*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links
Ah! French beauty brands!
A long term addiction of mine!
A guilty pleasure, with hardly any guilt attached.
After all, who could feel guilty for being besotted by the most beauteous of beauty products that the world has to offer?!
Brands that make you want to exclaim…
Even if you’re not French! 😊
As I explained in one of my very earliest blog posts, The Most Beautiful Bourjois Products Ever… Discontinued!, it had been a habit of mine, for many years, to bring home a haul of all my favourite French beauty products from each trip to Paris or the South of France.
Sweet-smelling shower gels from Le Petit Marseillais and Bourjois were always at the top of my list, as these products were not available to buy in Ireland or the United Kingdom.
I would always carefully ration my precious supplies until the next haul could be secured…
But then, the unthinkable happened!
My much-loved supply of Bourjois shower gels and deodorants was cut off at the source. 😱
I had to return home from a run-of-the-mill trip to Paris empty-handed…
Because Bourjois shower gels and deodorants were simply nowhere to be found in all of Paris!
(And I had, honestly, scoured every inch of the city!)
It truly felt like the end of an era! 😭
If a product speaks to me, it’s mine! 💞
And it was!
Although I managed to find some Bourjois shower supplies online, it never again felt the same.
(The vastly inflated prices of many of the products could have been a contributing factor! 😐)
I managed to console myself with the fact that, at the very least, I could still buy my favourite Bourjois makeup products as they had always been available in the U.K.
Until they weren’t anymore!
Argh!
There was an announcement in December of last year (2019) that Bourjois would no longer be available in the UK as it was struggling to compete with newer online brands.
Such was my devastation that there might even have been a few tears shed as I rushed to stock up before I no longer could.
By early January, the Bourjois stands had been almost stripped bare…
(And not just by me and my toddler! )😐
Now, Bourjois UK is no more! 😭
Then, a few days ago, to add insult to injury, I discovered that my tween had been stealing some of my most difficult-to-come-by French beauty products; my pricy Dior liquid eyeliner, the now-also-discontinued Dior BB creme and my Sephora wipes…
All poached and pillaged!
The pain was almost too much to bear as I remembered that my last Sephora trip had been particularly restrained!
After all, who could predict that a twelve-year-old would suddenly develop a penchant for papaya exfoliating wipes that leave your complexion silky smooth and glowing?!
On second thoughts, she is my daughter, so maybe not so surprising, after all! 😬
The good news is that, despite all the disappointments emanating from the French beauty world, I have recently discovered another French beauty brand that has, quite simply, taken the blogger world by storm.
Let me introduce you to Caudalie, my dear readers!
Ta-dah! ✨
This perfectly Insta-worthy brand, a French pharmacy beauty staple, was first created by Mathilde and Bernard Thomas in 1995.
Key to their success has been the antioxidant properties of the brand’s main ingredient, grape seed polyphenols, which plump and protect delicate skin from the ageing effects of daily pollutants.
Coincidentally, the very first product I chose to test, the beauty elixir, happens to be one of the brand’s most popular cult products, adored by celebrities, beauty bloggers and experts alike.
This best-selling product claims to leave your complexion smooth and glowing and it really does, but it also does so much more.
A 100% natural spray that you mist onto the face before applying moisturizer or any time of the day, it envelops the senses in a heavenly cloud of relaxation.
All worldly worries, stresses and strains melt away almost immediately and even more so once you see how much fuller and smoother your complexion looks once the mist has dried.
Beyond divine! 💓
Much like the instant foaming cleanser, which I also decided to try.
And what a treat it was!
I am normally quite lazy about face washing routines, usually opting for an ultra-quick swipe of a wipe as opposed to anything more energy-zapping.
Not anymore, my dear readers!
Because the entire foaming cleanser experience is one you would want to repeat, without fail, on a daily basis.
The creaminess of the foam, the refreshing feel of the tepid water on your skin, the extreme silkiness of your skin after patting dry with the softest towel you can lay your hands on.
It’s a daily ritual akin to an ultra-luxe spa treatment, without the hefty price tag.
What is not to love?!
Ooh, and Caudalie products (much like all French beauty brands) leave you feeling as beautiful as an ethereal French actress…
The truth or a flight of fancy?
Who’s to say?!
I just know I’m totally hooked and I had better hide my precious Caudalie stash before my tween gets wind of it and I’m mourning yet another loss! 😬
Until next time, my dear readers,
💋 Mostly Mum
*All gifs are via GIPHY
*This site contains affiliate links to products. In essence, this means that, at no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, which will greatly help with the overall running costs of this website. 😊💕
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