La Toussaint Vacation: A Trial in Beauty Espionnage

So, whenever I'm staying at somebody's house, I always find it really interesting to see what they've got in their bathroom. I'm not the only one right? I'm just curious! And I mean, I definitely wouldn't go completely through their stuff, but if you leave something out or within reasonable reach, you bet I'm gonna investigate. Which is exactly what I did during my recent vacation through in France, and I thought I'd report back just to let you know what I found in REAL FRENCH BATHROOMS. I stayed in three different towns with three different hosts, each of which showed a (kind of?) example of a different demographic of person and what they might use. Keep following for in depth reviews of what I saw!

**Disclaimer** I will not be revealing any information about the persons involved in this vacation or hosting experience, so as to protect their privacy. All names, if mentioned, have been changed.

La Rue de Minimes - Pedestrian Beauty Boulevard

In looking around the French town I am currently living in, its easy to see that beauty plays a big part in the everyday lives of its inhabitants. Despite the fact that many of the women I see choose to wear a natural day-to-day look, cosmetic and skincare advertisements and shops dominate a large section of the city center - specifically, the pedestrian zone on la rue des Minimes.

This street is one of the few walking zones close to la Place de la République, and shop after shop on this walkway features beauty and skincare products galore. Let's be clear: this street is only about a quarter of a mile long, probably not even. And in total, there are eleven shops advertising almost exclusively beauty-related products, with the exception of les Galeries Lafayette, a department with a large selection of beauty, skincare and fragrance, but also many other items.

So let's take a walk from the main square out to the next street. This is really only about two blocks and you pass all of these stores.

1. Marrionnaud Parfumerie
2. Kiko
3. Parashop Diffusion
4. La Grande Pharmacie des Minimes
5. Yves Rocher
6. Les Galleries Lafayette
7. Sephora
8. Sandro Esprit Spa
9. Nocibé
10. Douglas Parfumerie
11. Saga

What does this exactly have to say about my town? To be honest, I don't really know yet, as I have only been here for a short while and it takes time to get to know new people in a foreign country. Whether these stores have taken such prominent spots as a response to popular demand or whether these shops have influenced the tastes of the public, I can't really tell. Most likely, its a little bit of both. Just an interesting reflection from a beauty perspective on what I am experiencing in this new town!

Finally installed in France - YAY INTERNET!

So I have finally gotten myself settled in France and am ready to start blogging on the reg! I apologize for my lack of regular posting over the last month - internet is not exactly the easiest thing to procure here - but I do have internet now! Get ready for more posts to come :)

Voyage au Mans: What Did I Bring?

This is a written version of the popular YouTube tag, "What's in my travel bag?" I just don't have the space or the courage yet to do a live video. It will come! But I thought I would share what I deem necessary for a trans-Atlantic flight to hopefully help those of you making the trip for the first time. Or who are just curious what other people tote around, because I know that I am :).

The Big Picture:

Obliging the TSA regulation, I bought this transparent bag for my liquids during my last international trip. It came with a bunch of small reusable containers that are under 3 oz so that you can transfer your favorite products into them without having to go out and buy travel sizes of everything, which I've found very useful. This particular bag is from CVS (I think it ran about $9.99 with all of the inside material included) and came with 1 spray bottle, 2 larger squeeze bottles, 2 smaller bottles with caps, and about 12 jars of varying sizes. The make-up bag was a gift from a dear friend, Deanna, and its definitely come in handy thus far! My go-to travel makeup bag at the moment!

A Closer Look: What's Inside

Part I - Liquids

When I'm carrying around items during my whole trip, I try to really my products down to the essentials. So this is what I packed:

