I love this magical Vital Oil by Talika – it’s an intensive 100% plant-based concentrate for severe dry skin.
I test skincare on a weekly basis and sometimes I need extra hydration, I tend to get excited when testing new skincare products and over do it from time to time.
Vital Oil aids in the fight against wrinkles, regulates sebum for a clearer complextion. It moisturizes without clogging your pores, softens, detoxes and stimulates your skin.
I love that my skin stays clearer, brighter and softer for weeks, months at a time.
The Vital Oil absorbed easily into my skin, the aromatic properties soothed and calmed my skin and helped me relax from a long day at the office.
Born and raised in Paris, Marie-Laure at the tender age of 19 moved to New York City to attend college. After College Marie-Laure hosted a French Radio show geared towards Francophiles of America. Falling in love with the big apple Marie-Laure never left New York and started Fournier Communications in 1999.
Fournier Communications is a bridge between Luxury European Beauty Companies and the American Market. Recently the field of communications has evolved, and Fournier has evolved with it by including consulting and distribution strategies tailoring their clients needs.
Marie-Laure has a busy schedule and took a few minutes to divulge a few of her beauty secrets.
Anita: What are your top 5 favorite beauty products and why?
Marie-Laure: ( Can I have 6 ? ) 1. Talikas’s Lash Conditioning Cleanser – We all know mascara is not necessarily the best thing for your eyelashes, but thanks to Talika I am no longer an anti-mascara absolutist. I have sensitive green eyes, and in addition to conditioning my lashes this makeup remover wipes away all traces of eye makeup without causing irritation or greasiness.
2. Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme – a Pre-Shampoo treatment oil, it’s a classic. When I started using it, I had started dying my hair to cover the grey. My hair was so dry and brittle that you could weave baskets out of it! Now my hair is soft and supple. I love Huile de palme so much that I sleep with it – it smells divine! 3. Orlane B21 Bio-Mimic Hydrating Mask – As a smoker ( I know it’s bad ) my skin is completely parched. Using this masque twice a week religiously has helped nourish and restore moisture to my skin. 4. Immunocologie’s Treatment Creme – it’s a new product that has completely changed my life. Since I started using it, I’ve noticed a major decrease in sunspots, and I don’t need to get facials anymore! 5. Sampar’s Eye Rule – Works amazingly well and it’s a fun product! You are supposed to apply it twice a day, but I keep one at my desk and use it on average ten times a day! I love doing the figure-eight motions around my eyes to stimulate lymphatic drainage. Not to mention that the fine lines around my eyes have disappeared! 6. Votre Vu Tarte d’Amande Body Souffle – is not only deliciously rich and moisturizing on the body: it has improved my sex life! My husband is crazy about the almond scent, it’s like a galette de rios everyday!
Anita: I want some of that Votre Vu Tarte – I see why you had 6 (Laughs) Next question: What are your favorite non-brand beauty products and why?
Marie-Laure: 1. Razors – They are cheaper than waxing! 2. Eye Cream – The skin around the eye area is the most delicate and is the first to show age! 3. Moisturizer for face/body – It’s the lingerie of skincare, and I’m French!
4. Buste Cream – The girls are my secret weapon for mass seduction. 5. Foundation – No woman should leave the house without it! 6. Eyeliner – It’s the best tool to look like Bridget Bardot.
Anita: I agree on the buste cream 100% – and I’m enjoying out conversation a lot! Now for my favorite question, what is your favorite shade of Red Lipstick?
Marie-Laure: Orlane Rouge Pure Soin lipstick in 04, My skin is too fair to pull off a shade that’s too Red ( It would age me) This Red is darker but still dramatic. It’s also extremely nourishing and moisturizing, my girlfriends are always stealing it from me.
Anita: If you only had 5 minutes in the morning, what beauty products would you use?
Marie- Laure: It usually doesn’t take me more than 5 minutes to get ready. I’ll just give you my daily routine: I start with the aforementioned Immunocologie Creme and Sampar Eye Rule to prep my skin for makeup. Then, I apply Orlane’s Absolute Skin Recovery Foundation, By Terry’s Brown eye shadow, YSL Liquid Liner and Black eye pencil from Nars and Emani Minerals Crushed Mineral Blush, and Voila!
