1 May, 2015

Beauty basics: Embryolisse and Dr Hauschka

When it comes to make-up, I hold my hand up and fully admit to preferring the luxe experience. One or two brands aside (hello Topshop), I like my lipsticks in weighty bullets and my powder compacts to close with a clunk. Skincare on the other hand, goes both ways. While I’ve been exploring a lot more serums and whatnot lately, especially during the winter, I’m also a big fan of pharmacy basics – the more pedestrian-looking, the better.

One in particular that I like is Dr Hauschka, the organic German brand. I just love how non-nonsense and utilitarian it looks. I use the body oils religiously; I find the Moor Lavender one is lovely and calming as a massage oil or as a rich body moisturiser. And then there are the rose creams which are a bit of a cult thing. I initially found the Rose Day Cream slightly heavy, so switched to the Rose Day Cream Light (£29.50), which is also better for the warmer months. The scent is very rosy, but I seem to like that as I get older! There’s also a Rose Nurturing Body Cream (£26), with a light, body butter-y consistency and a subtle scent. And it does indeed feels nurturing (why don’t more brands use words like ‘nurturing’, ‘caring’ and ‘cosseting’ in their names?).

Embryolisse is one of those brands, like Bioderma, that everyone raved about because they couldn’t buy it here. In France they’re very affordable and they’re what make-up artists swear by (they’re paraben-free and cruelty-free). Embryolisse is new to me but I’ve been trying out the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentré and its lightweight sister, the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Fluid. Both are excellent and good value because they perform multiple tricks.

I use them as creamy make-up removers but you can also use them as a moisturiser, primer and all round skin-soother. The thick-n-creamy Concentre (£20) is a good winter option, but at the moment I’m all about Lait-Creme Fluid which comes in a huge pump bottle. Two pumps will deliver a generous amount of milky fluid to cover your face, which you massage in, before removing with cotton wool. The consistency is perfect if you like to spend time gently massaging in your makeup remover. At £28 for 500ml, this is going to last some time and I love the functionality of the pump and the just-milky-enough viscosity.

WORDS AND IMAGES: Disneyrollergirl/Navaz Batliwalla