• Dermalogica Lip Balm - I've had this forever and its the most hydrating chapstick I've come across. I got it in a trial package from Ulta in high school and have been using it ever since.
• Bare Escentuals Lash Domination Mascara - Got this when I repurchased my Bare Minerals Foundation and it couldn't have been more perfect for the trip! Super small, so it didn't take up that much space, but worked really well! I looked fresh - well, as fresh as I could after a 15 hour journey - when I arrived in Le Mans.
• CVS Antacids - This one's a little bit realer than the others, haha. I don't know about you, but when my meal schedule gets thrown off, whether its because of travel or lots of work or just plain forgetfulness, I get some pretty uncomfortable heartburn. Foreseeing this in the future, I stocked up on these rolls of antacids, basically Tums but in the generic brand.
• Colgate Optic White Miniature Toothpaste - Pretty self-explanatory, I didn't want to walk around France all day with stank breath. I'm also a pretty regular coffee drinker, so I usually reach for whitening toothpastes with proven results, hence the Optic White option. Any toothpaste would really do the job though!
• Acanya Gel - I have hormonal and stress induced acne, which I'm currently treating with Acanya Gel. This little sample size is perfect to fit in travel bags and come with me wherever I need it.
• Jao Hand Refresher - Hand sanitizer in an eco-friendly and disposable container, who could ask for more!
• Nivea Creme - Basically an all purpose moisturizer, I packed this specifically for my hands. Dry hands are a little bit of a pet peeve for me because I start to get itchy quickly, so I threw this in my liquids for as a quick fix for this problem.
• Lumene Bright Now Vitamin C Day Creme SPF 15 - This day cream was an awesome recent purchase (I couldn't help it, it was on super sale by me and I'm addicted to moisturizer) that combined the brightening of my dull post-flight skin, moisturizing of my dehydrated skin from the stale plane air and SPF so I could walk around outside without worrying about turning into a complete tomato. And it all comes in this super cute tiny jar accepted by the TSA? Sounds good to me!
• Simple Brand Toner - This is one of the things that I transferred into a different container. The bottle for this toner typically has a spout at the top, allowing you to apply it with a cotton pad, but this seemed like the most unnecessary hassle to me as I was packing for the trek. Instead, the spray bottle allowed me to stray this hydrating and hypoallergenic toner on my face whenever I was feeling particularly dehydrated, which actually worked out really well. If you're into the idea of a facial refresher but not looking to spend the money on an entirely different product, you could definitely give this option a try!
• Major Deep Sea Premium Saline Nasal and Moisturizing Spray - This is a little TMI as well, but I get a really dry nasal cavity when its dry outside, which causes serious sinus headaches and general malaise. Knowing full well that the plane air was going to be stale and dry, and that my allergy medication for ragweed had an additional drying effect, I packed this super moisturizing saline spray in order to avoid a problem like that.
• Tresemme Dry Shampoo - A definite must when traveling for a long time, not only does this product give your hair a fresh and clean look after hours of sitting in your own and others' filth, it also pumps of the volume of limp hair you may or may not have been sleeping on during the flight. Yes and yes.

A Closer Look: What's Inside

Part II, Non-Liquids

And finally, my essential makeup and non-liquid products for the plane were...

• Headband - To keep my hair out of my eyes when I wanted to sleep, watch TV, or take care of my skin.
• Sephora Miniature Hair Brush and Mirror - A two-in-one travel must have, because walking around with a huge rat's nest in the back of your head is NOT cute.
• Hair Clip - I like to put my hair up with clips when its bothering my neck, but this one I liked especially for the flight because it lies flat on the head. Using this, I didn't have any of the uncomfortable bulges that result from bulkier clips or buns made with ponytail holders (my hair isn't quite long enough to go all the way on top of my head).
• Toothbrush - See toothpaste, Part I.
• Secret Deodorant - Deodorant is a serious societal courtesy, for my seat partners on the flight, on the train, and just the general public. No one wants to sit next to the smelly girl for 8 hours.
• Assured 100% Pure Cotton Swabs - For taking off makeup, cleaning out ears, and just general makeup slip-ups, these cotton swabs in their nice travel container were actually really useful.
• Olay Daily Cleansing Cloths - A no-fuss alternative to washing your face in the airplane bathroom (tough and cramped!), cleansing cloths are a great way to wipe all of the flight grime off of your face before you go off into the real world. I picked this brand because they came individually wrapped and I could just put one in my bag, but any brand would really do the same thing!
• Makeup Brushes - I chose travel-sized version both from the Ulta brand and Bare Minerals to make my makeup bag a little less bulky in my back pack.
• Bare Minerals Original Powder Foundation, Mineral Weil, and Mineral Concealer - This was actually the way that I first tried out the Bare Minerals system. I didn't want to shell out the money for the full-size products in case they didn't quite work the way that I wanted, but this was really a good buy. I used them for about a month before deciding and still had plenty of product left, which I now take on trips! Hooray for travel sized things!
• Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eyeliner in Nude - This eyeliner has been talked about by beauty bloggers for a while, and I wanted to give it the ultimate test. People like Tati have been raving about how this nude liner can make your eyes look bigger and brighter, eliminating some of the redness in your eyes when you haven't really had a good night's sleep. So barely sleeping on an overnight trans-Atlantic flight would definitely see if it worked, right? The result: I don't think I looked like a sleeping beauty, but I definitely think that this made me look much more acceptable traveling the streets of Paris with all of my bags. I went from looking exhausted to looking like I was just a little tired, and am seriously happy I've got this product for a quick fix in the future!
• Rimmel Soft Kohl Eyeliner in Dark Brown and Eyeliner Sharpener- For tight-lining the upper lashes, just to give some definition. I didn't actually end up using this, but I though it would be a good idea? A look that I like, but not something I wanted to bother with in transit.
• Covergirl Cheekers Blush in Peach - I've used this blush for ages, its the perfect flush for my skin color. This particular package has seen better days, but one of the benefits of this is that the brush included in it is packed with product, making a simple sweep across the cheekbones really effective.
• Estée Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad in 01-Sand - An ancient free gift from another makeup purchase, this palette has all of the making for a nice neutral eye, perfect for a fresh look as you exit the terminal to go on with the rest of your day :).

