Bonjour mes amis!

Makeup and Mimosas was phenomenal, I hope those of you who came enjoyed it just as much as I did. As you probably know by now, we at the salon are just in love with all of Colorescience (and of course Christie). It was a pleasure to watch the makeup being applied so expertly, and to see some of you having so much fun. As always, the cheese and snacks were amazing- and tres francais . You can thank Patricia’s great taste for that. (But seriously, the sharp cranberry cheese was to die for. Thank you Fromagerie Sophie!)

That being said, I noticed that there were some products that didn’t seem to get the love they deserve. So this week I thought I’d highlight some of these products for you, specifically the Primer, Setting Mist, and Anti-Aging Serum. Trust me, you’ll learn to love them as much as we do here.

The primer line is the first of the neglected products, which is just silly when you realize the number of things that primer does for makeup. Primer is the foundation of the makeup, and, like a house, you don’t really want to build makeup without a foundation.  The primer smooths and evens skin tone, as well as helping to diminish the appearance of fine lines, giving you a better canvas on which to apply makeup. As a bonus, like most of the Colorescience line, the Primer is sun-protective. It contains Micronized Zinc Oxide, so it protects your face with a barrier of minerals, meaning that you don’t have to wait 20-30 minutes for your sunscreen to be effective. It’s effective as soon as you apply it. What this means is that it helps keep you from freckling and developing other forms of hyper-pigmentation (which is a major concern for me).

There are 6 different primers, because Colorescience loves to tailor products to you. These are the Skin Brightening, Skin Bronzing, Skin Balancing, Skin Calming, Skin Mattifying, and Sunforgettable. You probably know just from reading the list which would be best for your skin, because the names are blessedly self-explanatory, but if you have questions or want to get a closer look at some of the primers, you can always schedule a makeup consultation or simply come into the salon to let us show you which one would be best suited to your skin and concerns.

Another  group of products that just doesn’t get the credit it deserves is the Setting Mist line. For those of you who are dancers out there, I’m sure you’ve heard that the man serves as the frame for the woman when dancing. In this instance, Setting Mist is makeup’s man. It holds the makeup steady on your face, and most of its job is to make your makeup look as good as possible.  You can wear our beautiful mineral shades alone, but , Setting Mist keeps the makeup in place and prevents it from transferring to your clothes. It not only holds the makeup in place, but brightens it with the action of hyaluronic acid , aloe and Vitamin E. It’s great to use throughout the day as a refreshing little aromatherapy “boost”  with sandalwood and vanilla. For example, between work and a dinner with girlfriends, a quick spritz should serve to freshen your look. It’s great if you like your makeup low-maintenance, like I do.

Like the Primers, there are different Setting Mists, so you can choose the one that is best suited to you. There is the Hydrating Setting Mist, if you have dry to normal skin, the Clarifying Setting Mist, for oily or blemish prone skin, and the Sunforgettable Setting Mist for those who are as sun (and freckle) conscious as I am.

Finally, the Anti-Aging Serum. This one is a doozy, because it serves as a 3-in-1 product. It contains Decaplex-10, a blend of ten peptides that work together to both repair aged skin and prevent further aging. Hyaluronic Acid improves hydration and firmness of the skin, both long-term and immediately after application. In clinical trials, 100% of patients experienced improvement in crow’s feet, radiance, and firmness. 100%! In addition, 97% of patients experienced improvement in fine lines, skin texture and clarity. You simply apply the serum twice daily (a pump or two, max) to experience these amazing results.

So there you have it. Those are some of our favorite products that just don’t get the love they deserve. Each of them is incredibly effective, and directly improves the appearance of many of the Colorescience products that you know and love. Plus, surprise! We’re having a special on all of them, because you know how Patricia takes care of you. With the purchase of anti-aging serum, you’ll receive a free colorescience mascara (which is fabulous, and recommended by dermatologists to those that would/are using Latisse, because it naturally lengthens your eye-lashes). With the purchase of a Primer and Setting Mist, you’ll receive a complimentary eye-pencil. For those of you who are keeping up, that means if you get all three you get both an eye-pencil and mascara. Not that you needed more incentive to love these products, of course. If you’re still not convinced, come into the salon and check them out for yourself, or schedule a makeup consultation.

