If you watch my Instagram Stories (and if you don't then why not?! You're missing lots of skincare and food-related rants, it's great stuff😂) you will know that I've hit on a couple of ideas relating to my page and blog. Firstly is a buying ban until Christmas. I realised that I had enough skincare for 5 faces and decided that I would challenge myself to use up what I have, make it to January and re-evaluate what and how much I buy. This may seem counter-productive for a self-proclaimed 'beauty blogger' but there is a method to my madness - I want to switch my buying habits from quantity (Hell yes I'll take that, I've never heard of it and it says mattifying which I definitely don't need, but it's on sale!) to quality (better brands, researched and cultivated products that will benefit my skin and not just my endless need to 'have stuff').
The second idea came to me while browsing through various Facebook groups, beauty magazines and websites - although I'm a bit spoilt by living in France and having access to a constant supply of French skincare, I often forget that for a lot of people beauty-shopping in France is a dream. People are always on the hunt for a list of what they should buy in France and while there are many such lists out there, I've found them all to be relatively the same. It's Avène thermal water this, La Roche Posay Toleraine that and Homeoplasmine the other. While all of these are solid, great quality brands and products, I just feel like France has much more to offer than your standard pharmacy fare. In a time when Indie brands are gaining momentum and popularity I'm guessing France has it's own hidden treasures, products that we won't see grace the pages in well-funded ad campaigns. What I want to do is explore smaller, more independant French skincare brands and find out what they have to offer and in turn be able to give you an alternative French skincare shopping list.
So on that note let's turn to the subject of today's review, the Radiant Hydration Mask from small Brittany-based brand Nominoë.
So just a little about this brand, there wasn't much available on their site so I contacted them directly and they were kind enough to fill me in on some details
Owners: Arnaud Fourel (Artistic Director) and Jérémias Martins (General Director)
Age: Ten years
Company Ethos: Arnaud and Jérémias are very selective when it comes to the ingredients used in Nominoë . The ingredients are organic, and the company takes care to respect both people and the environment as much as possible. They work with small business and prefer not to deal with large companies that use automation - this is why most of the Breton plants they use in their products are hand picked.
* The name Nominoë comes from the first Duke of Brittany c.800 B.C.
The Mask
Description: A thick but workable balm that can be used on the skin as the last step in your evening routine for smooth, bright, plump skin. Mica is *in my opinion, unnecessarily* used to give a shimmer to the balm - it's actually very pretty in effect, but I know that some people wouldn't use Mica if they were vegans, for example. The fragrance is pleasant, not overwhelming. I take a thumbnail sized amount and massage into my skin just before bed. It does leave a residue initially but sinks in *bear in mind that I have dry skin, everything sinks in😂
Price: €25 for 40ml
Ingredients: Helianthus Annus (Sunflower Seed) Oil*, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Sucrose Laurate, Fragrance, Sucrose Stearate, Water, Eryngium Martitmum Callus Culture Filtrate, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract*, Cytisus Scoparius Branch/Flower/Leaf Extract*, Ulex Europaeus lead/root/stem extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water*, Benzyl Alcohol, CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77019 (Mica), Glycerin Soy (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Lactic Acid, Geraniol
*Ingredients from organic farming. 98% of the total ingredients are of natural origin. 43% of the total ingredients are from organic farming. Dermatologically tested. Made in France.
Verdict: I really love this night mask. I'm a sucker for anthing in balm form so this immediately appealed to me on first use. I love the results - my dry, sometimes lacklustre skin always looks bright, smooth and plump the morning after use. I use it around 3 times a week and have been for a couple of months, so even though it's 40ml you get quite a bit of use out of it due to the thick spreadable texture and small amount needed. The recommended use is once a week, but it's very gentle so I think 3 x is perfect for me. The instructions do recommend applying, leaving for ten minutes, massaging and adding water but I just slap it on - works a treat. It's a gorgeous little produuct, I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in trying a lesser known French brand, has normal or dry skin and wants something that treats the skin a couple of times a week. I would repurchase, and I'm planning on trying more from this brand - notably their AHA mask and body oil.
