been released in France, which is strange because Make Up Forever is a French company. I would say it is the French equivalent of MAC. It is described as an "innovative serum that instantly hydrates and adds radiance to the skin. The breakthrough formula was specifically created to smooth and prepare the skin for high definition make up." It goes on to say that "D-Panthenol and Glycerin ensure HD Elixir provides and immediate boost of hydration (+520% after 15 minutes) that lasts throughout the day (+175% after 6 hours)."

No matter how much I moisturise, I have really dry skin on the sides of my nose (gross!) so I have to use a serum post-moisturiser, pre tinted moisturiser. I have been using this every day since I purchased it and I can say that it definitely keeps my skin hydrated all day long. It is a lightweight formula that only takes about a minute to absorb. You only get 12ml or 0.40fl.oz for 29 Euros but there is a dropper in the lid so none of the product should get wasted.

Make Up Forever Brush Cleanser - I bought this randomly. I haven't tried it out yet.

Make Up Forever Glossy Full Couleur in #7 Pale Pink - Another product I picked up randomly but I am so glad that I did. This is the most moisturising, non-sticky, non-plastic tasting gloss I have ever tried. Forget about Nars Turkish Delight and try this instead. I have crossed Dolce & Gabbana's Candy off my wishlist and replaced it with MUFE #8 Peach & #10 Pinky Peach.

Sephora Retractable Powder Brush - I just got this to throw in my bag to use with my MAC Blot Powder.

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in #1L Star Black - I repurchased this as I have nearly used up the one I got in Paris in August. This is my go to eyeliner of the moment, it is quick and easy to apply and lasts all day.

Back to my love of Make Up Forever. Out of all of the products I have tried from this brand (around 10) I have not been disapointed. If you have any MUFE product recommendations please let me know. Apart from the lipglosses, I am interested in purchasing the HD kabuki brush, the double-ended sculpting brush and Aquablack Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow.

Part 2 of my haul is from the Pharmacy, Monoprix beauty section and Yves Rocher.

Bisous -x-

Mac Style Black & DSquared haul

Hey

I haven't been so excited about a Mac collection since Hello Kitty in March, but my wallet is feeling the pain. These collections are great for someone like me who likes to keep my look smokey and simple.

I bought a lot more than I thought I would from Style Black...


From L-R: Cream Color Base in Black, Gilt by Association eyeshadow, Young Punk eyeshadow & Greasepaint Stick.

So far I have tried out everything, except for Young Punk because I didn't take it to France with me. I love using the Cream Color Base and Greasepaint Stick as a base under Gilt by Association (or any other eyeshadow) or by themselves for a smudgy, smokey effect. Think morning after eyes.

Moving on to DSquared...

From L-R: Lip Erase, Sculpt & Shape Powder in Bone Beige/Emphasize, Sculpt & Shape Powder in Accentuate/Sculpt & 2 Feline Khol Powers.

I have always wanted to get my hands on Lip Erase. At the moment I am exprimenting with it. I haven't had the chance to use the Sculpt & Shape Powders yet. Feline Khol Power is one of my all-time favourite Mac products. I don't understand why Mac doesn't include them in their permanent line. But I read on Temptalia that they will be coming out again in a collection in December/January.

Bisous -x-

Paris haul

Salut!

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. My internet got cut off before I went to Paris.

I had a great trip, the weather was hot so I got a great tan. I spent two days at Disneyland and the rest of the time shopping and visiting friends. Here is my modest haul...

In Sephora I just picked up some Make Up Forever stuff - the five colour camouflage concealer palette (love), aqua smoky lash mascara (I'm not sure about the wand) and two aqua eyes eyeliners in black and shiney black (love). I also picked up a Sephora non rinse brush cleaner (not pictured).

In Parashop I picked up Bioderma Crealine H2O and the wipes. I highly recommend these as after a week of using them my skin has noticeably improved. Clarins better watch out - I might just switch all my skincare over to Bioderma.

In Douglas I picked up a cute Hello Kitty sponge and a mini Mavala nail polish in Liberty - its a cream nude colour j'adore ca!

Apart from make up, I bought two breton tops from Saint James and a pair of leather look ballet leggings from Promod which is the French equivalent of Forever 21.

If you plan to visit Paris, I recommend Rue de Rennes and Rue du Four in the 14th arrondissement for shopping. The closest metro station is Rennes or Montparnasse Bienvenue. There are many Sephora stores all over the city but the one on Champs Elysees is the biggest and has the best selection of products - it even stocks MAC. French skincare brands are very good and can be found in any pharmacy, but the Parashop chain is really good.

Bisous -x-

Mini Haul

After a long week I decided to treat myself to a few things...

Barry M lipgloss in No4 - Barry M has just introduced these lipglosses. I bought this one out of curiosity more than anything else. Its a shimmery lilac/pink and has a strawberry scent which is nice.

Barry M nail paint in 279 bright pink - J'adore Barry M nail paints! I've been thinking about buying this one for a while now and I'm glad I finally bought it. Its a bubblegum pink and a great dupe for Leighton Denny Copy Cat. For under £3, you can never go wrong with Barry M nail paints :)

Body Shop Yes Yes Yes tantalising lip butter - After reading all the hype I decided to try this for myself. It does tone down lipsticks but it has a sickly scent that reminds me of twinnings blackcurrant and vanilla fruit tea.

Bisous -x-

Mini Haul

I rushed to the Selfridges Mac counter today to pick up Colourcrafted lipstick from the Colourcraft collection. I was disapointed to see that it had sold out so I picked up Saint Germain instead. I also got my hands on the 226 brush - I can't wait to try that out :)

Next I went to Superdrug just for a browse but ended up buying Barry M lipliner in No13 - its a milky pink so its a great match for Saint Germain. I also plan to use it to blank out my lips.

I also picked up a Bloom nail polish in Dolly - its a neon orangey coral cream formulation. Alot of the Bloom nail polish colours looked appealing so I plan to pick up some more.

The last thing I picked up in Superdrug was Miss Eylure lashlets. They are half lashes that give a winged effect.

I was planning to go to Sallys to pick up some China Glaze but it rained :(

Bisous -x-