For English readers: Dermalogica and the French beauty-addict

Dear English readers, this post I wrote on last September 29th, to describe my experience at the Dermalogica showroom in Paris, had a big success.
That's why I' ve decided to translate it, so that you too can read it now !

***

My mind, my skin is "Dermalogica-lized". And that's what I said to Marion, beautician and press-attaché of Dermalogica France.

Girls, I've discovered my Grail. I've met the Derma-GOD-ica ! I'm a new convert.

It happened precisely two weeks ago, as I told you in my last post, when I was in Paris with my 2 fellows beauty bloggers and friends of mine, Athena the pin-up and Jenn, the fashionista.

( the Beyond Beauty meeting we went to )

We had lots of people and things to see there as usual, but our timetable also included an appointment which made me feel both excited and anxious: it was about spending an afternoon with our delightful Marion in the Paris showroom of Dermalogica !

And so, 2 weeks ago, the three of us, together with Marion, walked through the Gates of Paradise. Is that exaggeration?
I don't think so. After all, the elevator had taken us up there, just like on a cloud, and, once in the place, what struck me first and most was the immaculate white light, that bathing light flooding in the room through the picture-windows. And also that quietness, such quietness in the very center of Paris!
And, well, when I'm in love, I get extravagant in my praise: and in the middle of that Paradise, an angel, Marion, blond-haired, sweet and so considerate !

(picture courtesy of emotionspa-mag.com)

I felt so intimidated that I didn't even think of taking pictures. And I must say that this one, the only one I found of the Paris showroom on the Internet, doesn't pay tribute to the light we were bathing in.
Should you wish to have a better idea of it, just click on. You'll realize the kind of light I'm telling you about. See? ;-))

Let's get back to that dream afternoon:

Our program said: a FaceMapping and a Dermalogica Skinbar.

The very words may sound somewhat weird to us, French people, but let's remember Dermalogica is a US brand.

So there we are, sitting, or rather perched on high stools around a very immaculate table, the three of us anxiously watching Marion as she is going to tell us the exact truth about the condition of our skin.

1. The FaceMapping

Indeed, young ladies, it would be quite wrong to classify our skin as simply oily, dry or acne-prone.

As you can see on the above picture, our face is made of several differents zones, among them the famous middle zone, and which sometimes have the strange idea of differing one from the other.
Complicated, isn't it? Well, finally, just like any human being in their entirety.

Consequently, Dermalogica has thoroughly trained each of its beauticians to precisely diagnose the skin condition of each of these zones, to give their clients the best advice possible.

When my turn comes to be examined, I put my face forward close to Marion's with some apprehension, waiting for her verdict.

Her conclusion: I am the happy owner of a well-cared-of skin, though very dehydrated, and with redness in zones 5 and 9.
And then, the unpleasant words: there are already tiny lines in my eye area.
Indeed, I don't know if it is a problem of heredity (Dad, could it be your fault? ;-)) Just kidding )or a result of my former smoking addiction, I'll never know.
In the future, I'll have to care even more about my skin which I know a little more about by now.

After her careful test is over, Marion writes out her findings on a form, of which I'll be given a copy. Then she also notes the care routine that will best fit my skin problems.

We now have in hand all the results of our FaceMapping, and we may proceed to the second part of our program.

2. The Skinbar

Still sitting at the same table, each of us now has a mirror on a stand, with all the recommended products displayed in front of us.

Marion explains in detail how each of those products should be used.

As for me, I will use:
- Precleanse, to take off my makeup,
- UltraCalming Cleanser I had already told you about and to which I'm addicted, to clean my skin,
- Daily Resurfacer: an enzymatic single dose of exfoliating treatment,
- the Multivitamin Power Recovery mask: an astonishing anti-aging treatment with immediate effect for a healthy complexion,
- a slight spritzing of Antioxydant Hydramist,
- the Gentle Soothing Booster serum for sensitive and reactive skins,
- the Total Eye Care eye treatment cream, a day version which gives your eye area a fresh look,
- the Barrier Repair, an anhydrous care to protect your skin against exterior aggressions.

I'd better tell you that, after days only in Paris, our "provincial" skins looked somewhat withered. Mine had quickly shown it didn't appreciate the pollution pervading the city: it had become incredibly uncomfortable, so that 3 moisturizing masks were hardly enough during my stay in Paris.

And then, I don't remember if any of us, me or Athena or Jenn, told you about how little time we spent sleeping. Athena and I drank innumerable mugs of coffee, whereas Jenn held on Coca Cola.