 

Bisous!

Adrienne

 

 

Bonjour Mes Amis!

I don’t know about you, but summer has always seemed synonymous with citrus to me. After all, what’s better than a cold lemonade to stave off the heat? The grocery stores and even home décor stores around SLO seem to concur—lately I see citrus everywhere.

 

In any case, I’m more than happy to satisfy my citrus craving—through both enjoying a cold lemonade and utilizing some of the many fabulous skincare products that incorporate citrus for its antioxidant benefits.

Why antioxidants? First of all, it’s helpful to understand what an antioxidant does. An antioxidant is a molecule that prevents the loss of oxygen when molecules combine. Loss of oxygen is known as oxidation, hence, antioxidant (for whatever reason, my mind was blown when I learned this little scientific nugget).  I like to think of antioxidants as the little super heroes that fight the villainous oxidation process. Antioxidants help to protect against and repair existent free radical damage, as well as other external forms of oxidative stress such as sun exposure, nicotine and alcohol, and stress.

What does this mean in terms of your skin? The damage caused by these oxidative stressors causes our skin to visibly age. Antioxidants both prevent this from happening and repair our skin if it already has. The concrete effects include minimizing  fine lines, brightening and retexturing the skin,  lightening of discoloration and over-pigmentation and overall improvement of the skin’s ability to repair itself. We have a tendency to be hard on our skin, sometimes without even knowing it, but antioxidants help us combat the effects of everyday life.

Obviously, skin care lines want to harness these incredible benefits for us, so allow me to fill you in on my favorites! Among the products we carry at A French Touch that utilize the power of antioxidants are the Sothys Energizing line (covered in depth here), Intensive Serum line, and Daily Protection Cream. Jan Marini also offers a fabulous Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant in addition to their C-Esta line, which includes cleansers, serums, lip treatments and masks that all incorporate antioxidants and vitamin C.

C-Esta products include Ascorbyl Palmitate, which is a fat soluble form of Vitamin C. It’s a fast absorbing, long-acting vitamin for your skin. As Jan Marini says “Because Ascorbyl Palmitate is fat soluble, it penetrates the skin very rapidly and intersperses in the cell membrane. This affinity with the cell membrane results in tremendous antioxidant benefits and helps to prevent cellular aging”. Ascorbyl Palmitate has been proven more effective than Ascorbic Acid, while being less irritating to the skin. This is in part because Ascorbic acid (used in most over-the-counter versions of “Vitamin C”) has a very low Ph, whereas Ascorbyl Palmitate does not. This is great for those of you with sensitive skin–all of the gain, none of the  pain (or redness). Even those of you who don’t have sensitive skin will benefit from the powerful antioxidant properties present in the C-Esta products.

In addition to these products, Lindsay and Patricia are now offering a fabulous antioxidant facial here at the salon. The ladies incorporate the powers of antioxidants with their usual expertise in a special Summer Antioxidant Facial. Plus, just because the ladies love to spoil you, a Summer Antioxidant Facial comes with a complimentary Vitamin Serum. Trust me, everything that goes into this facial (which was hand-crafted by Lindsay and Patricia), will make your skin look and smell beautiful. As always, you will leave feeling refreshed and pampered. With the new ingredients, your skin will be dewy, glowing, and fresh.

If you have any questions about any of the products that incorporate the power of antioxidants, the Summer Antioxidant Facial, or simply want a personalized recommendation, you can always book a 15 minute Skin Care Consultation or call us. The ladies of A French Touch are always happy to hear from you. Of course, you can always simply book the facial here and allow the ladies to take care care of you. I for one would go with option number two, but that’s just me.

Enjoy the beginning of your summer, mes amis!

À bientôt!

Adrienne