When it comes to beauty, the French hold all the aces.
As the days get shorter and darker, my skincare adjusts and it usually includes choices from my favorite French brands.
I reach for the Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer. It has SPF 25, so it provides added protection. The matte but seamless finish covers dark spots and other imperfections. It contains the Illuminating Complex EX with precious platinum golden silk and pearl elements to moisturize the skin, and super hyaluronic acid to keep the skin supple.
Another Clé de Peau Beauté bestseller is the Le Crème. With our current weather situation, one might consider switching to this moisturizer. It’s an investment with its CeraFerment Extract and the highest concentration of Skin-Empowering Illuminator—powered by precious Platinum Golden Silk. This helps defend the skin from irritants and stressors that lead to signs of aging. It also targets dark spots and fine lines before they develop, so the 24-hour moisture is working to keep you smoother, brighter, firmer and more lifted.
I often talk about beauty sprays. It’s one of my favorite skin-care items whether at home or on the go. I’ve tried so many but the one I always have is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. It has a unique formulation that leaves my skin hydrated and keeps my pores tight. You really feel that you’re spraying more than just water on your face.
The Beauty Elixir is powered by a blend of green grape, peppermint essential oil, rose essential oil, rosemary essential oil and myrrh oil. It’s inspired by the elixir of the Queen of Hungary in the 16th century. You can use this anytime, as a toner, as a setting spray and as a primer before your makeup application.
My other favorite is Nuxe. I am a fan of the sun-care products and their body oil.
The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is their most popular product. The multiuse oil can be for your face, body and hair. It leaves a subtle but luxurious smell, perfect for when you’re winding down with your nighttime skincare routine.
But more importantly, I like how it moisturizes without that thick feeling. It absorbs quickly, but that’s also because you don’t need a lot to get what you need from it. It is created with seven precious botanical oils and 98-percent natural ingredients. The give the product its antioxidant action and “antipollution shield effect.”
What’s a beauty routine without scents. I put on a scent even when I am just in the house. One of my favorites is Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Dominique Ropion. It has a top note of rose; midnotes of blackcurrant, raspberry and clove; and base notes of patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense. It is described as “elegance personified.”
I consider candles as an essential part of self-care. For a sensory experience, I like Astier de Villatte. Their scents transport you to places or reimagine scenarios. The Villa Médicis Scented Candle takes you to Rome’s center, where there are “encounters and for meditation, the residents delight in the subtle fragrances of lemon tree leaves, lavender and oregano flowers.”
The Naples candle plays with “the tasty sensation of a slice of pastiera and an expresso at Scaturchio, the best pastry bar in Naples. Delicious almond, orange blossom and ylang-ylang, lightened by a refreshing touch of petit grain and neroli.”
The Stockholm candle evokes “the secret address of the famous Swedish bitters elixir. King Gustav II would give it to his Viking warriors to render them invincible. An inebriating mixture of wild plants, clove, lavender, myrrh, vetiver and clary sage escapes from the bottle.
