French Pharmacie Haul + Photos from Paris in January

I'm still convinced I'm going to wake up tomorrow and I'll be back in Paris and that these last few days home were just a dream. Paris was incredible. There's no way I can put into words what an amazing month I had.

There's something magical about Paris. The leisurely strolls, the crepes, the historic monuments, and the soft rain create a particular je ne sais quoi that is so Paris.

My group stayed at a hostel called the FIAP Jean Monnet in the 14th arrondissement. It was a modern building with great amenities and it was super close to the metro. I'd highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Paris. (There's also free WIFIAP (wifi) here. Although it's frustrating, it was a huge bonus!) 

 Glaciere was our home stop and I can't wait to return to Paris and visit all of my favorite stops.

I was so very excited to visit the famous French Pharmacies that line most streets in Paris. They're world renowned for their skincare products, and we all know that's right up my alley.

I first hit up the Bioderma section. Everybody's heard of the Bioderma Solution Micellaire which is their gentle cleanser and toner. I also grabbed Bioderma Atoderm Lait Hydratant body moisturizer because I forgot to pack a lotion and my skin needed some hydration. Lastly from Bioderma, I wanted to try one of their facial moisturizers so I chose the lotion from the same line as the body lotion. It's Bioderma Atroderm Nutritive Creme Nourrissant. I've used all three of these and so far I'm loving them. You can't go wrong with Bioderma. Their products are gentle and have little to no fragrance.

My next stop was the Caudalie aisle. Caudalie can be found in U.S. stores, but the prices are extremely high. In Paris, the prices are much more affordable for a girl like me. I had heard wonderful things about the Caudalie Huile Divine and knew I had to test it out. It's a mix of gentle oils suitable for hair, face, and body. It smells pleasant, but not overpowering. I don't know how much it smells like perfume, but it's light and natural smelling. On my way out of the aisle a tiny bottle caught my eye. It's the Caudalie Eau de Beaute. This particular formula is laced with peppermint oil so it's soothing and refreshing. I'm kicking myself for not grabbing more than one of these sprays because I'm almost out and I NEED more. Alas, I'll just have to savor the rest of it and return to Paris as soon as possible. Doesn't sound too bad, right?

My last little skincare bit is a drugstore formula, just a cheaper price in France. It's the L'Oreal Absolue Douceur Solution Micellaire. This is just like Bioderma, but cheaper. I have heard European beauty gurus gush over this so I just thought I'd try it out. I love it. Micellar waters are great for my sensitive skin. Again, I wish I would have grabbed a few more as these are not yet available in the states.

Finally, I visited Yves Rocher. It's not technically a pharmacie, but it's full of skincare products and perfume. Think French Bath and Body Works. It's fabulous. From there I purchased the Yves Rocher The Vert Parfum that smells exactly like iced green tea. So refreshing and different from what I am usually drawn to. I also needed body wash and picked out the Yves Rocher Pamplemousse Gel Douche. Such a fresh scent. I love Yves Rocher and wish we had one in the states!

I had a fabulous time in Paris and hope to be back very soon. Here are some photos from the trip. Enjoy!

YES. I saw Lady Gaga at the Louvre.

Empty Products #3

I'd say this Empties Review consists of my most used products. Many of them I'm sad to see go, but that just means there's an opportunity to try something new, or repurchase the item and have a brand new bottle of it! I love Empties because they make me feel so accomplished, regardless of if I'm sad about finishing it or not.

Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel

I've used this cleanser since my freshman year of college and I've loved it. It was extremely gentle for my sensitive skin and it smelled quite nice, like herbs. This bottle was the second I'd purchased and it lasted forever. Granted, I don't use ten pumps every night, but I did use this every day and I think it lasted me a year, not kidding. I didn't repurchase this product, but I will go back to this in the future. It was just time for me to try something new. I'm using La Roche Posay Gel Cleanser at the moment. It's quite nice. Haven't decided which one I like more.

Twilight Woods Bath and Body Works Lotion

This is a classic Bath and Body Works scent for me. It will always remind me of reading Shiver and thinking about the wolves in Mercy Falls. It's a nice Autumn/winter scent and I'm sad it is gone. The rest of my lotions at my house aren't suited for winter. I love them, but they're very summery.

Coconut Lime Breeze Bath and Body Works Shower Gel

I got this product for free using one of the coupons from Bath and Body Works. I believe it's the same as Coconut Lime Verbena? Who knows! It smelled nice, though the bottle didn't last me very long. I did not repurchase this because I'm not loyal to any certain shower gels.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Bath and Body Works Lotion

I'd had this lotion since last fall and only used it in emergency situations because it was in my backpack. I took it out of my backpack and started using it for an everyday moisturizer back in October. I love this scent because it's not too strong, but it's definitely pumpkiny and spicy. Good fall scent, but I did not repurchase this. I have so many lotions to get through!

