It’s not every day that a beauty product attains cult status, especially in this day and age where packaging rules the roost and the quality and fame vastly dependent on how Instagram-able the product is. But Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, which sits pretty on every French pharmacy shelf, has worn this crown for a very long time. The dermat-approved cream is revered all over the world for its moisturising properties, its benefits retweeted and reposted innumerable times.
We tried this beauty on a recent trip to Paris and we found it favourable to work with in December in a city where the weather was dry, windy, and cold. The product is a thick, hydrating, and fast-absorbing, and comes jam-packed with fatty acids, vitamins and nourishing ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera, and soy proteins. The smooth cream tackles the driest of skin and leaves fatigued, tired skin with a healthy, plump glow. It also acts as a primer so your makeup glides on smoothly. And the best bit, it is unscented. While it’s known to handle dry skin well, it also doesn’t go overly watery, oily, or heavy, which means it can be used on all skin types and in all seasons without a worry.
However, the only way you can avail of its multiple benefits is if you give it good time to sink into your skin. Unlike modern-day moisturisers that come with lighter than air ingredients like hyaluronic acid, this moisturiser is on the heavier side and takes its own sweet time to absorb. Also, a little goes a long way.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré is multi-functional. One can use it as an exfoliant – just use a drop on a cotton pad and go over the face for clean, bright look. You can add powdered highlighter to it to make it a sheer radiant cream to be applied underneath your foundation for that big glow. You could also add it to your foundation to give it that sheer edge. Afterwards, use it as a makeup remover before you wash your face. It’s the best cream to carry when traveling and is TSA-friendly – only just use it once on a long haul flight and you’re glowing when you embark.
Our first Embryolisse sighting happened at a celebrity shoot with a popular makeup artist who insisted that her day would never begin without the cream. Sitting on top of coloured liners and jelly highlighters was this staid, almost unglamorous moisturiser waiting to be used as a primer. French women swear by how this product amalgamated into their lives and how it saves them space in their makeup bags. And it’s time our Indian makeup routine gets simpler and more effective too.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré is available on Nykaa for Rs 2,200 for 75 ml and Rs 1250 for 30 ml.