Category Archives: Face

New organic range from Nuxe

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Nuxe is a staple in the bathroom of many French women. Its Huile Prodigieuse has long been the go-to for adding shimmer to a Mediterranean tan and I’m very excited that they’ve recently launched a fragrance version. In general, I’m a big fan.Bio Beaute 24HR Moisturizing Emulsion

So when I hit the Paris pharmacies to pick up a face cream their new Bio Beauté range caught my eye (bio being French for organic). I decided that the Bio Beauté Smoothing and 24HR Moisturizing Light Emulsion with clementine cells was for me. And I was very taken in by the packaging promises:

  • 98.8% of the total ingredients are from natural origin
  • 72.4% of the total ingredients are from organic farming
  • 87% of testers said their skin was more supple, 90% said more velvety, and 86% said smoother

I was also taken in by the big box which actually holds a rather small 40ml tube!

The cream, sorry, ’emulsion’, smells amazingly tangy (so avoid if you’re not a fan of citrus scents). Designed for normal to combination skin it strikes just the right balance of lightweight versus hydration, which some natural creams definitely struggle with. Great if you don’t like greasy creams or for use in the summer (especially under a natural UV cream). I like my face creams super rich so I will probably go for their dry skin version next time. But my skin feels very soft. I didn’t use it religiously day and night as suggested, but I would highly rate this as a natural face cream. And my face smells delicious!

Unfortunately you won’t find this on Nuxe’s UK website yet, but it is available on the French pharmacy website cocooncenter.co.uk (along with Weleda’s cold cream, which I highly recommended a while back). Delivery is €9.90 which is about £8 so might be worth it if you felt like stocking up. I’ve got a feeling the Nuxe Bio Beauté brand might have some real pearls amongst its products and I’ll definitely be picking up their emulsion for dry skin on my next trip (or asking my mother in law to bring some over!). I’ll chase them to see if there are any plans to introduce this to the UK market and update you here.

Bio Beauté Smoothing and 24HR Moisturizing Light Emulsion: Approx €16.90 for 40ml

Natural credentials: Clementine cells and poppy petals to moisturise along with pear seeds to smooth lines. 98.8% of the total ingredients are from natural origin and 72.4% are organic.

Available from: cocooncenter.co.uk

Soothing eye balm with calendula

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Indie Lee Eye BalmIf you’re looking for a rich and deeply soothing eye product then Indie Lee’s Calendula Eye Balm is worth trying. I’ve been using this little wonder balm for about a month now and it’s just as healing on chapped lips and other problem areas as it is around the eyes.

As with all Indie Lee products it’s entirely natural: mango seed butter to reduce dark circles and calendula oil, beeswax and lavender oil to aid skin elasticity (calendula is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties).

I’d recommend applying about 15 minutes before you put on eye make up as it does leave a bit of a sheen, as you’d expect with all those natural oils.

I’ve got very sensitive skin and it’s cleared up a bit of ezcema I had on my eyelids. And, despite having a young baby, people keep telling me how fresh I look so it must be good! It’s not cheap but a little goes a long way.

Indie Lee Calendula Eye Balm: £26 for 0.5oz

Natural credentials: 100% natural with mango seed butter, calendula oil, beeswax, and lavender oil.

Available from: abeautifulworld.com

What Grandma knew all along…

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Happy New Year! Just back from Paris where the pharmacies are beauty treasure troves — I’m like a kid in a sweet shop. French women are always ahead of their skincare game and, like us, they are embracing natural and organic products. And amongst the goodies on display one in particular kept appearing: cold cream. Every brand from Nuxe to Nivea seemed to have repackaged this old faithful.
Weleda Cold Cream
I plumped to try Weleda’s offering, which is 100% ‘au naturel’. As cold creams tend to be quite rich I used it as part of my nighttime beauty routine. The cooling properties were calming on my skin and the geraniol gave it a lovely rose scent. I’m not exaggerating when I say my skin felt velvety afterwards. Et voila! Another bathroom essential hits the shelf.

Weleda Cold Cream Visage: from £5.79 for 30ml

Natural credentials: 100% natural with beeswax, sweet almond oil and peanut oil.

Available from: Only French websites unfortunately. The best deal I found is here on Le Guide Sante, £5.79 for 30ml. I’ll follow up with Weleda and report back.

Update from Weleda:

The cold cream is available in the UK, but is specially imported in from Germany. This is priced at £10.61 for 30g and the postage and packing charge is £3.95, but this is free if your order totals £40.00 or more.

The cold cream is not available to purchase via our website, but can be ordered by telephoning Weleda Customer Services on 0115 9448200 (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm).

Nivea face cream for thirsty winter skin

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At this time of year my skin starts crying out for more moisturiser. For me, a rich face cream is essential and one I always keep on my bathroom shelf is Nivea’s Pure and Natural Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream. 95% of its ingredients are of natural origin and it easily matches up to any regular face cream I’ve used.

Nivea

Rich enough for use day and night, it’s made with extracts of argan oil and burdock fruit, which has been touted for its powerful anti-ageing properties. It’s not got SPF but what it lacks in UV protection it makes up for in skin thirst quenching punch.

Nivea Visage Pure and Natural Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream: £4.99 for 50ml

Natural credentials: 95% natural with extracts of argan oil and burdock fruit.

Available from: Boots, currently at the reduced price of £4.99 (normally £8.90).

Free Ren products with InStyle

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Ciao! At the airport on my way to Italy I spotted November’s issue of InStyle which comes with three mini Ren treats: Gentle Cleansing Milk, Active 7 Eye Gel and Global Protection Day Cream.
Ren
Not only are these three the perfect travel size but they’re nasties-free and jam-packed with natural goodies to cleanse, soothe, protect and smooth your skin. Here’s the Joli Naturellement review…

The cleanser felt calming but, if I’m honest, I’m not sure it would stand up to removing heavy make-up. Probably a good one for sensitive skins or to gently wake up your skin in the morning.

The day cream, with extract of chamomile, is a great, nourishing, everyday moisturiser and smelt delicious. My skin felt hydrated for hours afterwards without a hint of greasiness.

But my favourite had to be Ren’s Active 7 Eye Gel. It’s incredibly cooling and definitely took out some of the baggage I was hauling around under my peepers! Tired eyes will love this.

The November issue of InStyle is on sale for the bargain price of £2 (normal price £3.90).

Full sized versions of these Ren products, costs and stockists are listed below.

Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk: £16.00 for 150ml

Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream: £27.00 for 50ml

Active 7 Eye Gel: £20 for 15ml

Natural credentials: Ren pride themselves on using only 100% plant and mineral derived ingredients and avoid anything synthetic.

Available from: In the UK, stockists include John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Space NK. More info on Ren’s website: http://www.renskincare.com/AboutREN/WhereToFindUs.aspx