Pssst Instant Dry Shampoo

I raved about this a few months ago, but I have a really hard time committing to a dry shampoo. I no longer like this dry shampoo and have moved onto other products. Maybe someday I'll find a favorite, but I haven't found it yet. I don't even like the one I am using currently.

Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial

This is a staple in my skin care routine. I believe this was my second pot and it lasted me about 6 months. I don't slather this stuff on because it is expensive, but also because it is so thick and rich. You really don't need more than a pea sized amount to cover most of your face. I've already repurchased this, and I've repurposed this pot as a small portable container for coconut oil. I have a giant tub of it, but it is not practical to travel with!

LUSH Fair Trade Foot Lotion

I am very sad that this lotion is all gone. For one, it is very expensive, but, most importantly, it relieved my sad injured feet. It has a subtle minty scent, but doesn't linger for too long. I love love love this and recommend it to any athletes out there, or anyone in the service industry where you may be on your feet for hours at a time.

Evian Facial Mist

I love facial mists and this one is nice because it is just water. It doesn't have any fancy ingredients, it's just water for hydration during the day. Loved it, but didn't repurchase.

Neutrogena Skin Clearing Blemish Concealer

If you know me, this is my holy grail concealer and repurchased it already. Actually I even have a back up to the one I repurchased just so I'll never have to be without it. I don't know what I'd do. It's amazing and I don't even know why I like it so much.

Bioderma

Now this is the most depressing of my Empties. I love Bioderma and this bottle lasted me almost an entire year. It's gentle, doesn't have a fragrance, and is great for getting off tough makeup. I did not repurchase this because it is so expensive to get in the U.S. I'll be stocking up when I go to Paris in January, though. So don't worry. It'll be showing up again.

Pumpkin Spice Yankee Candle

Great fall candle scent. I believe this was cheaper than Bath and Body Works candles and it lasted just as long. I didn't repurchase, but would consider it. Maybe next year.

Market Peach Bath and Body Works

This is one of the best Bath and Body Works candles, in my opinion. I'm not missing it right now because there are so many lovely fall candles, but I'll be looking for this again in the spring.

Blueberry Pumpkin Patch Bath and Body Works

I only wish I would have purchased a bigger candle. It smells so good and it made my whole apartment smell warm and cozy. Like I was baking something nummy! Anyway, I'll be looking for this next fall.

What should I try next?

April Favorites 2013

Well I'm going to sound like such a girl right now and say that this month went by so quickly. I'm not joking. It feels like just yesterday I was on my way back home for the half-marathon that took place the first weekend in April! Here in Minnesota it didn't start feeling like April until last Friday, so I am very happy that spring has decided to come out of hiding! Here are a few things I've been loving the past month!

I talked about the Pink Fresh and Clean body spray in my collection post, but the lotion is equally as amazing. I love that when you pair fragrances with the matching lotion the staying power is tripled! This is a great lotion and I've used it for years. I only recently started using it again as a daily lotion and I'm so happy I did!

If you've already read my post raving about the Neutrogena Hand Cream then it wont be a surprise to you that it is showing up in my favorites! I love that this is a multi-use cream and it is the best chapstick replacement ever. I don't think I'll ever buy chapstick again.

I bought this Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner awhile back because I had forgotten my Bioderma at my house in Wisconsin and needed something gentle to take off makeup and refresh my skin. I definitely believe this is a dupe for Bioderma and if you've ever purchased Bioderma in the states you'll appreciate the $4.00 price tag on the Boots version. I still love my Bioderma as a number one product, but since it's so expensive I've been happy using this as a substitute.

In my Bursting with Blushes post I mentioned the Revlon PhotoReady Coral Reef Blush and ever since that post I have been wearing this blush everyday. I'm so glad I found a coral/orangey blush I can pull off.

This Revlon Fearless nail polish is a perfect bright spring red. I don't usually go for reds in spring time, but I wore this for a week and a half and almost wanted to repaint my nails the same color because I loved it that much. I paired it with my new Essie Strength base coat and was very impressed with how long it lasted.

The Essie Fiji nail polish is the perfect baby girl pink. I think of a baby shower when I wear it because it is so creamy and cute. It does need two coats to be opaque, but I don't mind an extra coat for a perfect pink.

I've had the L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Brown for a long time and it lasts forever! I love that it is a creamy eyeliner that just glides right on. It doesn't drag my eye and you can smudge it easily to get that "smokey" eyeliner look. I've been wearing it only on my bottom lash line to create a darker look

Now for some Non-Beauty favorites of the month:

For the first part of April there was still snow on the ground here in Minnesota, but once the sun came out I finally got to test out my new Birkenstocks in the style Gizeh. I purchased them because of my plantar fasciitis and they have been amazing. I will be living in these shoes this summer. I won't need anything else. Ever.

My favorite song of the month has been "I Do Adore" by Mindy Gledhill. I love the ukulele and the happy upbeat lyrics. It feels like summer and I love to belt it out when I'm in the shower.

What are some of your favorites from this month?