As we went on using those Dermalogica products, I was extremely surprised to feel how my skin had actually reacted: an instant comfort and a deep relaxation.
It was just as if my skin was soaring up in a dream ! O_O

Still another surprise we had when we looked at each other's face: as the Skinbar went on working, our complexions would visibly get clearer and become more uniform.

I think you've got to see it to believe it, because you may think I get somewhat carried away. And yet, that feeling of mine and those final results were all I needed to convince me I had found the cosmetic Grail in Dermalogica.

Finally, in order not to let us go out in the street with a bare, not made-up face, Marion offered to finish up our Skinbar beautifully with the Dermalogica foundations, called Treatment Foundation.

I am quite impatient to invest in that foundation, because, when I tried it and wore it 2 weeks ago, I found it much better than my Erborian BB Cream, wich remains, nevertheless, like a little revolution in my make-up routine.
The Treatment Foundation products merge as easily in your complexion (you have a choice of 8 different shades ) but their textures is much thinner and therefore more pleasant to put on and wear.

By the way, the Barrier Repair is also the sort of cream my sensitive skin had been hoping for for a long time, a soft, embracing texture that one easily imagines, once tested, as a protection against the cold of winter to come. It will no doubt be one of my next purchase.

I had already told you, and with enthusiasm, of that brand, writing 2 posts, one of which, indeed, for the Daily Microfoliant, one of Dermalogica's best sellers.
Before leaving, each of us was given the FaceMapping leaflet, plus samples related to the recommended routine, a small AGE Smart mask kit and eye treatment cream and Marion was so nice as to offer each of us a Dermalogica product for testing.
Personnally, I was lucky to take home the Daily Resurfacer. It's a bit too early to comment on the results, but they look promising ! =D

As for the Multivitamin Power Firm AGE Smart eye treatment care, I'm just crazy about its texture: but, mind you, it's not a product to be used at any moment of the day, except if your eye area is really dry.
It's got a greasy, very thin, really comfortable and nourishing final touch.
All that may sound paradoxical after what we were told over and over in the past years: a light gel texture is a must for your eye area. But after all of my experiments with cosmetics, I've come to think that, quite to the contrary, an eye area as sensitive as mine ( happy me... ^^ ) requires a nourishing cream to make my skin somewhat thicker.

Meeting new people sometimes means a new start in a passionate's person life: such was the case for me with Marion.
As she was explaining Dermalogica's fundamental claim to better promote the job of their beauticians, and to give them the status of skin-experts they deserve, given the specific studies they've got to make, my little heart of beautysta was flaring up.

What strong idea, and yet how simple: the beautician is for our skin what the dentist is for our teeth, or any other health specialist : an expert !

Today I feel much more like learning more about skin as the organ it is, after spending time those last years on the cosmetic products ingredients.

A great satisfaction I had that beautiful afternoon, and maybe the greatest, when I saw my friends as they became enthralled, just like me, by the magic of Dermalogica, a brand they didn't know much about till then. That's one more argument for the efficiency of Dermalogica's products.

(picture courtesy of RTL2)

The three of us left the showroom literally floating on a cloud of , with a large smile, while walking, light-footed, along the busy streets of Paris, to live other adventures. Needless to say that, since then, we've often chatted together about the Dermalogica products which we will soon invest in.

In my opinion, invest is indeed the right word here: first, as concerns the financial aspect of the products of which the prices are relatively high, here in France (remember those products have to fly across the ocean, and add to that our French tax system ). Then I think buying them is definitely a investment for our skin health.

Because, and I repeat Marion's own words, your skin is the very first part of your body you see in the mirror every morning, and it's, indeed, quite a large part of that body. In fact, about 2 m² and 5 kilos (16.1-21.5 sq ft and 8-10 pounds) all included, with such importance for our self-esteem and that of other people !

Maybe it's my sensitivity and passion about beauty that I express here when I deem it essential to care about our skin and really do so with quality products.

Finally, when I come to think of it, I realize the Dermalogica products aren't so expensive after all: I've figured I'd spend between 30 and 50€ (40 to 70$) a month on a regular daily use basis.

Well I keep on writing and that's quite normal after being overwhelmed by a brand like that. Following my excitement, I hurried to create that small visual when I got home 2 weeks ago :

I wanted to express that excitement and elation and I was overcome with pleasure when I saw that Marion herself used it as her Facebook profile picture !!! Thanks and thanks again! ♥

Kisses to you all and have a nice week ! ♥

The FaceMapping test is given free of charge by Dermalogica beauticians, in all the depository shops. Go to the Dermalogica site on Internet and you will find the center nearest to your place: it's an experience you have got to live !

I take advantage of this opportunity to express all my gratitude to Marion and to thank the showroom team for their hearty welcome !!!

I'd really like to thank my Dad for helping me translate this post ! ♥