my sister swears by… parte seconda
It goes without saying 2020 has been a real humdinger. My sister and her family live in Italy so since the pandemic began, we’ve had to cancel three trips that involved seeing each other. Luckily, they arrived on our doorstep two weeks ago and plan to be here a while. My affinity for my sister is well-known. With only thirteen months between us in age, there’s not much we don’t share especially when it comes to make up, skincare and anything anti-aging related because we’re both terrified of our faces falling onto the sidewalk. While I rave about all of my American beauty faves, Amy imparts to me her top European products… which I take to heart since my skin won’t be touching the rejuvenating waters of Lake Como any time soon. Check out her recommendations below which are convenient to buy AND will leave you some extra cash for the full sweatsuits we’re all living in these days.
1. Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Body Scrub: My sister explains that this is a simple one. It is equal parts moisturizing and exfoliating which is atypical with a scrub which usually only does the latter. Avene gentle scrub contains fine beads to remove dead skin cells so it gets the job done without being abrasive and is formulated specifically for sensitive skin. Amy also raves about the rose scent which is super pleasant without being overpowering.
2. La-Roche Posay Pigmentclar Dark Circles Eye Cream with Caffeine: Let me preface my sister’s love for this one with the fact that she has two young, very active boys… sleep and serenity are hard to come by and so are perky, I’M ALIVE eyes. My sis swears by this one primarily because it works best under makeup. She assured me that her love for La Mer will always remain, however, she prefers to reserve that kind of thickness (and luxury) for night time only. She also likes how this eye cream is super brightening pretty much instantly. And it’s a decent price point.
3. Klorane Detox Shampoo: Ok, Amy is seriously passionate about this one which is saying something because she’s somewhat laissez-faire about her hair; my blowout routine is her worst nightmare! She covets Klorane’s aqua mint detox shampoo because the texture is very dense, very concentrated and it gives the scalp a through sudsing, which is vitally important to me when i’m washing my disgusting, 5 day dirty pandemic hair. Basically, my sister loves the experience of this shampoo… the fresh scent, how clean it makes her hair and how her strands feel strong and look shiny afterwards.
4. Nuxe Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm: This Parisian cult favorite lip balm contains honey and natural oils that nourish and repair chapped lips and so my sis keeps one of these balm pots in every pocket and purse she owns. But in truth she uses it most at night time. Amy loves that it is heavier and a little grainy which exfoliates the lip. Unlike some other lip smears, this one doesn’t taste like a chemical bomb and the scent it leaves below the nostrils is a dream. I’m a recent recipient of this potted treasure and to say I’m addicted is an understatement.
5. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micellar Cleansing Water: My sister needs her face to feel super squeaky clean after she washes her face at night. It takes off any extra residue from leftover makeup or whatever else from the day. She chose this one in particular because it is alcohol-free so it’s not drying. Amy says this “water” makes her pores extra tight and if that’s the case I should be drenching my body in this stuff.
Not all of my sister’s favorite products are from far off lands… the items below are some of her oldie but goodie American essentials… It should be noted that your dear beauty narrator is OBSESSED with all of these as well!