Anita: Any last-minute pearls of wisdom?
Marie-Laure: We’ve all heard the first one many times, but it still astounds me how many people don’t follow this advice so I’ll say it again: Don’t Fall Asleep with Makeup ON! Our bodies are most regenerative and detoxifying when we sleep so we need to let the skin breath. Also only use de-mineralized water for cleansing, mineral tap water draws out the moisture from your skin making it dehydrated. If you must use water, gently tap the water onto your skin to cleanse. Otherwise, use a cleansing milk and follow-up with toner. So many people skip out on the toner, without realizing that toners rebalance the PH of the skin after cleansing. My current obsession is Patyka’s New Rose Face Toner for dry skin – it smells wonderful and leaves my skin soft and smooth.
Also: Once a year have a thalassotherapy. You will lose weight, your body will be detoxified, and you will have enough energy to attack the rest of the year.
Anita: I’ve learned so much, I’m going to follow your advice and start using my toners! I’m also going to look into all the other amazing beauty products you mentioned – Thank you Marie-Laure!!!
First Aid Beauty creates the ultimate travel companion, where was this amazing kit on my trip to Rome last year? The Holiday Essentials kit is filled with: A Face Cleanser, Daily Face Cream, Gentle Body Wash and their famous Body Moisturizer.
These travel goodies are packed with hydrating and soothing properties that help preserve and protect our skin.
First Aid Beauty products help calm redness, skin irritations and they are Allergy Tested, Fragrance-Free, No Parabens or Harsh Chemicals.
I love having my dry skin nourished and restored. The price is holiday friendly, you may just want one for yourself.
Arbonne Cosmetics created a unique Optlight Technology that works by light diffusing and creating a soft focus effect. The ingredients in their makeup allow the skin to breathe, and give that light-as-air feeling.
I’m not one to fall head-over heels for lip gloss, it’s usually too sticky, shiny and hard to apply.
Lip Polish by Arbonne Cosmetics glides on smoothly, delivering superior shine without being too much.
This amazing Lip Polish is enriched with Vitamin A and E, safflower oil and sunflower oil for ultra hydration.
I love the chic and sophisticated packaging, I especially love the light-as-air feeling and the smell reminded me of salt water taffy – yummy!
I love new makeup innovations, TopShop created a unique lipstick that resembles a chubby pencil. The pencil was easy to use, I simply defined my lips and filled in with the gorgeous color.
Call me old-fashioned, but when wearing Red Lipstick I prefer a matching lip pencil.
I usually run around the cosmetic department searching endlessly for that perfect lipstick and lip pencil combination. Topshop helps take the guess work out of the equation for those of us that prefer a matching lip pencil with our Red Lipstick.
This amazing lipstick provides hydration throughout the day while making it easy on those mornings when you’re rushing to get out the door.
I’m always talking about makeup, the removal of makeup is as important as the application of makeup. Klorane recently came out with a Cornflower Water Makeup Remover for sensitive skin.
I loved the smell of the French-grown cornflower, it was immediately soothing and calming. I suffer from eye allergies and now that its public knowledge that I’m a beauty blogger rarely leave home without mascara.
Since I’m always applying eye drops, I tend to favor waterproof mascara. We all know how tough it is to remove waterproof mascara, it was an easier task with Klorane.
It’s a two-in-one cleanser and toner, a non-oily no rinse formula for your face and eyes. I love that it’s ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested – paraben, alcohol, fragrance and color free!
This holiday season we’re going to get invited to several holiday parties, and we can’t show up empty-handed. As a hostess, receiving candles is a welcomed gift.
ILLUME creates several candles that come in a variety of scents: I especially like their Modern Naturals Collection.
There’s Citron Basil, Earth Rose, Persimmon & Spice, Quince Cypress and White Thyme & Pear. All these scents are clean and fresh – appropriate for all the rooms in your house.
ILLUME candles have a celebrity following: Madonna, Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Collin Farrell to name a few. I love candles, and they make ideal gifts this holiday season.
City Girl in Red Lipstick 