Side Note: Korean Beauty Ideals

I know, I know, I'm focusing on products that I can get while I'm in Europe on this blog, but I don't think that my interests in beauty can be simply confined to that cadre. Makeup, skincare and beauty products are really just tools to help consumers look more beautiful, and these products are geared towards what the society views as desirable. Some Asian beauty trends are starkly different from those that I've personally experienced in America, and I find it interesting to read up on them.

I stumbled upon an article when reading something else written for the Atlantic and am really intrigued. I've included a link below. Hope you guys find it an interesting read!

"The K-Pop Plastic Surgery Obsession" by Zara Stone, The Atlantic

US Drug Store Update: Online Edition

So since I've been posting about what European products you can find at stores in the States, I figured it was only fair to see what's available online. Online shopping is totally legitimate! And kind of addicting, to be honest :/. But, if you're looking for more a selection of foreign beauty products, you can definitely find much more than is commonly stocked in many local stores or branches from retailers that you already use regularly. Alors, allons-y!

Bourjois Products:

This is a brand that I've become pretty interested since I've been watching beauty bloggers, specifically sparked by essiebutton's brand focus video from last year. I haven't personal experience with the brand, probably because I haven't seen it in stores and I like being able to test makeup shades in person, but I'm definitely looking forward to trying some of their stuff soon! If you're awesome at shade matching on screen or if you're more daring than I am in that respect, these products are sold to US consumers through Walgreens.com, asos.com and UrbanOutfitters.com. From what I've seen, Asos has the best prices on products and the largest selection, although shipping from a UK company might be more expensive than the other options. Urban Outfitters was sold out of the things I was interested :(. Walgreens, however, does allow you to use your Walgreens card to get points with purchases of Bourjois products, which could really add up if you are a regular customer there!

La Roche Posay:

This very popular French pharmacy brand is now being sold online at popular US drug stores! Although I haven't ever seen any of these products in the drug stores by my house, they are apparently available on the web if you take the time to look. Rite Aid just started carrying the Anthelios sunscreens and other chains like Walgreens and CVS have a pretty good selection of skin care as well.

Vichy:

Also a super well-advertised and popular French pharmacy skincare brand, Vichy is available in the U.S. via many of the drugstore websites listed already above. I actually went into a different CVS than the one near my own house and found a really large selection of Vichy products in stock. Awesome!

Pre-Departure Investigation: European Brands in the States, Part IV

And we finally come to the close of our quest for foreign beauty products at Bloomingdale's. Presumably, we could have chosen any department store, but we were walking in the direction of this one at the mall on our way back to the car. Many of the high end products available at Sephora were also featured here, but I didn't feel it productive to repeat products we've already talked about. Instead, I've only added the brands I found that were exclusively available at department stores in my area.

Le Métier de Beauté

"The Work of Beauty"

I've literally never heard of this brand, but the name really caught my eye. I've translated the word métier to "work", but it literally means something more like career or job. 

This what the website has to say about the brand:

Curated and crafted just for you. Experts in luxury and beauty, Le Métier de Beauté invites you to SHOP THE VAULT. The BEAUTY VAULT features limited-edition, hand-selected pairings. Click to unlock the secrets from our experts. But don't delay. Quantities are always limited.

I swatched some 3 in 1 cream color pots (color for the eyes, lips and cheeks), which seemed super pigmented and an awesome product to throw in your bag. Looking forward to seeing how this brand is represented and sold "dans l'Hexagon".

Chanel Beauty

I feel like this is available at some Sephoras? My Sephora doesn't carry it, but from a quick Google search I learned that some of the bigger branches do carry the Chanel makeup still. If you're looking for Chanel, however, department stores like Bloomingdale's will always be happy to help you.

 Estée Lauder

Clarins

Pure plant oils? Sounds good to me. This is a pricy choice but one I've heard beauty bloggers rave about. Will it be more affordable for me in its home country? We'll have to see!