Where to buy? If you click here it will bring you to their list of stockists in France and Belgium, both online and brick and mortar.
So, would you try this product?
Thanks for reading as always
A x
Doyouevencleanse Instagram
The second idea came to me while browsing through various Facebook groups, beauty magazines and websites - although I'm a bit spoilt by living in France and having access to a constant supply of French skincare, I often forget that for a lot of people beauty-shopping in France is a dream. People are always on the hunt for a list of what they should buy in France and while there are many such lists out there, I've found them all to be relatively the same. It's Avène thermal water this, La Roche Posay Toleraine that and Homeoplasmine the other. While all of these are solid, great quality brands and products, I just feel like France has much more to offer than your standard pharmacy fare. In a time when Indie brands are gaining momentum and popularity I'm guessing France has it's own hidden treasures, products that we won't see grace the pages in well-funded ad campaigns. What I want to do is explore smaller, more independant French skincare brands and find out what they have to offer and in turn be able to give you an alternative French skincare shopping list.
So on that note let's turn to the subject of today's review, the Radiant Hydration Mask from small Brittany-based brand Nominoë.
So just a little about this brand, there wasn't much available on their site so I contacted them directly and they were kind enough to fill me in on some details
Owners: Arnaud Fourel (Artistic Director) and Jérémias Martins (General Director)
Age: Ten years
Company Ethos: Arnaud and Jérémias are very selective when it comes to the ingredients used in Nominoë . The ingredients are organic, and the company takes care to respect both people and the environment as much as possible. They work with small business and prefer not to deal with large companies that use automation - this is why most of the Breton plants they use in their products are hand picked.
* The name Nominoë comes from the first Duke of Brittany c.800 B.C.
The Mask
Description: A thick but workable balm that can be used on the skin as the last step in your evening routine for smooth, bright, plump skin. Mica is *in my opinion, unnecessarily* used to give a shimmer to the balm - it's actually very pretty in effect, but I know that some people wouldn't use Mica if they were vegans, for example. The fragrance is pleasant, not overwhelming. I take a thumbnail sized amount and massage into my skin just before bed. It does leave a residue initially but sinks in *bear in mind that I have dry skin, everything sinks in😂
Price: €25 for 40ml
Ingredients: Helianthus Annus (Sunflower Seed) Oil*, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Sucrose Laurate, Fragrance, Sucrose Stearate, Water, Eryngium Martitmum Callus Culture Filtrate, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract*, Cytisus Scoparius Branch/Flower/Leaf Extract*, Ulex Europaeus lead/root/stem extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water*, Benzyl Alcohol, CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77019 (Mica), Glycerin Soy (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Lactic Acid, Geraniol
*Ingredients from organic farming. 98% of the total ingredients are of natural origin. 43% of the total ingredients are from organic farming. Dermatologically tested. Made in France.
Verdict: I really love this night mask. I'm a sucker for anthing in balm form so this immediately appealed to me on first use. I love the results - my dry, sometimes lacklustre skin always looks bright, smooth and plump the morning after use. I use it around 3 times a week and have been for a couple of months, so even though it's 40ml you get quite a bit of use out of it due to the thick spreadable texture and small amount needed. The recommended use is once a week, but it's very gentle so I think 3 x is perfect for me. The instructions do recommend applying, leaving for ten minutes, massaging and adding water but I just slap it on - works a treat. It's a gorgeous little produuct, I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in trying a lesser known French brand, has normal or dry skin and wants something that treats the skin a couple of times a week. I would repurchase, and I'm planning on trying more from this brand - notably their AHA mask and body oil.
Where to buy? If you click here it will bring you to their list of stockists in France and Belgium, both online and brick and mortar.
So, would you try this product?
Thanks for reading as always
A x
Doyouevencleanse Instagram
Comments
Post a Comment